My 600-Lb Life Star James King Dead At 49

James King, a fan favorite from My 600-lb Life, passed away in a Nashville hospital on Friday, April 3. He was only 49.

He first appeared on the TLC series in 2017 for season 5 when he was bedridden and weighed 791 pounds, and most recently appeared on the spinoff in the summer of 2018 when he weighed 840 pounds. During his time on TV, it was revealed he suffered from a few health issues, including cirrhosis of the liver and sepsis. It is unclear why he was being treated in Nashville, but we’re heartbroken to hear he didn’t make it.

King is survived by his wife, Lisa Raisor King, four daughters, two sons, and 19 grandchildren. While the Paducah, Kentucky-native kept a relatively low profile on social media, he did gush about his two most recently born grandkids online.

And his obituary tells us a bit more about who he was:

“James loved sports, especially wrestling, hockey and baseball. James’ favorite team to cheer for was the Chicago Cubs. His other hobbies included fishing and communicating to friends across the country on his CB Radio under the handle “Cracker Jack.””

During his debut on the show, he told cameras that an ankle injury made his obesity worse:

“I was still getting bigger. But things got worse when I was 42 because I fell, and I was so big, the fire department had to come and get me up. It was one of the lowest moments in my life. And I hurt my ankle really bad, and I had to stay in the bed and rest. But I’m not even sure if it ever healed, because that’s the last time I put weight on it.”

He also noted that eating was a coping mechanism for dealing with the loss of his mother in his younger years. King explained at the time:

“I was just so depressed and tore up that I couldn’t even go to school. [It] seemed like all I wanted to do was eat. Food was what made me safe for all these years growing up, so that’s what I turned to. By the time I was 18, I was just about 400 lbs.”

His father emphasized his concern for his son, sharing:

“I think James’ weight [got out of control] five or six years ago, and I tried to mention it to James a few times about his weight. But I don’t know, it seemed to do no good. [And] it got out of hand.”

Learn more about James (below):