Patricia Krentcil, widely known as “Tan Mom,” rose to fame in 2012 when she was accused of bringing her 5-year-old daughter into a tanning booth. Although she was later acquitted, her extremely bronzed appearance and the child endangerment case made headlines nationwide, drawing immense public scrutiny. Many who knew her confirmed that Patricia had been obsessed with tanning for years.
Her life, however, has included far more than just her tanning habit. In 2019, Krentcil suffered a major health crisis. After contracting pneumonia, she was placed on life support in a medically induced coma. She later revealed she had also experienced cardiac arrest, pancreatitis, and a serious lung infection. “My whole body died,” she said at the time. Miraculously, she made a full recovery, calling the experience “sad” but transformative.
By 2021, Patricia began speaking out about the toll that sudden fame had taken on her life. “I was dubbed ‘Tan Mom’ and it turned into the biggest storm imaginable,” she said. She maintains she did nothing wrong and that the tanning salon owner confirmed her daughter was never inside the tanning booth. Still, the ordeal cost her dearly—emotionally, financially, and personally. She lost two homes and her husband, Richard, who had been her main source of support, passed away that same year.
In 2022, Patricia shared that she had made major life changes, saying she no longer partied and had “turned her life around.” While a spa visit raised questions about her tanning habits, a January 2023 Instagram post revealed a dramatic shift in her appearance — showing a lighter, more natural look. Fans praised her transformation, calling her “beautiful” and “marvelous.” The post signaled a potential new chapter for Patricia — one of healing and change.
