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Rest in peace, Bernie McGee.
By Bernadette Giacomazzo — Written on Jun 19, 2019
He was one of the most popular stars of TLC's hit series, Seeking Sister Wife. However, tragically, he passed away suddenly and without previous notice. How did Bernie McGee die?
If you’re a fan of Seeking Sister Wife, the name “Bernie McGee” should sound familiar. Best known for his unsuccessful courting of Brandy during the second season of the show, it was Paige’s issues with jealousy that ultimately destroyed the couple’s relationship with their “sister wife.”
Here’s what else we know about how Bernie McGee died.
1. The cause of death was a heart attack due to a heat stroke.
Radar Online was the first to confirm that Bernie McGee had, indeed, passed away at the age of 41. Bernie’s wife, Paige, confirmed that the cause of death was a heart attack due to a heat stroke.
“Thank you for your thoughts and prayers. Bernie was out riding his bicycle and called me, saying he wasn’t feeling well and to come pick him up. By the time I got there, EMTs were working on him, but I could already tell. The coroner said he had a heat stroke/heart attack,” she said, according to the outlet.
2. His family is raising money to cover funeral costs.
According to Pop Culture, apparently the money the McGees got from the hit TLC show wasn’t enough to sustain them because the family has set up a GoFundMe to cover his funeral costs.
“Bernie and Paige McGee loved each other and their children unconditionally. Always helping others even though they were fighting their own battles. After losing everything to a house fire they were just beginning to get everything back together again. Unfortunately, they faced the worst sudden devastation that shocked many. Please keep this family in your prayers and help financially if you can, no donation is too small and will help a lot. Thank you for everyone's help during this difficult time,” said the fundraiser, according to the outlet.
3. The McGees were originally looking into a “sister wife” after their home burned down.
According to People Magazine, the McGees wanted to find a “sister wife” for…interesting reasons.
“Seeking Sister Wife follows couples looking to explore polygamy. According their TLC bio, the McGees were inspired to look for a sister wife in season 2 after their home in Mississippi burned down, but they never found a woman to marry into the family,” reported the outlet.
4. TLC also shared the news of the death of Bernie McGee.
According to Fox News, TLC was also quick to share the news of Bernie McGee’s death once it became public.
“Our hearts go out to the McGee family following the loss of husband and father Bernie McGee. Our thoughts are with them during this difficult time," the network wrote in a statement, per the outlet.
Our thoughts are also with Bernie McGee’s family during this difficult time, as well.
Bernadette Giacomazzo is an editor, writer, and photographer whose work has appeared in People, Teen Vogue, Us Weekly, The Source, XXL, HipHopDX, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Post, and more. She is also the author of The Uprising series. For more information about Bernadette Giacomazzo, click here.