Truly

SIMPLY tying her shoelaces or walking up a flight of stairs used to leave Catherine struggling for breath. At her heaviest, the childminder from Oklahoma City, weighed 420lbs, wearing a size 6xl pant size. Being treated for numerous medical issues including polycystic ovaries, immune disorders, high blood pressure and diabetes, doctors repeatedly warned Catherine she was putting her life at risk if she didn’t lose weight. Only after multiple warnings and doctors’ insistence that she needed to have a gastric bypass did Catherine discover within herself the reserves needed to lose 260lbs entirely naturally. But Catherine’s weight loss journey is far from over – now awaiting skin removal surgery to remove the estimated 20lbs of excess skin from her body, health complications have meant she has had to delay having the surgery while her body heals from invasive vein removal procedures. Catherine's GoFundMe page: https://uk.gofundme.com/f/6x5bbiw

WE first met Lizzy Long Legs on truly's Dating Different and now she's back - but this time she's dating fellow content creator, Candie Dixon. Speaking to Love Don't Judge, Lizzy said: "Part of the reason why I opened myself up to women is that I'm so fed up with being messed around by men." The women started off as best mates but soon realised there was something more. Candie explained: "It was just natural, we spent so much of our life together that we just grew into that." However, with Lizzy standing at 6ft 3" tall and Candie a significantly shorter 4ft 9", the pair's height difference often attracts unwanted attention. Candie revealed: "Every time we go out, people stare at us. I'm holding hands with someone who is so much taller than me. I kind of get nervous sometimes because I think, do they think that I'm your daughter?" Agreeing, Lizzy added: "I think it's a projection of men's insecurities over a woman being so much taller." Today, we'll be hearing how the couple deals with harsh criticism and how they went from being content creator besties to madly in love. Candie concluded: "There's nothing that I don't like about Lizzy. Even her flaws and mood swings, I find them quite funny."

In this Born Different special, we take a look at seven incredible individuals who live without limbs and do remarkable things.

AFTER a break-up left her heartbroken, Josie decided it was time to change. The 29-year-old from Los Angeles started her weight loss journey in January 2018 at 300lbs. In an effort to show her ex what he was missing Josie hit the gym and followed a strict diet. But along the way, Josie found herself, her confidence and learnt about self-love. After losing an incredible 140lbs, Josie is now ready to wear a bikini for the first time ever. Josie told Truly: “I think it's going to be a huge milestone for me because I am almost 30 years old and I've never ever worn a two piece, that's wild.” Follow Josie here: / josiesjourney / josievr

PETER, 30, from Las Vegas, has a unique look which he describes as a "Vintage Rushton Barbie Doll". Peter has been collecting these hand painted dolls for many years; his most expensive one costing him $1,000. Peter's look is heavily inspired by Rushton Dolls, cottage-core and princess aesthetics. Peter told Transformed: "If I could describe my look it would be: Vintage, Poofy, Princess! I love the extravagance of it, my clothes are always pink and I like to combine vintage with Y2K and Kawaii. I combine so many different things." In his early years, Peter dressed very differently. He said: "Growing up my style was always standard boyish, shorts and like boat shoes, but as I got older, I started to like pink more and I began expressing myself more and now we're here!" Today, Peter will be surprising his two best friends Alva and Rose by transforming into a 'Manly Macho Man'... How will his friends react to Peter's new masculine look? Will they hate what they see or will they want Peter to leave his "Vintage Rushton Barbie Doll" behind forever? Follow Peter: https://www.instagram.com/rushtonbarbie/ https://tiktok.com/@rushtonbarbie

WHEN Arrogrance spotted Zyion at a barbecue, she was smitten. Recalling the story to Love Don't Judge, she explained: "I was like, 'Who is that chocolate drop? I need him, I'm going to get him.'" And that's exactly what she did. The pair fell in love and married, but throughout their relationship, Zyion had spent time behind bars. He said: "By the time I'm done with this ankle bracelet, I've given the adult prison system 10 years of my life." During his most recent stint behind bars, Arrogrance doted on her man, spending over $80,000 on new clothes, cologne and lobster dinners. Documenting her life as a prison wife online, she encountered lots of negativity. Arrogrance admitted: "Social media is crazy. We have seen a lot of judgement. Basically, what do I get out of holding me down in prison? This guy said I was glorifying prison." While Zyion was in jail, the couple were allowed conjugal visits, which led to them conceiving their baby, who is due in a few months. With Zyion now out of prison, the couple are looking forward to the future, but Arrogrance's sister, Dorothy, still has reservations. Speaking about Zyion, Dorothy said: "I'm just going to ask him, what are you going to do for my sister? Is he going to take care of this kid? Is he going to be there for her? I think he's using her." Ignoring the judgement, Arrogrance concluded: "I just want to let people know, don't listen to outsiders. If you're happy, you're happy."

At 16 YEARS OLD Thomas was approaching 400lbs and was so repulsed by his appearance he wouldn’t even look at his reflection in the mirror. Everything changed when the 20-year old saw a nutritionist who taught him how to eat well. He has started a healthy diet and working out which resulted in losing 160lbs in two years. Since then Thomas, who resides in California, gained confidence he lacked before and despite admitting that he is still on his journey to self-love,Thomas says that he can finally look at his reflection and be proud of what he has achieved so far. Thomas' Instagram: / thomas.towns

INSEPARABLE SISTERS Alexis and Georgia were both born with cystic fibrosis (CF) - a genetic condition that causes excess mucus to build up in their lungs. For the first nine years of Alexis' life, doctors were unable to diagnose her, but when her younger sister Georgia was born, genetic testing had been updated to detect CF at birth. It was then that doctors gave the girls' parents grim news: at that time, because she had gone untreated for the first nine years of her life, Alexis was predicted to have a maximum life expectancy of 18 years old. Alexis' dad has since told her that hearing this "broke his heart". But it was not only the sisters' prognosis that the family had to deal with - doctors also advised that the sisters "stay 6ft apart from each other at all times" in order to minimise infection risk between the two. The family jointly decided that this would not be possible, but to this day, Alexis and Georgia understand the risks. Alexis told truly: "We've both had times where we could barely breathe" and the sisters have spent months in hospital between them. As a result, they do stay away from each other when one of them is sick - this, combined with improving treatments and a new life changing drug, has meant Alexis has outlived doctors expectations, having just turned 25. Georgia is hoping to start the new drug soon and the two are now able to turn their attention to their future together: "We are capable of being able to live a long and healthy life." Follow Alexis: https://www.tiktok.com/@lexschul https://www.instagram.com/lexschul Follow Georgia: https://www.tiktok.com/@georgias..spam1 https://www.instagram.com/georgia._.457

OLIVIA & Gage (known as Vista Wife & Vista Hubby) last appeared on LDJ over a year ago and since then, their app "SwingHub" has made them over $1million. The couple put on lavish events all over the world where like minded individuals and couples join them for some intimate fun! In this episode, Olivia & Gage invite their swinging friends to a party they are hosting at The Vanilla Alternative, a regular spot where they hold events. Their swinging parties can have up to 300 people attend which ends up being “a very busy night”. At The Vanilla Alternative, we meet some of their friends who explain that people often misjudge their lifestyle and they have “lost a lot of friends due to it”. With one of them explaining “someone asked me why I don’t I just cheat on my wife instead”. The pair are seen as the Guru’s of the swinging world, a far stretch of where they were when we met them last year. Even so, they continue to get backlash on social media from people who think they should "just get a divorce”. Olivia and Gage say their lifestyle has only made them stronger and there’s another world outside of monogamy.

KATY and Rob were previously featured on Love Don't Judge, speaking about the criticism they faced for being in an open marriage, where Rob also worked as an adult performer. Since filming the show their partnership has evolved. They are now in a relationship with Will and Dee, who starred in their own LDJ episode, speaking about their unconventional lives together as swingers. Explaining the changes since their last episode Dee said: "We became polyamorous after filming with Love Don't Judge. We sleep with Katy separately, we sleep with Rob separately, we sleep with them together." She continued: "It's easy, it's comfortable and it's best friends." Katy agreed: "When we met Will and Dee the relationship flowed from the start. It was the first swinging couple we engaged with." The group now films their intimate lives for the world to watch. "The content can range from educational purposes, like how to go d** on a girl, how to give a good kiss. As well as enjoying the spicy content we all do together," Katy said. "We are swinging anyway, so why not film it and make some money off it," Rob joked. But their life choices have been picked apart online. Comments include: 'This is so disgusting and disturbing!', 'People think swinging is a civilized way of cheating', and 'You could have health problems from so many partners at the same time.' However, the group brushed off the naysayers, "Some people like to be accountants, some people like to be p** stars," Will said. "Just keep having fun, I know what makes me happy and that's what I choose to do every day," Rob agreed.

AT 190lbs, Angela Crickmore was living a life she did not want. Growing up, Angela, from Brazil, was always a very active child but when she moved to the UK, she began eating unhealthy food and noticed her body started to change. At 23 years old, Angela got married, sadly fell into a robotic lifestyle and did not pay attention to her body. This led to Angela receiving unpleasant comments. Angela told Truly: “When someone asked me if I was pregnant, that quite shocked me. Like wow, do I look eight months pregnant?” Angela was craving a more active and healthier lifestyle so after her first marriage ended, she saw this as an ideal opportunity to turn her life around. “After two weeks, I saw that I was already losing a few pounds, and that gave me the motivation and the courage to carry on losing more.” Angela has successfully lost a total of 84lbs and is now a personal trainer and digital influencer, helping others on a road to transformation... Follow Angela Here: / angelcrickmore

XENO, 25, from Brisbane, Australia, describes her vibrant and eye-catching style as 'Rainbow Decora'. Her look is full of decoration, with vibrant colours, and it's something that she was immediately drawn to. Xeno told Transformed: "The main points of my look that makes it rainbow is obviously the colour, lots of colours everywhere! The mixture, the backgrounds, the contrast. It's my happy place." Xeno gets a lot of attention due to her style, but sadly not all of the public reactions have been positive. She said: "The worst judgement I've ever received for dressing the way I do was, when I was younger I would get followed around, I would get yelled at in the street, I've even had kids throw things at me. They make me feel discouraged and sad, but they never stop me from wanting to dress the way I want to." Today, with the help of makeup artist Mell, Xeno will be transforming into her mom's most hated look... 'Kardashian Glamorous!' Xeno says that her mom Pip, hates all mainstream glam looks, especially anything reality TV related. How will Xeno's mom react to this transformation? Will she be horrified with Xeno's new look or will she be pleasantly surprised by what she sees? Follow Xeno: https://www.instagram.com/xeno_morphine/ https://www.tiktok.com/@xeno_m0rphine Follow Makeup Artist Mell: https://www.instagram.com/_beautybymell/

LOVE at first glance, says Shannon Lawson, who was smitten with Dreamboys creative director Jordan Darrell even before he slid towards her on his knees on stage and gave her a lap dance. The pair met when Shannon saw Jordan perform and was quick to keep in touch before the end of the night. Fast forward a couple of years and the pair are engaged and have had their adorable son Ruben. But as much as it was a new love, it was also a new career for Shannon, who decided to get into exotic dancing herself after seeing Jordan strut his stuff while they were dating. Now, the couple are both working in the industry but are still being targeted by people online saying that they can't be good parents because of the work they do. Regardless of the judgment they receive, they say they have built their own family bubble and are thriving in their careers, refusing to let trolls stamp on the life they have built together. Shannon said: "The very first time I met Jordan was at one of his strip shows, my first thought and impression was that this guy is a bit of me." Jordan said: "I was a professional dancer and got into stripping by auditioning with my friend. We absolutely, in my words, killed that audition and then the rest is history, now I take my clothes off every day of the week." Shannon added "We just had a conversation one day and I said I really want to try it. I have tried other things, but stripping was like the one thing that I hadn't tried and I really did want to give it a go."

WITH BICEPS that could compete with Arnold Schwarzenegger, this Dutch bodybuilder has proudly proclaimed herself as the real-life “She-Hulk”. Jackie Korrn, from Schagen, The Netherlands, has dedicated her life to fitness and aspires to be on the WWE stage one day. "I train two to three hours a day, with a lot of weights," Jackie said. "I started there and keep building, building, building." After she went viral online after showing off her 25-inch “curvy girl muscles”, Jackie has received a flurry of job opportunities including participating in wrestling shows - and she hopes to take it to the next level one day. "They had Hulk Hogan, now they are going to have "She Hulk"!" Jackie added. "So, WWE, call me!"

BASED in Florida, Megan’s relationship with food caused her to go through years and years of frustration and desperation. With food slowly becoming her “friend” and the only thing that made her feel good, it led to her gaining more and more weight, with her highest weight being 315lbs. Megan says: “If I didn’t do something about it I literally could have died.” The catalyst for her weight loss journey and mental shift came from her trip to Disney World, where she was unable to fit on most of the rides. This experience motivated her into believing that from this moment on, no matter what it took, she “had to start now” and by investing in herself, weight loss surgery and the support of her partner and Dad, she was able to lose 175lbs, leaving her in a state of amazement at her new body till this day. Follow Megan: / megans.mission https://www.tiktok.com/@megans.missio...

SUBSCRIBE to Transformed: http://bit.ly/3t87o3v RICHARD, from California, has been collecting tattoos for the last 30 years and so far has tattooed over 90% of his body. Richard's addiction to ink started with a small tattoo on his chest before he joined the military. Then, when the "ink fever" took over, his tattoo journey really began. Richard told Transformed: "I currently have 247 tattoos covering my entire body and my goal is to be completely covered 100% within the next three years." Richard's wife Marita has only ever known Richard with tattoos, and even with some initial shock, she has grown to love them. Despite Richard's very supportive wife and children, the reactions to his tattoos haven't always been positive. Richard said: "I get judged a lot and get many negative comments. People call me a monster, say how disgusting it is, why would you do something like that to yourself? I take care of my family, I'm a good father, I'm normal! Just because I have tattoos doesn't make me a bad person." Today, with the help of makeup artists Crystal and Angel, Richard will be giving his family the shock of their lives by having his tattoos covered up for the very first time! But how will Richard's family react? Will they recognise the stranger in front of them and prefer the tattoos gone? Or will they be desperate for Richard's ink to return? Follow Richard & Marita: https://www.instagram.com/cam arenahuffcx/ Follow MUA Crystal: https://www.instagram.com/crystalroxmakeup/

ARMANI is a celebrity hairstylist and mother to teenager Mariyana. Armani was 22 years old when she adopted her then two-year-old daughter and the pair have a great relationship. Armani told truly: “I would describe me and Mariyana as the power couple, best friend duo.” The mother and daughter create fun videos together on social media but this has led to some judgement and derogatory comments. Armani is trans and has been told by trolls to give her daughter back, misgendered and, Armani added, “they like to say I have forced my kid to be gay.” But the pair are determined to continue inspiring others and remain positive. Armani said: “I really want my kid to be successful, to be able to stand on her own two feet in the world and be very independent and secure with who she is as a person." Instagram: @Armani_stay_stamped TikTok: @Armani_stay_stampedd YouTube: @Armanistaystamped

Barnaby, 30, and Adriana, 28, are both transgender. They met online and quickly became inseparable, falling in love with each other’s shared values. The pair are now engaged and looking forward to starting a future together. However, before they met, both Barnaby and Adriana faced difficulties in dating. Barnaby told Truly, “It always comes down to that one question: 'did you have the surgery yet?” The trans couple has also been harshly trolled online. “There are death threats sometimes, I’ve been told that I need to be burned with fire”, Barnaby explained. Despite the traumatic messages they have received from the outside world, the couple have bonded over their shared experiences. Barnaby said: “What attracted me the most to Adri was that she was so open and visible, I love that.” The pair have now been together for two years and Adriana sees a brighter path ahead. She said: “I feel now, more than ever in our life, things are starting to fall together and we’re super excited.”

A 20-year-old-man lost 104lbs in 10 months, going from obese to beast. ‘Lose weight’ and ‘go to the gym more’ – on 1 January 2018 Quantel Thomas made the same resolutions that so many vow to do at the start of a new year. But for Quantel, these weren’t just feelgood attempts he could give up by February. After being told by doctors he was at risk of diabetes, Quantel knew he had to make a change to his diet. He did far more than that: in under a year Quantel lost over 100lbs, going from 284lbs to 180lbs and transforming his body – including new six-pack and all – in the process. Perhaps even more astonishing is that Quantel did all of this without any formal fitness programme or a personal trainer. Going to the gym at least six days a week, Quantel can bench press 285lbs and deadlift up to 475lbs. Eventually he hopes to get into body building - he currently weighs 204lbs as he attempts to bulk up - and is currently studying Exercise Science at college with plans to become a personal trainer afterwards. Follow his story here: / flex_god187 / quit.thomas

22-YEAR-OLD aspiring bodybuilder Rodney was an "emotional eater" growing up - turning to food for comfort throughout his turbulent childhood. He recalls consuming an average of 10,000 calories per day, consisting of mostly junk food washed down by two litres of soda. By the time he was a teenager, Rodney's relationship with food had spun out of control - and with family regularly suggesting that they were "embarrassed" by his weight, the vicious cycle continued. By the tender age of 17, Rodney had tipped the scales at 420lbs and had two "close calls with death" - first, a motorbike accident caused by his weight, which "bottomed out the suspension and it bucked me off and I flew 30 feet through the air", and then a fatty liver disease diagnosis soon after, where doctors found his liver was "already 50% dead." He looked himself in the mirror and decided to make a drastic lifestyle change - cutting fast food and soda out of his diet "cold turkey" and hitting the gym "seven days a week." Now, Rodney is half the weight he used to be - currently weighing in at a lean 210lbs - and has gone from a 56-inch waist down to a 32-inch waist. And with his physique giving him a huge boost in confidence and new lease of life, Rodney has found purpose as an online coach, helping others on their own weight loss journeys. On top of that, he has competed in a bodybuilding contest and now, having had 17lbs of loose skin removed, has his sights set on his next groundbreaking goal: "I want to be the first person in history to lose over 220lbs and be nationally notified as a pro bodybuilder... I want to be something great, I want to be known for something great." Follow Rodney on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@brodfit_21 Follow Rodney on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Brodfit_21 With thanks to: https://www.prodigygym.com

SUBSCRIBE to Truly: http://bit.ly/Oc61Hj Dezzy Renee went viral in 2021 for her resemblance to the American Rapper Cardi B. Dezzy is a mum, full time student, aspiring musician and TikTok influencer who first realised that she looked like the rapper when a colleague at work said she looked like her. Dezzy didn’t see it herself but when she started wearing wigs, people noticed more and she began to grow a following online. She made a few videos singing some of Cardi B’s songs and blew up over night and woke up to 40,000 followers. Her following has now grown to over 800K on TikTok and she now posts a variety of videos including her own music and showing off different wigs. Dezzy said “I ended up getting more and more followers and I quit my 9-5 job”. Dezzy believes the wigs really make her look like Cardi B “I think the wigs is what really makes me look like Cardi a lot more. I didn’t want to be paying $500 on a wig, so I became a wig influencer”. Her videos gained the attention of blogging site Hollywood Unlocked and even Cardi B herself, who posted Dezzy on her instagram and tweeted about her. Dezzy said “Cardi B has re-posted me plenty of times, she shows me a lot of love which I do support”. As well as some positive reactions, Dezzy has had a lot of negative reactions to her videos. People have said she is forcing her voice to be like Cardi B and she just wants to talk like her. She has had comments saying that she is “the Cardi B from Aliexpress”. Dezzy doesn’t let the judgement get her down “I look at hate as you giving me attention you bringing me up, I’m gonna be successful and you helping me”. Follow Dezzy: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dezzyreneeofficial/ Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dezzyreneeofficial?lang=en

SUBSCRIBE to Transformed: http://bit.ly/3t87o3v WHILE some people took advantage of the pandemic and 2020 to reduce, if not stop, their makeup routine, for 25-year-old Jordan it was the chance to perfect her deathcore makeup look. The tattoo artist, who has extensive tattoos on her arms, chest, neck, plus seven on her face, has worn predominantly black clothes since she was a teenager. But it was only during the first lockdown that her striking makeup look evolved. Jordan started experimenting with heavy black and white makeup, going out with her full face on almost every day. So how would Jordan feel getting her makeup done by an Instagram-influenced makeup artist? And swapping out her alternative clothing and piercings for a girl next door makeunder? Shocked by her final transformation, Jordan said: “It was interesting and fun to see me like this but do I like it for myself? No. It made me realise that I’m pretty happy with the way that I look, that I don’t want to change for anybody.” Follow Jordan here: https://www.instagram.com/lvciferiswatching_/

KAYLEE and Cody are adult content creators from Atlanta, Georgia. They have been together for over 1 year and are getting married next year. Kaylee was an adult content creator before meeting Cody, and after 2 months of dating he decided to join in. Since they began working together, they decided to turn business into pleasure by travelling the world and creating their content in iconic locations. Kaylee even has a bucket list of where she wants to be intimate next, she is on a mission to do the 7 natural wonders of the world. So far Kaylee and Cody have done 3 of them already. The couple travel around national parks in America and Canada in a kitted out RV - but share most of their intimate lives outside the RV. The pair receive a lot of backlash online, particularly aimed at Kaylee saying things like “your parents must be proud”. Kaylee says “I get more backlash because I'm the girl, Cody just gets, high five bro”. Cody has yet to tell his parents exactly how he makes money, but in this episode we see the couple having a serious conversation with Cody’s sister, Nina, about their career choices. The couple believe they have found the male and female version of each other and love sharing every second together, regardless of what the haters say.

ROCKY, better known as RockyNoHands is an online gamer. At 19 years old he was paralysed from the neck down after an accident. He explained to Love Don't Judge: "I was at a party wrestling around with this kid and he just dropped me on my head and I broke my neck." The incident changed his life forever, "before that, I had two, almost three jobs, I had a lot of friends, was the captain of a hockey team, and after I broke my neck all that was gone. So, over the years I had to find new things to do, new hobbies, a new career and new friends," he said. Rocky now has a successful career streaming himself playing video games with just his mouth, using a device called a Quad Stick. He first came to know his now fiancé Jacquelyn in 2017. We first met online through Twitch, someone from our community gifted us subs to each other. Me and my buddies were on a Discord call and they started saying you should ask her if she wants to play Fortnite and they dared me, so I did it and she said yes," Rocky explained. "The rest is history," Jacquelyn quipped. The pair fell in love online and eventually met in person when she travelled from her home on the Gold Coast to Michigan to meet Rocky. They were dating long-distance, but once the COVID lockdowns hit they were separated for two years. Jacquelyn eventually decided to permanently move to the US to be with him. Sharing their love story online has garnered a lot of support and praise, however, many have questioned Jacquelyn's intentions. Rocky explained: "I get judged a lot obviously, for being a guy who plays video games with his mouth so this one is just a little bit more personal because it's about someone else that I love other than myself. I'd rather they just make fun of me." Negative comments include, 'she wants easy money', 'bet she's f***ing other dudes' and 'congrats on getting yourself a carer'. Jacquelyn spoke in her own defence, "What people don't realise is that coming here I'm a long way from home. I'm a long way from my family and I'm very close to my family so coming here for him is why I'm here. I wouldn't be doing it for any other reason." The couple are able to brush off the haters, instead embracing their life together. "The things that I would like to say to the people that judge me is, mind your own Ps and Qs and Mama said, if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say nothing at all."

AFTER hitting breaking point and tipping the scales at 414lbs, a mother-of-five dropped an astonishing 234lbs in just 14 months. Following her dramatic transformation, Noelle was left with loose baggy skin on her arms and around her belly which the 38-year-old admits initially caused her some insecurities. Although proud of her physique the mother from Nashville, Tennessee chose to have transformative surgery that would remove the excess skin following her drastic weight loss. Describing the procedure as ‘life changing’, months after her surgery Noelle is now enjoying a fresh lease of life with her brand-new body. Follow her on Instagram @transforming_noelle