Makeup artist Brandi Mallory is probably best known for season 4 of the reality series “Extreme Weight Loss,” which aired on ABC in 2014. She originally applied for the show “Biggest Loser.” While the producers didn’t choose her for that show, they sent her information to the producers of “Extreme Weight Loss,” and they asked her if she would want to be on that show instead.
Mallory weighted 329 pounds at her heaviest, but she decided to make changes to get healthier following the death of her sorority sister. During the show, she lost an impressive 151 pounds, and after the show was over, Mallory continued her health journey, using dance as one form of exercise. She shared her journey on Instagram with her over 100,000 followers.
Now we’ve learned the sad news that Mallory has died. She was just 40 years old. A cause of death has yet to be released. She was in Stone Mountain, Georgia, at the time of her death on November 9, 2023.
Her followers, fans, friends and family will certainly miss her positive outlook and influence. Another “Extreme Weight Loss” alum, took to Instagram to share her story about getting to know Mallory through the show even though they weren’t on the same season. Along with a video of their first time meeting each other, she shared, “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. Love you so much sis.”
Back in 2018, Mallory sat down with journalist Kirby Carroll to discuss her life, weight loss journey and experience with the show “Extreme Weight Loss.” During the interview, Mallory revealed that after her sorority sister died of a heart attack at age 29, she starting worrying about her own health. She said, “I was literally waking up every day like this might be my last day waking up, like, I don’t know what’s going to happen for me.”
Mallory credits God for how she got picked to be on “Extreme Weight Loss.” She explained, “Every footstep since then has been God. I prayed over the application before I sent it off. I prayed every step of the way.
Mallory also shared the sad news with Carroll that she has experienced a miscarriage in August 2018. She called that “the hardest thing that I have ever had to just keep going through.” She added that “experiencing the pain of something like that…is really emotional.” That’s the only experience that temporarily derailed her from her fitness journey.
She added that the best thing for her is when a woman who usually doesn’t wear makeup makes an appointment with her to get her makeup done for a special event. After Mallory has finished doing the woman’s makeup and looks in the mirror for the first time, Mallory said, “it’s tears. It’s that moment” that brings her joy. She also explained that she finds it “powerful” when through her fitness classes or social media someone tells her “you saved my life” or “I honestly was going to give up on this, but because I saw that post, I’m not going to.”
Hear more about Mallory’s life and fitness journey in the video below: