Jillian Michaels breaks silence on 'Biggest Loser' Netflix doc, co-star Bob Harper
The celebrity fitness trainer took to Instagram on Aug. 19 in a series of posts to slam claims from "Fit for TV: The Reality of the Biggest Loser" (now streaming), which gave former fans a second course of the small moments and big missteps from NBC's 18-season competition series that aired from 2004-16.
Though many lost weight throughout the series, the tactics at times posed a risk to participants and their esteem.
Tracey Yukich suffered a near-death experience during a challenge to kick off Season 8. Michaels supplied some contestants with caffeine pills, though caffeine was banned by the show's physician, Robert Huizenga. And competitors were asked to participate in sometimes humiliating temptation challenges, when they were enticed with high-calorie treats or building towers made of bread using their mouths.
In a series of lengthy statements, Michaels took aim at a range of allegations about her, including one that she said "you're going to make me a millionaire" to a contestant (a claim she said is false), plied contestants with caffeine pills and encouraged calorie restriction.
A post shared by Jillian Michaels (@jillianmichaels)
"With respect to the allegation that I restricted contestants from eating enough calories: I have an example of a direct written correspondence with a contestant, while she was home for the holidays during filming, in which I explicitly instructed her to consume 1,600 calories per day," Michaels said in one Instagram caption.
She continued: "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 – who said that "caffeine was NEVER banned" on the show – added that the show's medical advisor, Dr. Robert Huzienga, "did approve caffeine pills on many seasons of 'Biggest Loser.'"
Bob Harper accuses Jillian Michaels of not reaching out after his 2017 heart attack
The trainer turned conservative commentator added that "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."
Both Harper and Huzienga appeared in the documentary, while Michaels did not. On social media, Michaels also spoke about rampant speculation surrounding her relationship with former costar Harper.
In a screenshot shared in one carousel, Michaels said that "the last image is my second to last text ever to Bob Harper. Take from it what you will."
The message from Michaels to Harper allegedly said, "I really think it's (bad) of you to not even respond to my texts. It's this kind of thing that always makes me so disappointed (in) our relationship."
Her comments raise new questions about her relationship with Harper after years of rift rumors. In February 2017, Harper suffered a heart attack during a workout in New York City. He told TMZ at the time that after he collapsed at the gym, a doctor who was there performed CPR on him.
In a recent interview in The Guardian, Harper claimed that while many of his "Biggest Loser" colleagues reached out after his medical ordeal, Michaels notably did not.
"We weren't besties, but we were partners on a television show for a very long time," Harper told the outlet, adding that the silence "spoke volumes to me."
Contributing: Edward Segarra, Erin Jensen, USA TODAY
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