If you’ve spent any time in the corner of the internet dedicated to TLC’s My 600-lb Life, you know Pauline Potter wasn’t just another cast member. She was a powerhouse. A Guinness World Record holder. A woman who, at one point, lived a life that felt like a permanent headline. But if you’re looking for Pauline Potter 600 lb Life now, the news isn't the "where are they now" success story we all hoped for.
Honestly, it’s heartbreaking.
Pauline passed away on November 27, 2025. She was 62 years old.
For those who followed her journey from the early days—before she even met Dr. Now—her story was one of extreme highs and devastating lows. You’ve probably seen the updates over the years. She went from being the "World’s Heaviest Living Woman" to losing hundreds of pounds and finally getting the skin removal surgery she dreamed of. But the final chapter of her life wasn't about weight; it was about a series of medical battles that just became too much to fight.
What Really Happened to Pauline Potter?
The decline didn't happen overnight. It started with a "pretty bad car accident" in early 2025. Pauline and her son, Dillon Brooks—who fans remember as her dedicated, long-suffering caregiver—were involved in a serious collision on a dark highway. A truck was stopped in the middle of the road without lights. Their car was totaled.
While Pauline survived the initial impact, her body never really bounced back. She ended up with broken ribs and a severe gash on her leg. For someone with her medical history, a trauma like that is a massive hurdle.
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By the summer of 2025, things got weird. She couldn't keep food down. She’d eat or drink, and it would just come right back up. Doctors were stumped for a while. Then, in August, they found a blockage in her esophagus. To make matters worse, she caught COVID-19 while in the hospital.
Her son Dillon has been pretty open about how difficult those last months were. He shared on YouTube that her health was basically in a tailspin. There was a "severe" wound on her back she hadn't told anyone about—likely out of embarrassment—and her nutrition levels were bottoming out because of the esophageal issues. By the time they considered more surgeries, her heart and lungs were already starting to fail.
A Journey That Started Long Before TLC
Most people met Pauline in Season 3 of My 600-lb Life, but she was already famous. Back in 2011, Guinness World Records confirmed her as the heaviest woman alive at 643 pounds. She actually wanted the title. Why? Because she thought it would get her the attention of doctors who could save her life.
It worked, sort of. But the road was rocky.
- The Weight: At her heaviest, she tipped the scales near 700 pounds.
- The Struggle: On the show, she was famous for "bucking the system." She argued with Dr. Now, resisted the 1,200-calorie diet, and struggled with an addiction to painkillers.
- The Turnaround: In a surprising twist, she eventually became one of the show's biggest success stories. By 2019, reports suggested she had lost over 500 pounds total.
She was down in the low 200s at one point. It was a transformation that felt impossible given how much she struggled in her early episodes. She even got that skin removal surgery. She was finally living a life that wasn't confined to a bed or a scooter.
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The Reality of Pauline Potter 600 lb Life Now
It's easy to look at reality TV stars as characters, but Pauline's life was a constant battle against her own biology and her past. She often spoke about her childhood, where food was used for everything—celebration, consolation, you name it. Her mother was over 400 pounds; her father was over 600.
In her final weeks, the complexity of her health made it impossible for doctors to intervene. Dillon mentioned that they couldn't perform the necessary tests or surgeries because "there was always something wrong." One issue would trigger another.
On November 19, 2025, she was moved to hospice care at a relative's house. She died on Thanksgiving Day.
Dillon has since set up a GoFundMe to help with cremation and memorial costs. It’s a somber end for a woman who spent so much of her life under the microscope of public opinion.
Why Her Story Still Resonates
People were often frustrated with Pauline on the show. She could be stubborn. She made excuses. But she also showed a very human side of addiction and the sheer physical toll of extreme obesity.
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She didn't just "lose weight." She fought through sepsis, a burst ulcer, and a literal addiction to the meds she needed for her pain. When she finally hit those weight loss milestones, it felt like a genuine victory for anyone who has ever felt stuck.
Her death isn't a failure of her weight loss journey—by all accounts, she had kept most of the weight off. It was a failure of a body that had been pushed to its absolute limits for decades, finally giving out after the trauma of that car crash.
What We Can Learn From Pauline’s Path
If you're following these stories because you're on your own health journey, Pauline’s life offers some pretty blunt truths.
- Trauma lingers. The damage done to the body at 700 pounds doesn't just vanish when the scale goes down. Heart and lung health are long-term projects.
- Advocacy is key. Pauline used the Guinness World Record as a tool to get help. It was unconventional, but it got her in front of Dr. Now.
- Support systems matter. Dillon was there from the beginning to the very end. The toll on caregivers is immense, and their role is often the only thing keeping these journeys on track.
If you want to honor her memory or support the family, you can look for the GoFundMe organized by Dillon Brooks. For those struggling with similar health issues, Pauline's story is a reminder that while the weight can be lost, the body remains a fragile thing that needs constant, gentle care long after the "after" photo is taken.
The best way to respect her legacy is to recognize the sheer effort it took for her to reclaim those final years of mobility and independence. She went out fighting.