Former ‘Extreme Weight Loss’ Contestant Brandi Mallory Dead At Age 40

The former reality TV star was found dead inside of her vehicle

Brandi Mallory, who competed on ABC’s popular series Extreme Weight Loss in 2014, has died at 40, People reports. The former reality TV star was found dead inside of her vehicle in Stone Mountain, Georgia. A cause of death has not been confirmed.

Mallory’s car was spotted in a strip mall parking lot by a store owner who noticed the woman inside and thought she was asleep. After seeing the vehicle hadn’t been moved all day, he notified the police. Surveillance footage captured Mallory arriving at the parking lot the previous night, purchasing dinner, and returning to her vehicle, TMZ reports. She was not seen leaving the parking lot or her car again.

Police have noted no sign of foul play.

Since her appearance on Extreme Weight Loss, Mallory continued documenting her healthy lifestyle via a fitness page under the name HorsePowerfmg, where she offered various workout experiences led by herself and others. The Clark Atlanta University alumnus was also a makeup professional and plus-size influencer. When appearing on the show in 2014, she shared that the motivation behind her decision to strive for a new lifestyle came after the death of her sorority sister at the age of 29.

“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,” Mallory 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.”

Mallory’s family and friends held a candlelight vigil in her honor on Nov. 12, and a memorial service will be held on Nov. 19.

Extreme Weight Loss season 5 contestant Kim Williams Maxile shared kind words about Mallory in a touching tribute posted to Instagram. “You truly made an impact on this world with your zest and your passion for body positivity,” she wrote. “I’m blessed to have gotten to experience you in this world.”