Fans of TLC’s My 600-Lb. Life are mourning the death of Dolly Martinez at age 30.
Her sister, Lindsey Cooper, confirmed the news via Facebook on Saturday, April 11. “It is with a heavy heart that I share the passing of my beautiful sister, Dolly,” Cooper wrote. “Dolly had the brightest personality she could light up any room with her laughter, her kindness, and her loving spirit. She had a way of making everyone feel special, and her warmth will stay with us forever.”
The statement continued, “While our hearts are broken here, I find comfort in knowing she is now reunited with our dad in heaven. I can only imagine the joy of that reunion. Rest peacefully, Dolly. You will always be loved, always be missed, and never forgotten.”
Days prior, Cooper asked for prayers amid Martinez’s hospitalization and said her sister was “fighting for her life.” Cooper exclusively told Us Weekly on April 13 that she was on a ventilator for nearly two weeks before she passed.
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Who Was Dolly Martinez?
Dolly Martinez appeared on season 10 of My 600-Lb. Life, which premiered in 2021. At the beginning of her episode, she weighed just under 600 pounds and was on supplemental oxygen. After moving to Houston to be closer to bariatric surgeon Dr. Now, Martinez ultimately lost 40 pounds on the show, but she was not approved for surgery.
During the series, Martinez was open about her complicated relationship with food. “The only thing powerful enough to distract me from darker thoughts is food. Food is my go-to drug that takes my pain away,” Martinez explained. “Food is more than just a pleasure. It’s my reason for existing.”
She continued, “I can’t wait for the first bite of something. That will make me forget about all the misery of my life. … Food has caused all of the things I hate about my life, but it is the only thing I have ever had to help me feel good and I don’t know where to even begin to change that. Ever since I can remember, food was just a coping thing, I guess. It just made me happy. It still does. Food just makes me happy.”
What Has Dolly Martinez’s Family Said About Her Death?
Dolly Martinez’s sister, Lindsey Cooper, shared with Parade that the reality star died on April 11. After her death, Cooper spoke out against online critics who had been targeting her late sister and their family.
“My Facebook is my safe space a place where I can share what’s on my heart. I’m allowed to grieve my sister, Dolly, here. I know many people knew her from a show or TikTok, and that’s OK but please remember, there’s so much more to her than what was seen online or on TV,” Cooper wrote via Facebook on April 12. “She was my sister first. She deserves peace, and she deserves kindness.”
The statement continued, “And to everyone online being cruel and mean and attacking not only dolly who can no longer defend herself but me and my family. From the bottom of my soul and as disrespectfully as possible f*** all the way off.”
Cooper also addressed those who had commented on her own appearance.
“Oh and yes for those pointing out how im just as fat or saying I’m the next to go in the family just know I have chronic health problems and [mental] health issues and I take meds that cause me to gain weight and I’m working on getting the weight off. But that’s not for you to point out,” she concluded. “Thanks for coming to my ted talk.”
On April 13, Cooper exclusively told Us that she was by her sister’s side before her death.
“When I think of my sister, I think of love. All Dolly ever wanted was to be loved and to love other people. And I felt like she did that,” Cooper said of her sister’s legacy. “She did that everywhere she went. No matter her size, no matter what people said about her or how they treated her, you could always come to Dolly and she would be there for you and not judge you.”
Has Dolly Martinez’s Cause of Death Been Revealed?
Dolly Martinez’s sister, Lindsey Cooper, told Us on April 13 that Martinez died of congestive heart failure. (TMZ was first to report the news.)
Cooper recalled Martinez’s doctors putting her sister on a ventilator on March 30. She explained that while the physicians initially considered performing a tracheostomy, they realized that Martinez’s lungs were not functioning well enough to be taken off the ventilator and opted against the procedure.
Martinez’s oxygen levels kept dropping, according to Cooper, who told Us that on the day she died, the level was only 50 percent. Despite her failing health, Cooper said Martinez died “pain-free and at peace.”
If you or someone you know struggles with an eating disorder, visit the National Alliance for Eating Disorders website or call their hotline at (866) 662-1235. Text “ALLIANCE” to 741741 for free, 24/7 support.
This story was compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists.
