Extreme Weight Loss star and makeup artist Brandi Mallory passed away Nov. 9, at 40 years old.
The cause of death has yet to be revealed, but she died in Stone Mountain, Georgia, according to her Legacy profile.
Family and friends gathered at the Delta plots and multipurpose room on CAU’s campus for a candlelight vigil to celebrate Mallory’s life on Nov. 12 with purple, turquoise, and white balloons.
Mallory’s family scheduled her public viewing for Nov. 19, from noon to 6 p.m. at the Tri-Cities Funeral Home. Her funeral service is planned for Nov. 20 at noon at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and her Interment service will follow.
Mallory graduated from Clark Atlanta University and was a member of Delta Sigma Theta (Sigma chapter) and Gamma Sigma Sigma National Service Sorority (Zeta Omega Chapter).
The CAU graduate is widely known for starring in Extreme Weight Loss’ fourth season in 2014, where she lost 151 pounds while competing in challenges like the Half Ironman Triathlon, a 70.3-mile fitness challenge that requires biking, swimming, and running in under eight hours. She started the show at 329 pounds.
In an interview with Kirby Carroll, an Atlanta reporter, Mallory shared that she applied for The Biggest Loser after seeing an ad for it on TV. The show had already left Atlanta and was headed to its last stop in Cleveland. The CAU alum jumped at her chance and booked a ticket to audition. The show declined her, but the producers sent her application material to Extreme Weight Loss. She also discussed how the death of a sorority sister drove her to take her weight loss journey seriously.
“I had a sorority sister. Her name was Porsha Grant, member of Gamma Sigma Sigma Nation Service sorority,” Mallory told Carroll. “She passed away at 29. She was a week younger than I am. So, I turned 29 and then a week later she turned 29, and a week after that she passed.
She continued, “It was devastating, and she wasn’t as large as I was, but I knew she had a heart attack. She suffered from a heart attack. I literally was waking up every day, like, ‘This may be my last day waking up.’ Like, I don’t know what’s gonna happen for me.”
Friends and sorority sisters of Mallory took to social media to address her death.
“Brandi was a bright light. Her beautiful smile lit up any room she entered. She loved with her whole heart and embraced life’s challenges head-on. Her talent as a makeup artist opened doors for her and made room for her to expand and grow,” Mallory’s line sister, Danya Woods, wrote on Facebook.
Kim Williams Maxile was a Season 5 contestant on Extreme Weight Loss. After watching Maxile on the show, Mallory reached out to her and realized the two shared a great deal in common.
“You and I became sisters as only a small group of us know what life was like on the show and life after the show,” Maxile wrote in an IG post. We finally met in person a few years later when you came to spend time with me in Cali, and it was like we’ve known each other our whole life! You truly made an impact on this world with your zest and your passion for body positivity. I’m blessed to have gotten to experience you in this world. Love you so much, sis.”
In an IG post, DJ and rapper Big Tigger wrote, “One of my favorite people to ever meet. Your light is irreplaceable. Thank you for your fun, love, laughter and friendship.”
