Extreme Weight Loss star Brandi Mallory has died at the age of 40.
A representative for the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed to PEOPLE that the former reality star died on Nov. 9 in Stone Mountain, Ga. A cause of death was not disclosed.
Mallory appeared in season 4 of the ABC series, which aired in 2014. In a 2018 YouTube interview with local Atlanta journalist Kirby Carroll, the makeup artist shared how she ended up on the reality show.
In the interview, she revealed that it was the death of one of her sorority sisters at the age of 29 that prompted her decision to lose weight. Brandi Mallory.
“I was literally waking up every day like… this may be my last day waking up, like, I don’t know what’s going to happen for me,” she said. “When it’s playing on your mind that I might need to do something about my weight, because I’m afraid I might die too, then you might need to pay attention to something like that.”
She went on to share in the interview that she saw a casting call for The Biggest Loser, and while she didn’t get picked for that show, the producers sent details about her to Extreme Weight Loss. “Literally every footstep since then has been God. I prayed over that application before I sent it off; I prayed every step of the way,” she said at the time.
On the show, Mallory revealed that at her heaviest she weighed around 329 lbs. During her time on Extreme Weight Loss she competed in the Half Ironman, a fitness challenge that saw her swim, bike and run for a combined 70.3 miles in less than eight hours.
Since appearing on the series, Mallory continued her fitness journey through dance. She often shared her passion for makeup and fitness with her followers on Instagram. The 40-year-old shared her final post on Nov. 3. Brandi Mallory.
Mallory’s family and friends honored her memory with a candlelight vigil on Nov. 12. Per her obituary, a memorial service will be held for her on Sunday, November 19, 2023 in Lithonia, Ga.
Extreme Weight Loss season 5 contestant Kim Williams Maxile paid tribute to Mallory in a Nov. 9 post on Instagram.
“Rest in Love sis,” she captioned a video of her and Mallory. “To my fellow Extreme Weight Loss @extweightloss sis, @brandimallory you will be missed. I’ll never forget while I was at boot camp for season 5 we watched your season and it inspired us to keep going. “
She added, “You truly made an impact on this world with your zest and your passion for body positivity. I’m blessed to have gotten to experienced you in this world.”
After garnering national attention for her weight loss and viral dance moves, Mallory became an active member of her community, working as a Staff Assistant for her Alma Mater.
A friend of Mallory’s posted a video to Instagram of the makeup artist happily dancing on stage with a group of high school students at a rally to promote the university just one week before Mallory’s passing.
And again, does anyone know if Brandi was fully vaccinated and boosted? Is anyone keeping track like they should be?