'My 600-Lb Life' Star Pauline Potter Dies After Horror Accident

She survived a near-fatal car crash, battled mysterious illnesses that left doctors baffled, and clung to life through agony and despair — but in the end, not even her fierce will could save her.

She was once the heaviest woman alive — now she's gone. The late "My 600-lb Life" star Pauline Potter has died at 62, and the story of her final months is nothing short of devastating.

Her son, Dillon, delivered the heart-shattering news in a sombre video posted to her YouTube channel on 30 November — confirming that the clip would be the last ever shared on his mother's page.

"Unfortunately, my mom has passed away this past Thursday on Thanksgiving," he began softly, before pulling back the curtain on a shocking string of tragedies that would ultimately lead to her death.

Early-Morning Crash Sparks Spiral of Health Crises

In January, a moment that was supposed to be just another quiet ride turned into a terrifying brush with death.

Dillon recalled the pair were travelling down a dark two-lane highway when they slammed into a "truck and trailer" that had inexplicably stopped in the middle of the road — without any lights on.

"The guy claimed that he ran out of gas," Dillon explained.

But by the time they spotted the unlit trailer, it was far too late. "We didn't see it until we were right upon it," Dillon said. "At the same time, there was an oncoming car in the other lane, so there was no way to go around it."

Pauline was behind the wheel. Dillon, reclining in the passenger seat, had been fast asleep.

"My mom tried to swerve to go around it, but the passenger side of the car hit the trailer and completely spun us around," he said. "When we stopped, we were facing the opposite direction on the opposite side of the road. At the time of impact, we were going 50mph."

Dillon revealed that in the chaotic aftermath, his mother had initially told a patrol officer she'd been driving at 65mph — but dashcam footage later confirmed the vehicle was actually going 50mph at the moment of impact.

Still, despite the evidence, both the truck owner's insurance and his mother's insurer coldly refused to accept liability, leaving Pauline and Dillon saddled with full responsibility for the devastating crash and its costly fallout.

In a cruel twist of bureaucracy, Dillon said multiple attorneys abruptly dropped their case, citing Pauline as the one at fault. Still, he clings to a flicker of hope — working with new lawyers who, he says, believe there's a chance he could finally get the justice they deserve.

Broken Bones, Missed Diagnoses — and the Agony That Followed

Dillon's injuries were painful but manageable — but Pauline's were far worse, and missed entirely at first.

"My legs were almost pinned. [...] My left hand and wrist was hurting and my mom's right hand and wrist was hurting," he said. But what wasn't seen immediately would soon haunt them.

Pauline had sustained a serious gash on her leg and multiple broken ribs, though doctors failed to detect the latter in the emergency room. She was discharged the same day.

It wasn't until weeks later — after unrelenting chest pain — that scans confirmed the fractures.

"They said, 'There's nothing we can do about them. They're just going to take like eight weeks to heal.' So, they sent her back home," he recalled. She eventually recovered from the accident — but it was only the beginning of a grueling decline.

Mystery Illness Baffles Doctors As Pauline Wastes Away

By June, Pauline could no longer keep food down.

Test after test, visit after visit — yet no one could find what was wrong. On Independence Day, 4 July, they spent hours in A&E running tests. Just as they were preparing to leave, doctors flagged a concern about her heart rhythm.

But Pauline — exhausted and frustrated — refused further testing that day.

It was not until 20 August that doctors discovered the truth: a severe blockage in her oesophagus was preventing her from eating or drinking properly.

As if that weren't enough, Pauline also tested positive for COVID-19, further weakening her fragile body and complicating her treatment.

Infections, Heart Failure, and One Last Fight for Survival

Things only worsened from there.

Pauline developed a painful and deeply infected wound on her back, adding to her growing list of complications. Doctors also began to observe signs of heart and respiratory failure.

In October, she was moved to a rehabilitation centre, where she was meant to build up her strength for surgery. She remained there for about three weeks before being discharged on 19 November — this time, to hospice care.

Doctors had done all they could.

A Bittersweet Goodbye Surrounded by Family

Through it all, Dillon said there were glimmers of hope — moments where Pauline appeared to be doing well — before the pain would return, stronger than ever.

She spent her final Thanksgiving surrounded by her family. Just hours later, she passed away.

A Life Once Measured in Pounds, But Remembered in Love

Pauline first captured hearts in 2015 when she appeared on TLC's "My 600-lb Life" — a woman who once weighed a staggering 700 pounds, relying on a scooter to move, and at one point holding the record as the world's heaviest living woman.

In a twist of dark irony, Pauline admitted she had intentionally gained weight to please her husband, Alex, who confessed a preference for larger women.

"I used to love being big," she said on the show. "But it went too far. It's too tough for me to even get up. I had to rely on others just to stand."

With help from Dr Nowzaradan and a fiercely disciplined weight-loss regimen, she made the extraordinary decision to fight back — undergoing surgery, adopting a new lifestyle, and ultimately shedding over 500 pounds.

Gone, But Not Forgotten

From becoming a viral television sensation, to battling through pain, trauma, and the cruel indifference of the healthcare system, Pauline's story is one of tragedy, transformation, and tenacity.

She may be gone — but the impact she had on her fans, and the fight she showed in the face of unthinkable adversity, lives on.