NJ star of ‘My 600-lb. Life’ dies after suing TLC show for emotional distress

An Ocean County native whose astonishing weight-loss journey was featured on the TLC reality TV show “My 600-lb. Life” died last week while surrounded by family at home.

Gina Marie Krasley was just 30 years old when she died Aug. 1. The cause of death was not publicly released.

Before her death, Krasley was among 10 plaintiffs suing the TLC show's production company over emotional distress that they said was caused by the long-running cable show.

Krasley and her family appeared on the program last year. During her segment, Krasley detailed how her abusive childhood led her to drown her troubles in calories, eventually becoming immobilized by her weight and straining her marriage.

“If I don’t do anything now it’s just going to get worse and I am going to die,” she says in the episode.

The program shows Krasley planted on a couch as she consumes numerous servings of greasy take-out food.

According to reporting by the New York Post and Starcasm about the lawsuit, Krasley alleged that show producers encouraged her to stuff her face on camera in order to craft a false narrative that she would be unable to control her eating in order to undergo successful weight-loss surgery

The lawsuits argue that the production company failed to provide adequate mental health counseling and screening necessary for people who are subjected to extreme diets.

In a statement shared on Twitter, TLC said it was “deeply saddened by the loss of Gina Krasley, who shared her weight-loss journey on My 600lb Life. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family at this difficult time.”

On her YouTube page in March, Krasley said that she had peaked at 700 pounds but had cut her weight back to 400 pounds.

“Never lose faith,” she says in a video. “The best thing to do is believe in yourself and I did it. I believed in myself finally.”

Krasley’s video offers advice on the rocky road toward success.

"Things take time and if you believe in yourself and you keep going, that’s what matters,” she says. “I did this only for me and I did this on my own.”

Krasley’s obituary does not mention the TLC show but did point out that she started the  “dancing has no size limit” trend on TikTok.

“She dreamed of one day opening up a dance studio for special needs children,” her obituary says.

@itsjosephinebitchesxo##duet with @ginamarie_0109 ##foroyoupage ##hatersgonna ##biggirlsarebeautiful ##dancinghasnosizelimit♬ original sound - Gina

Krasley was a resident of Tuckerton and had lived in Forked River and Barnegat.

She is survived by her wife, Elizabeth Krasley and her mother, sister, brother-in-law and three grandparents. Services were Sunday.

Sergio Bichao is digital managing editor of New Jersey 101.5. You can contact him at sergio.bichao@twnsquaremedia.com