Steven John Assanti remains one of the most remembered and controversial participants from the famous show “My 600-lb Life”, the TLC program known in Spanish as “Kilos Mortales”.
His story caught people’s attention not only because of his weight, but also because of his difficult relationship with his family, his major behavioral issues during treatment, and the tense moments he experienced with Dr. Younan Nowzaradan, better known as Dr. Now.
When he appeared on the show alongside his brother Justin Assanti, Steven weighed close to 800 pounds, while Justin was close to 600 pounds.
Before arriving on TLC, Steven had already made headlines. In 2015, media outlets in the United States reported that he weighed around 778 pounds and was trying to lose enough weight to qualify for bariatric surgery.
What happened to Steven Assanti on “My 600-lb Life”?
During his time on the show, viewers saw moments in hospitals, consultations with Dr. Now, tense episodes with medical staff, and even a period in which he was sent to rehabilitation.
His relationship with his brother Justin was also a central part of the story. The two had a complicated relationship, and over time, their bond became even more strained. Later reports indicated that the brothers did not maintain a close relationship after the show.
Despite all the difficulties, Steven eventually underwent bariatric surgery. According to reports about his follow-up on the show, he claimed to have dropped down to around 518 pounds, although Dr. Now doubted that number accurately reflected his real weight at the time.
What does Steven Assanti look like today?
In recent years, Steven has maintained an irregular presence online. There is no official medical update from TLC confirming his exact current weight, but there are signs that he remains active.
Those who have seen him recently in videos or livestreams say that he looks very different from the Steven who first appeared on television: older, with a more worn appearance and far from that early stage of the show.
There were even rumors circulating that he had passed away, but his brother Justin denied them in 2023. According to Starcasm, Justin posted that Steven had not passed away and was still alive in his apartment.
Steven married Stephanie Sanger in 2018. Newsweek reported in 2019 that the two had gotten married in Iowa the previous year. Later, in 2021, Nicki Swift published that the relationship was complicated: Steven said they were still married, but “technically separated,” living in different cities.
After “My 600-lb Life,” Steven did not return to the same level of television exposure, but he continued to be a topic of conversation among fans of the show. Currently, his most visible activity appears to be related to personalized videos on Cameo and occasional mentions on social media.
His case continues to spark curiosity because he was one of the most controversial participants on the show. For some viewers, his story served as a warning about the risks of severe obesity, addiction, and difficult family relationships. For others, Steven represents one of the most chaotic cases Dr. Now had to face on screen.