Jillian Michaels has broken her silence after Netflix’s new docuseries, Fit for TV: The Reality of the Biggest Loser, accused her of questionable behaviour during her time on the hit show. The 51-year-old trainer, who became famous for her tough-love approach on NBC’s The Biggest Loser, rejected the claims and said she is considering legal action.
The show, which aired from 2004 to 2016, put obese contestants through punishing workouts and strict diets as they competed for a $250,000 prize. Michaels and fellow trainer Bob Harper were the faces of the programme, but while Harper agreed to take part in the Netflix documentary, Michaels declined, reported the Independent.
The series revisits several controversies, including a 2013 scandal in which she was accused of giving her team caffeine pills without medical approval.
It also highlights a rift between the two trainers, with Harper revealing Michaels never reached out after his near-fatal heart attack in 2017. On Tuesday, Michaels took to Instagram to defend herself, sharing what she said were emails and texts between herself, the show’s producers, and Harper.
She argued that caffeine pills had in fact been approved by Dr Robert Huizenga, the show’s medical advisor, and claimed Harper had even suggested using a stronger fat-burning supplement.
“This is one email of many that shows: Dr. Huizenga did approve caffeine pills on many seasons of Biggest Loser, Bob Harper not only knew about the caffeine pills the ‘stackers fat burner’ were actually his suggestion,” she wrote. Michaels added that she preferred using her own brand because it was “cleaner” and contained no more than 200mg of caffeine, “equivalent to a strong cup of coffee.” She ended her post with a dig: “Wild how some folks still lie like it’s 1985 before texts and email were a thing.”
Michaels also shared what she said was one of her last texts to Harper, sent in 2014. “I really think it’s s****y of you to not even respond to my texts. It’s this kind of thing that always makes me so disappointed [in] our relationship,” she allegedly wrote.
Harper, speaking recently to The Guardian, said the pair were not close friends but television partners, and that her silence “spoke volumes.” He added, “I would not expect Jillian Michaels to do anything other than what she wants to do.”
In another Instagram post, Michaels hit back at claims in the documentary that she once told a contestant during a live finale, “You’re going to make me a millionaire.” She wrote, “I want to state unequivocally that this is false. The full moment was captured on camera, and both the contestant and I were wearing microphones. If such a comment had been made, it would exist on the audio record.”
Michaels has reportedly been in touch with high-profile lawyer Bryan Freedman, who is currently representing Justin Baldoni in his dispute with Blake Lively, and is said to be weighing up legal action against Netflix, Harper and Dr Huizenga.