It is hard to forget the image of Steven Assanti falling off a golf cart or screaming at hospital staff for pain meds. Honestly, if you watched his episodes on My 600-lb Life, you probably have some strong opinions. Most people do. He wasn’t just a patient; he was a lightning rod for the show’s critics and fans alike.
Years have passed since the Assanti brothers first graced—or maybe haunted—our TV screens. But the internet doesn't let go of a story like this. People are still searching for updates on My 600-lb Life Steven, wondering if he ever actually changed or if the "villain" edit we saw on TLC was the whole truth.
The reality? It’s a lot messier than a one-hour episode makes it look.
Why Steven Assanti remains the show’s ultimate enigma
Steven and his brother Justin entered the program weighing a combined total of over 1,300 pounds. It was a recipe for chaos from day one. Steven, specifically, became infamous for his manipulative behavior, his blatant disregard for Dr. Nowzaradan’s rules, and an addiction to painkillers that seemed to overshadow his need for weight loss.
Dr. Now has seen it all, but Steven was a different breed of difficult.
Remember the time he was kicked out of a hospital for ordering pizza? That wasn't just "reality TV drama." It was a glimpse into a very real, very deep-seated struggle with addiction and mental health. While many viewers saw a bully, others saw a man who had been failed by systems long before the cameras started rolling.
The fallout with Justin
The tension between the brothers wasn't just for the plot. Justin Assanti has been pretty vocal on platforms like Reddit, basically confirming that what you saw on screen was the real Steven.
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Justin eventually got his own surgery and has managed to stay out of the limelight, running a hobby shop in Rhode Island. He’s made it clear: he wants nothing to do with Steven. He even mentioned in 2025 that he’s essentially "divorced" himself from that side of the family to protect his own peace.
It's a sad ending for a family story, but for Justin, it was a survival tactic.
The marriage that shocked everyone
In 2018, the news broke that My 600-lb Life Steven had gotten married. The bride was Stephanie Sanger, a massage therapist from Iowa.
The internet went into a tailspin. How did the man who threw tantrums on national television find a "soulmate" online?
Stephanie defended him fiercely at first. She claimed the show’s portrayal was a "facade" and that Steven was a "gentleman" in private. She even posted photos of them looking relatively happy and domestic. For a minute, it looked like maybe, just maybe, Steven had finally found the stability he needed to keep the weight off and stay clean.
Are they still together in 2026?
Things haven't been quite as rosy lately. By late 2024 and moving into 2026, the trail has gone somewhat cold, but the breadcrumbs aren't great.
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Stephanie has been less active in posting about Steven. There were reports of a separation, with Steven living in a different city. While they haven't officially filed for divorce (at least not publicly), the "soulmate" narrative seems to have hit a major wall.
Steven’s own social media—when he’s active—is a bizarre mix of off-key singing videos and occasional outbursts. It’s a pattern of behavior that suggests the internal demons he struggled with during his time with Dr. Now haven't fully disappeared.
Factual health updates: Where does he stand now?
Let's talk numbers. At his heaviest, Steven was over 750 pounds.
He did eventually undergo weight loss surgery, despite several "last chances" from Dr. Now. Reports suggest he lost a significant amount of weight—somewhere in the neighborhood of 200 to 300 pounds at his lowest point.
However, photos from recent years show a man who is still struggling.
- Weight Fluctuations: Like many participants, Steven has battled the "yo-yo" effect.
- Physical Toll: Years of carrying that much weight, combined with past substance abuse, have clearly aged him.
- The "Elephant Leg": Dr. Now famously pointed out the severe lymphedema and skin issues Steven faced. Those kinds of physical scars don't just vanish with a gastric bypass.
He’s alive, which in itself is a feat given the health risks he faced in 2017. But "healthy" might be a stretch.
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What most people get wrong about the Assanti saga
A lot of the hate directed at My 600-lb Life Steven stems from the idea that he was just "lazy" or "mean."
If you look closer, you see a textbook case of childhood trauma. The brothers have spoken about a difficult upbringing and a mother who struggled with her own issues. In the world of extreme obesity, food is rarely just food; it’s a numbing agent.
Dr. Nowzaradan often says, "The scale doesn't lie," but the scale also doesn't tell the whole story of why someone is eating themselves to death. Steven's behavior was often a defense mechanism—a way to control a world that he felt had abandoned him.
Does that excuse the way he treated nurses? No. But it does provide context that a 42-minute edit usually leaves out.
Actionable insights from Steven’s journey
Watching Steven isn't just about the spectacle. There are real lessons here for anyone interested in the psychology of health and addiction.
- Surgery is not a cure-all. Steven proved that you can have the best surgeon in the world, but if the "head work" isn't done, the physical changes won't stick.
- Boundaries matter. Justin Assanti’s decision to cut ties is a harsh but necessary reminder that you cannot save someone who doesn't want to be saved, especially at the expense of your own mental health.
- Accountability is the only way out. The moments where Steven actually made progress were the moments where he stopped blaming the "stink" on a rash and started listening to the hard truths Dr. Now was dishing out.
If you’re following the updates on Steven hoping for a miraculous transformation, you might be disappointed. His story is more of a cautionary tale about the long-term effects of untreated trauma and the difficulty of breaking a cycle of addiction.
Keep an eye on Justin if you want the "success story" version of this family's journey. As for Steven, he remains in the same place he’s always been: somewhere between a reality TV legend and a man still trying to find his footing in a world that mostly knows him as a villain.
Check back for more updates as they surface, but for now, the best thing anyone can do is learn from the mistakes broadcasted on our screens. Transformation requires more than just a smaller stomach; it requires a complete overhaul of the mind.