What Happened To Jeanne Covey From My 600-Lb Life?
The following article contains discussion of sexual assault.
TLC's "My 600-Lb Life" follows the lives of morbidly obese individuals and chronicles their efforts to lose weight. Houston-based surgeon Dr. Younan Nowzaradan is a staple of the show, offering the medical perspective and some insight into what goes on behind the scenes. Dr. Now, as he's often called by patients, said that the issue is often a psychological one. "Severe obesity is a complex physical and psychological condition with many components. Not realizing how much of their struggle is psychological and not just physical can be the biggest obstacle for change with patients," he told People. "Many refuse to admit they have any emotional compulsions or compulsive psychological disorders driving them to overeat."
Some patients have dramatic transformations and reach a healthy weight. For others, their stories are tragic and things don't go as planned. For many, it's somewhere in the middle, with complicating outside factors making things tough but still manage to make great strides. One such patient was Jeanne Covey and she had a remarkable story on the TLC hit. Covey, like many patients on the TLC show, was seeking gastric bypass surgery and needed to lose weight in order to qualify. Dr. Now was blunt with Covey. "Your problem is your eating disorder and surgery does not correct eating disorders," he said to her (via Distractify). "If you want a different life, you have to be ready to do something about it. You are responsible for your behavior and your eating habits." But Covey had a tough time on the TLC show.
The traumas Jeanne Covey experienced while filming
Jeanne Covey came on "My 600-Lb Life" while she was living in Big Sandy, Texas in a home with several dogs, per Distractify. She weighed more than 600 pounds and shared that in her childhood, she often stole food and got more food than she needed from her grandmother, per The Cinemaholic. She was later sexually assaulted by her mother's then-boyfriend, and food became Covey's coping mechanism. Her mother tried to intervene when it become a problem, but nothing seemed to help.
When Covey began her journey on the TLC show, she required constant help from her mother, Barbara, who was herself ill, and her father, who had been diagnosed with schizophrenia. Her father fell out of touch while she was on her weight loss journey for "My 600-Lb Life." Covey's mother, Barbara, fell ill during the process and they were at a Houston hospital and couldn't connect with her father. Covey requested a welfare call from the police and they found out that her father had died at home, per Distractify. In light of the combined stress, Covey decided to quit the program after losing 32 pounds. "I talked to my mom, and we both decided we're not going back to Houston," Covey said (via The Cinemaholic). "With my dad gone, we can't leave the dogs alone, and I can't go by myself." Covey said she wasn't in a place to continue.
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
Jeanne Covey reveals little about herself on social media
Jeanne Covey keeps things under wraps now in her personal life. She has a private Instagram account and doesn't share too much about her life on Facebook. On Twitter, Covey opens the door a little bit more to fans. She re-tweeted a beloved quote by American wrestler Eddie Kingston that spoke about diet culture. "If you start looking the same, it gets real boring," the message began. "Me, I got a little bit of a belly. I like to eat ice cream, I like Five Guys, I like pizza. I also like to lift weights and do cardio..." Based on Covey's Twitter presence, she's a fan of professional wrestling. We've also learned that Covey wasn't a huge fan of Amber Heard and followed the trail between her and Johnny Depp. "Sadly I don't think she will ever take accountability," Covey tweeted of Heard. "These people who play victims rarely ever do." Clearly, Covey was #TeamDepp.
While she rarely talks about her time on TLC's "My 600-Lb Life" — save for noting that she was a former cast member in her Twitter bio — Covey has made it clear what she thought about her experience. She sued the production company, Megalomedia, Starcasm noted in February 2020. She claimed that she and her mother, Barbara, were forced to continue filming even when they wanted to stop and that the company didn't pay her medical bills after promising to do so, a common issue in lawsuits against Megalomedia.