Gabriel Freitas, a Brazilian influencer and former reality TV star who was known for his 384lbs weight loss while on Programa do Gugu, passed away after suffering from a heart attack. He was 37 years old.
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According to the Daily Star, Freitas passed away on Dec. 30. Despite his death being ruled as a heart attack, the influencer’s close friend, Ricard Gouvea, stated that he “didn’t suffer.”
“Gabriel died practically sleeping, he didn’t suffer,” Gouvea explained. “He died trying. He fought to the end, he was very strong, and I have a lot of respect for him. He was a very good person with a very good heart.”
Freitas’ death comes nearly eight years after he gained public attention for losing significant weight. In 2015, he weighed more than 50 stone but had dropped to just 18 stone (252lbs) by making lifestyle changes. He didn’t use surgery or medication.
Programa do Gugu’s host, Gugu Liberato, praised Freitas on the show by claiming he was “going further than most people could imagine.”
Following his reality TV appearance, Freitas started a YouTube channel, My Parallel Universe, to chronicle his weight loss journey.
“My name is Gabriel Freitas, I’m 29 years old, I’m 1.94 meters tall, I weighed 320 kg when I started my weight loss process and 310 kg when I started recording for YouTube,” he wrote at the time. “I decided to share my struggle to lose weight with all of you in order to help you with motivation and to show that it is possible to lose weight without surgery or medication. Here, you’ll see all the changes from a guy who weighed 320kg to the body he always dreamed of. Welcome to my life.”
He ended up attracting more than 700,000 followers on Instagram and YouTube.
Gabriel Freitas Previously Announced New Weight Loss Plans After Regaining
Daily Mail reported that Gabriel Freitas announced he had a new weight loss plan last October.
Freitas notably weighed almost 60 stone at the time. He had gained weight following the loss of his father and brother. His goal was to lose 15 stone without medication or surgery.
“A new phase is about to begin for me,” Freitas explained. “Whatever it takes, I’m going to get out of bed on November 1 with the help of God. Until then, I’ll take it to the extreme. Total fasting to day one to recover my legs. Getting closer to God in prayers.”