Former The Biggest Loser trainer Jillian Michaels has responded to claims made by co-hosts and other accusers in a new Netflix docuseries, Fit for TV: The Reality of the Biggest Loser.
In a series of Instagram posts, Michaels refutes claims by former cohost Bob Harper and Dr. Robert Huizenga, a sports doctor who worked with series contestants, made against her. The Netflix docuseries, which premiered August 15, alleged in season 15 of the weight loss bootcamp reality series Michaels was caught giving her team caffeine supplements and that caffeine pills violated rules for the show.
In one social media post, Michaels denies she was covertly giving caffeine pills to contestants to maximize workouts, and presents an email chain to claim “Dr. Huizenga did approve caffeine pills on many seasons of Biggest Loser,” while also alleging “Bob Harper not only knew about the caffeine pills, the ‘stackers fat burner’ were actually his suggestion. I wanted to use my brand instead because they were cleaner and had no more than 200mg of caffeine (equivalent to a strong cup of coffee).”
The Biggest Loser ran on NBC for 17 seasons and featured men and women competing to see who could shed the most weight for a cash prize. A 2020 reboot of the series ran on sister channel USA Network for one season.
Michaels was not interviewed for the Netflix docuseries. In another post, she looked to refute “the allegation that I restricted contestants from eating enough calories” by presenting a December 2010 email to season 11 winner Olivia Ward (who is interviewed in the Netflix docuseries). In it, Michaels claims while Ward was on a break during filming, “I explicitly instructed her to consume 1,600 calories per day.”
“Additionally, the two other emails posted here are standard communications with the show’s producers and medical staff, emphasizing the ongoing priority of ensuring contestants were adequately nourished and the need to provide a steady supply of fresh food in the BL house to guarantee ready access to calories,” Michaels asserted in her social media post.
The Netflix docuseries claimed the season 15 winner Rachel Frederickson, who began the reality show at 260 pounds and weighed in at just 105 pounds at the finale, was evidence that the controversial series had gone too far as contestants chased weight loss.
To that claim, Michaels argued on Instagram, writing, “Not only did I never once get the opportunity to personally work with Rachel Frederickson in any capacity — I raised serious concerns both publicly and to NBC directly about contestant health and the condition of Rachel in particular at BL’s Season 15 finale. In response, I received a direct email from Paul Telegdy, then-chairman of NBC Entertainment. In that email, he made clear that if I did not publicly condone the appearance of contestant Rachel Frederickson at the show’s finale, NBC would pursue legal action against me. I resigned from The Biggest Loser shortly thereafter.”
The Hollywood Reporter reached out to Netflix and Michaels for comment.