How did John Meadows die? 'Mountain Dog' had heart attack in 2020, suffered rare colon disease
News of bodybuilder John Meadows's death at 49 has left more than just his immediate family shocked. Popularly coined the moniker 'Mountain Dog', Meadows is survived by his wife, Mary, and their twin sons Jonathan and Alexander, with Mary confirming the news of his death on his official Facebook page. Soon after that, social media poured in with tributes as heartbroken fans wondered what caused the fitness legend's demise. The answer wasn't directly expressed by Mary, but she offered comfort to his fans by sharing that Meadows was at their home, and his death was peaceful.
News of Meadows's death comes weeks after actor and bodybuilder Mike Mitchell, who starred in 'Gladiator' and 'Braveheart', died at the age of 65. Meadows, a Youth Football Coach and CEO of Mountain Dog Diet, made sure his 328,000 Instagram followers stayed updated with his life. Offering glimpses into both his and his close bodybuilding circle's several accomplishments, Meadows was loved universally for his inspirational posts and a cheerful bromance with fellow bodybuilder Jay Culter. His social media was sprinkled with clips of training sessions and several peeks into his personal life, but a little-known fact about Meadows is also that he survived a heart attack just last year.
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How did John Meadows die?
As of now, an exact cause of death has not been revealed from the bodybuilder's family. The official statement arrived in the form of a Facebook post from Meadows's personal account, where an individual called Brooke Nappo signed off on behalf of Mary, informing people of the sad news. "Dear Friends & Family, I am posting this on behalf of Mary," the Facebook began, continuing: "This morning John passed away unexpectedly and peacefully in their home. As you can imagine, this is a complete shock to her and the boys. She will update as soon as she can. Please know she is very thankful for all the prayers and support she knows her and the boys will receive from you all."
Before Meadows's sudden passing, the social media icon had also suffered a heart attack in 2020, which was due to a “potential clotting disorder with his blood," according to a post made by Mary on Meadows's personal Facebook account. Candid with his fans as ever, 'Mountain Dog' had also opened up about battling a rare colon disease in the past. Currently, it's uncertain whether either of the health crises had anything to do with Meadows's death. Fans must find comfort knowing that he passed next to his wife Mary, whom he has credited for all his accomplishments often.
In an interview with Married Celebrity, Meadows once said about Mary's undying support: "I couldn’t have done it without her. When I was sick and got out of the hospital and I was too weak to look after myself, she did everything for me, including sanitary things I can’t talk about." Gushing further about his beloved wife, Meadows added: “If I say I want to do something, we’ll talk about it, make sure it’s workable, and then she gets behind me and supports the idea and me all the way. And when I’m hurting the last three or four weeks of my diet, she sees the look on my face and says, ‘Just hang in there, it’s going to be worth it,’ and I need to hear that at that stage.”
Mary, on the other hand, is a social media recluse, with hints of her blissful marriage to Meadows dropping in the form of the many family vacations they have enjoyed with their 2006-born twins. One of those posts sees Meadows wishing his sons a happy 12th birthday in December 2020. The pre-teens are already following their father's footsteps in winning over social media as Alexander posts his videography content on Instagram, while Jonathan, with 2500 TikTok followers, is known online for his fascination with superheroes.