Whatever Happened To Christie Brimberry After 'Fast N Loud'?
Every good reality television crew needs a charismatic leader, talented but quirky professionals, out-of-the-box thinkers, and, most importantly, someone who holds it all together and keeps the peace. The latter was always Christie Brimberry on the show Fast N' Loud, who was the office manager of the Gas Monkey Garage. Her responsibilities included keeping tabs on various accounts, scheduling, coordinating purchases, and generating sales.
Brimberry starred in 55 episodes of the popular reality show but then stunned fans with a departure in 2017. Her decision to leave was due to health reasons that turned out to be quite serious. Brimberry received terrible news that she had cancer of the thyroid, which would require a surgical procedure. In light of this revelation, Christie thought it best to focus on her well-being and take a step away from the television cameras. Since then, she has been active on social media and investing more time into her passion for modeling. While Fast N' Loud was canceled for a few reasons, the Gas Monkey Garage crew and Richard Rawlings have continued working on ambitious projects showcased on their popular YouTube channel. Christie Brimberry wasn't the only cast member to depart the show early; here's what happened to Jason Aker from 'Fast N' Loud.'
Her cancer was removed but with long-term ramifications
Christie Brimberry not only had to go through chemotherapy treatment, which has the unfortunate side-effect of making patients extremely ill, but she also required surgery. A lymph node located adjacent to Brimberry's thyroid was found to be cancerous and required surgeons to carefully remove it. While all medical procedures carry some risk, the vocal cords' proximity to the thyroid presented additional challenges. However, throughout, Christie remained in good spirits, commenting on social media, "A lot of you have become like family to me, [and] if you think something might be wrong with you, GO TO THE DOCTOR" (via Starcasm).
Fortunately, the surgery was a success, but Brimberry did express that some damage was done to her voice. She commented to fans, "When I came out of surgery, the doctor had not only removed my thyroid and a cluster of lymph nodes, but he also had to remove part of my trachea because the cancer had spread." In fact, the procedure prevented her from speaking for months, but it was life-saving and well worth the sacrifice.
Family, fitness, and modeling on social media
Following a complete recovery from cancer, the 52-year-old Brimberry has stayed away from the television spotlight but has been active on social media platforms. Her 1.2 million Facebook followers and 341,000 Instagram followers have been able to keep up with the star's latest activities. Christie seems content to spend time with her family as both a wife and mother. She has posted several photos of herself in the parents' pickup line from her children's school, making quips about a variety of subjects, including the hot temperatures of Texas.
Christie Brimberry takes her training regimen seriously and periodically offers some encouraging words to those trying to get into shape. One Facebook post read, "Happy Work Hard Wednesday! When you feel like you can't do it or can't reach it, just keep working." While Brimberry looked in her element on Fast N' Loud, she has passions beyond the garage, such as modeling, which she can now dedicate more time toward. She was certainly an influential part of the Gas Monkey Garage, but there's no word on if or when she'll ever rejoin the old crew.