Jillian Michaels Responds to Netflix’s “The Biggest Loser” Documentary
Jillian Michaels, a well-known fitness trainer, recently expressed her concerns about Netflix’s new documentary, “Fit for TV: The Reality of the Biggest Loser.” This comes shortly after the documentary aired, which features claims from former contestants and others involved in the show. Michaels, who was a trainer on “The Biggest Loser” from 2004 to 2011 but did not take part in the documentary, took to social media to address these accusations.
One notable claim she disputed involved the assertion that she and her fellow trainers handed out caffeine pills to contestants. In her response, Michaels shared an email exchange with Bob Harper, a former co-star, and the show’s producers, asserting that the use of caffeine pills was sanctioned and not banned during her time on the show.
Michaels provided evidence that Dr. Huizenga, the show’s in-house doctor, approved the use of these pills. She stated, “Caffeine was NEVER banned on The Biggest Loser,” and criticized those who spread misinformation, noting the availability of emails and texts as proof.
Additionally, she addressed Harper’s claim in the documentary that she had ignored him after he suffered a heart attack in 2017. Michaels shared a text message to illustrate that she did reach out, signaling disappointment over their friendship’s breakdown.
The documentary also featured a claim that Michaels told a contestant, “You’re going to make me a millionaire,” which she firmly denied, stating there is no audio record of such a comment. To back this up, she cited messages from two executive producers on the show affirming that this exchange never happened.
Michaels also rebutted allegations that contestants were encouraged to eat fewer than 1,000 calories a day. She shared an email where she instructed a contestant to consume 1,600 calories. Moreover, she noted her ongoing communications with producers about ensuring contestants had proper nutrition throughout the filming.
In relation to Rachel Frederickson, a contestant from Season 15 whose extreme weight loss drew concerns, Michaels asserted that she had raised alarms to NBC about the health implications. She claimed that she was pressured to publicly endorse Frederickson’s appearance at the finale or face legal action, which ultimately led to her resignation from the show.
As of now, there has been no response from NBC, Netflix, or the individuals mentioned in Michaels’ statements.
