Jillian Michaels is considering taking legal action after slamming the “egregious” claims made in Netflix’s new documentary Fit For TV: The Reality of the Biggest Loser.
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Michaels, who appeared on the weight loss competition series as a trainer, took to Instagram following the documentary’s release to deny some of the claims made about the show.
Dr. Robert Huizenga, The Biggest Loser’s medical advisor, stated in the three-episode Netflix documentary that he felt uncomfortable with the show’s extreme weight loss methods and claimed Jillian Michaels would often ignore his medical advice.
Responding to the claims, Michaels, who didn’t participate in the documentary, refuted the allegations that she went against The Biggest Loser’s rules and gave contestants caffeine supplements without a doctor’s permission.
Michael also accused Huizenga and fellow The Biggest Loser trainer Bob Harper of lying about not approving the use of caffeine supplements.
She then shared screenshots of emails dated back in 2009 that appeared to be of conversations between the show’s trainers and producers. They were discussing giving the caffeine pills to the show’s participants.
Michaels tagged both Harper and Huizenga in the post, noting who was involved in the conversation. “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.”
“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),” she pointed out. “Caffeine was NEVER banned on The Biggest Loser.”
Michaels then noted, “Wild how some folks still like it’s 1985 before texts and email were a thing.”
Jillian Michael Brings Receipts Against Other Allegations Made in the Netflix Biggest Loser Documentary
In a separate Instagram post, Jilian Michael denied another claim made by Huizenga in the Netflix documentary.
Michaels stated that Huizenga’s claim that the trainers restricted contestants from eating enough calories was false. She posted another screenshot in which she told a contestant via email to consume 1,600 calories per day.
The celebrity trainer also posted what she claimed to be emails between her and The Biggest Loser producers discussing how to keep contestants “adequately nourished.”
Michaels has since told TMZ that she is considering filing a lawsuit. She stated the Netflix documentary is “so egregious and so damaging” that she didn’t think she had any other choice but to pursue legal action.
Jillian Michaels was on the show when it premiered in 2004. She coached the Red Team while Harper coached the Blue Team. Contestants on the show would compete through diet and exercise, with the ultimate prize being $250,000.
The famous trainer appeared on the show numerous times before her official departure in 2014. The NBC show came to an end in 2016, before briefly returning on the USA Network in 2020.