My 600-lb Life follows severely obese people who are attempting to change their lives by getting control of their eating habits and, eventually, decreasing their weight with the help of gastric bypass surgery. The show has inspired many people over the years, but like with any reality show, things aren’t always as they seem, and it appears that things are a lot worse behind the scenes than most the viewers would imagine.

Fans of My 600-lb Life have seen firsthand how difficult it is for many of the contestants to maintain the results they attain. In fact, the majority of the people on the show revert to their past harmful behaviors even under the strict surveillance of Younan Nowzaradan, better known as Dr. Now, which could lead to some unpleasant moments that make viewers at home grimace in their seats. However, the show has hidden dark secrets from the public. From deaths to divorce, here are some of My 600-lb Life’s scandals that should have resulted in the show’s cancelation.

Dr. Now’s Son, Jonathan, Is The Reason ‘My 600-lb Life’ Exists

What nobody is aware of is that Dr. Now, before he got famous with the show My 600-lb Life, already participated in a documentary about Renee Williams, a morbidly obese woman. Renee weighed 841 pounds when she came to Dr. Now in 2007 after being turned down by several other doctors due to the risk associated with operating on morbidly obese patients.

Related:Who Was Destinee LaShaee? A Look Back At ‘My 600-Lb. Life’ Star Before Her DeathRenee stated that she wanted to change her life so that she could care for her daughters and see them graduate from high school. Dr. Now agreed to help her, but sadly, Renee died just 12 days after the surgery due to cardiac arrest. Dr. Now’s son, Jonathan, had chronicled her struggle to change her life and used the material to create a documentary called Half Ton Mum, which aired in the UK and small and other programs like Half Ton Team. Jonathan was also an executive producer for My 600-lb Life until 2016.

The Tragic Death Of ‘My 600-lb Life’ Star James Bonner

Many previous cast members have publicly lauded Dr. Now, praising him for his life-saving assistance, but they have nothing pleasant to say about the organization that produces the show. Amber Rachdi from season 1 was one of the first stars to protest the production firm claiming she was being mistreated and that the production didn’t respect her boundaries. By late April 2020, 10 cast members of the show had sued Megalomedia for various reasons. The first complaint was brought by the family of dead cast member James Bonner who committed suicide in 2018.

His family accused the production of grave negligence, alleging that the firm failed to provide James with proper mental health care while filming despite showing serious signs of depression, as many former cast members have claimed. Bonner’s family also accused Megalomedia of forcing him to film while he was not ready.

Transformations led to divorces. In many cases, their life-changing surgery and weight loss come with an unanticipated change, as many of Dr. Now’s patients end up getting divorced. For example, Christina Phillips lost over 500 pounds and a whopping 75% of her body mass after the show. But as her weight dropped, problems between her and her longtime husband and caretaker Zach grew. Christina noted that her husband struggled to accept her newfound independence and eventually realized that their relationship was beyond repair. It was because the relationship centered on Zach’s need to enable her.

Related:Did Gina Marie Krasley Win Her ‘My 600-lb Life’ Lawsuit Before Her Death?

So was the case of Zsalynn Whitworth. She had met her husband on a website called Shopping for Fat Girls. It was clear that he was not on board with her plan to lose weight. In fact, shortly after her bypass surgery, he drove her straight to a fast food restaurant. She soon realized that the only way to turn her life around and take care of her child would be to divorce her husband.

Various Stars Of ”My 600-lb Life’ Sued The Production Company

As previously stated, James Bonner’s family was the first to file a lawsuit against Megalomedia in January 2020. But nine more cast members soon followed suit, as reported by Starcasm. Among those summing the producers is season 7 star Jeanne Covey, the first person on the show to quit Dr. Now’s program during filming.

She claimed that the company forced her to continue filming despite her wishes to leave after her father died. The production company allegedly lied to her about financing medical expenditures totaling more than $70,000 for her mother Barbara Fallaw’s hernia surgery.

Similarly, according to Annjeanette Whaley’s lawsuit, she had to pay thousands of dollars in medical expenses despite the production company assuring her that they would be covered. With so many cast members suing the production business, it’s not a surprise that many viewers want the show to end.