Jillian Michaels (born February 18, 1974) is an American personal trainer, businesswoman, author, and television personality from

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

. Michaels is best known for her appearances on NBC, particularly ''

The Biggest Loser ''The Biggest Loser'' is a reality television format which started with the American TV show ''The Biggest Loser'' in 2004. The show centers on overweight and obese contestants attempting to lose the most weight; the winner receives a cash prize. ...

''. She has also made an appearance on the talk show '' The Doctors''. In fall 2015, she hosted and co-judged a series on

Spike Spike, spikes, or spiking may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Books * ''The Spike'' (novel), a novel by Arnaud de Borchgrave * ''The Spike'' (book), a nonfiction book by Damien Broderick * ''The Spike'', a starship in Peter F. Hamilto ...

titled ''Sweat, INC''. In January 2016, her reality television series ''

Just Jillian ''Just Jillian'' is an American reality television Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Realit ...

'' premiered on E!.

Early life

Michaels was born in

, the daughter of JoAnn, a psychotherapist, and Douglas McKarus, a lawyer. She was raised in Tarzana. Michaels attended

California State University, Northridge California State University, Northridge (CSUN or Cal State Northridge) is a public university in the Northridge neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. With a total enrollment of 38,551 students (as of Fall 2021), it has the second largest un ...

, supporting herself as a

bartender A bartender (also known as a barkeep, barman, barmaid, or a mixologist) is a person who formulates and serves alcoholic or soft drink beverages behind the bar, usually in a licensed establishment as well as in restaurants and nightclubs, but a ...

and personal trainer during that time. After working briefly as an agent with

International Creative Management ICM Partners is a talent and literary agency with offices in Los Angeles, New York City, Washington D.C. and London. ICM (International Creative Management) Partners represents clients in the fields of motion pictures, television, music, publi ...

, in 2002, Michaels opened the sports medicine facility Sky Sport & Spa in

Beverly Hills Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. A notable and historic suburb of Greater Los Angeles, it is in a wealthy area immediately southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Bev ...

Career

As a personal trainer and black belt holder, Michaels uses a blend of strength training techniques with her clients including

kickboxing Kickboxing is a combat sports, combat sport focused on kicking and punch (strike), punching. The combat takes place in a boxing ring, normally with boxing gloves, mouthguards, shorts, and bare feet to favour the use of kicks. Kickboxing is pract ...

yoga Yoga (; sa, योग, lit=yoke' or 'union ) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India and aim to control (yoke) and still the mind, recognizing a detached witness-consciou ...

Pilates Pilates (; ) is a type of mind-body exercise developed in the early 20th century by German physical trainer Joseph Pilates, after whom it was named. Pilates called his method "Contrology". It is practiced worldwide, especially in countries suc ...

plyometrics Plyometrics, also known as jump training or plyos, are exercises in which muscles exert maximum force in short intervals of time, with the goal of increasing power (speed-strength). This training focuses on learning to move from a muscle extensi ...

, and

weight training Weight training is a common type of strength training for developing the strength, size of skeletal muscles and maintenance of strength.Keogh, Justin W, and Paul W Winwood. “Report for: The Epidemiology of Injuries Across the Weight-Traini ...

. Since 1993, Michaels has held four personal training certificates from the National Exercise & Sports Trainers Association

NESTA Nesta (formerly NESTA, National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts) is an innovation foundation based in the UK. The organisation acts through a combination of programmes, investment, policy and research, and the formation of part ...

and The Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA), CanFitPro and she is Kettlebell Concepts certified. Michaels has also developed a continuing education series for trainers with AFAA and holds a nutrition and wellness consultant certificate with the American Fitness Professionals and Associates (AFPA).

Media

Jillian Michaels: The Fitness App is one of the top fitness apps globally and has won awards from both Apple and Google for best of in health and fitness app category. Michaels has also released 20 fitness DVDs that have sold over 100 million copies worldwide. Michaels has also authored 9 books on health and wellness topics with 8 NY Times Best Sellers ''New York Times'' Best Seller list. Since February 2011, Michaels has hosted a weekly

podcast A podcast is a program made available in digital format for download over the Internet. For example, an episodic series of digital audio or video files that a user can download to a personal device to listen to at a time of their choosing ...

, ''The Jillian Michaels Show'', through

iTunes iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...

. In December 2011, the show was among the podcasts honored by Apple in its App Store Rewind 2011, winning in the Best New Audio Podcast category. Michaels launched her company Empowered Media LLC in 2008 and released her fitness video membership website called Fitfusion.com. Fitfusion is also associated and broadcasts on

AT&T U-verse U-verse TV is a DirecTV brand of IPTV service. Launched on June 26, 2006, U-verse included broadband Internet (now AT&T Internet or AT&T Fiber), VoIP, IP telephone (now AT&T Phone), and IPTV (U-verse TV) services in 48 states.

BroadbandTV Corp BroadbandTV Corporation is a Canadian media and technology company founded by CEO Shahrzad Rafati in 2005. In 2019, the company was the second largest video property by unique viewers, according to comScore. Its head office is in Vancouver, Briti ...

Bell Satellite TV Bell Satellite TV (french: Bell Télé; formerly known as Bell ExpressVu, Dish Network Canada and ExpressVu Dish Network and not to be confused with Bell's IPTV Bell Fibe TV, Fibe TV service) is the division of BCE Inc. that provides satellite ...

Canada, and other TV channels, as well as

Roku Roku ( ) is a brand of hardware digital media players manufactured by American company Roku, Inc. They offer access to streaming media content from online services. The first Roku model, developed in collaboration with Netflix, was introduce ...

Apple TV An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple fruit tree, trees are agriculture, cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus ''Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, wh ...

, and Fitness on Demand reaching audiences in

Marriott Marriott may refer to: People *Marriott (surname) Corporations * Marriott Corporation, founded as Hot Shoppes, Inc. in 1927; split into Marriott International and Host Marriott Corporation in 1993 * Marriott International, international hotel ...

Hilton Worldwide Hilton Worldwide (legally Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc.) is an American multinational hospitality company that manages and franchises a broad portfolio of hotels and resorts. Founded by Conrad Hilton in May 1919, the corporation is now led b ...

and

Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts () is a multinational hospitality company. Founded in 1971 by tycoon Robert Kuok in Malaysia, the company now has over 100 luxury hotels and resorts with over 40,000 rooms in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East ...

''The Biggest Loser''

Michaels was a trainer on the

reality series Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 19 ...

'' when the show started in October 2004. On the show, she assumed the role of Red Team trainer and remained in that capacity for the first two seasons. After her departure in 2006, she was replaced by

Kim Lyons Kimberly Lyn "Kim" Lyons (born May 5, 1973) is an American athlete, personal trainer, nutritionist, and fitness model who has appeared several times on the covers of many health and fitness magazines and has also starred on the United States vers ...

. She returned to the show in 2007 as the Black Team trainer competing against Lyons' Red Team and Bob Harper's Blue Team. Along with Harper, Michaels was also a trainer in the Australian version of the show from 2006 to 2008. On December 7, 2010, Michaels announced via

Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...

that the eleventh season of the show would be her last. Michaels made her last appearance on ''The Biggest Loser'' on May 24, 2011. On September 4, 2012, it was announced that Michaels will return to ''The Biggest Loser'' in Season 14. Michaels also returned for Season 15, which premiered on October 15, 2013, on NBC, but did not return for Season 16 which aired in the fall of 2014.

''Losing It With Jillian''

On June 1, 2010,

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...

debuted ''Losing It With Jillian'', a spin-off of ''The Biggest Loser''. In the show, Michaels visits the home and workplaces of family members for a week. ''Losing It With Jillian'' originally ran on NBC in June and July 2010. As of January 2012, all eight episodes of the series are available for viewing online.

Contract with CBS Television Distribution

On May 6, 2011,

CBS Television Distribution CBS Media Ventures, Inc. (formerly CBS Television Distribution, Inc. and CBS Paramount Domestic Television, Inc.) is an American television distribution company owned by CBS Studios, part of CBS Entertainment Group, a division of Paramount Glob ...

announced that Michaels had signed a multi-year deal to become a co-host of the panel-discussion show ''The Doctors'', as well as to serve as a special correspondent on the CTD program '' Dr. Phil''. Michaels had been a guest on ''The Doctors'' several times previously. On the show, Michaels hosted a recurring segment called ''Ask Jillian'', which dealt primarily with nutrition and diet topics. Michaels left ''The Doctors'' in January 2012 after half a season, because, she said, the arrangement "wasn't the fit both the show and I hoped for".

Charities

Michaels works with a variety of charities including the

UNHCR The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is a United Nations agency mandated to aid and protect refugees, forcibly displaced communities, and stateless people, and to assist in their voluntary repatriation, local integrati ...

. Michaels is involved in a variety of charities including the NFL's Play 60,

Stand Up to Cancer Stand Up to Cancer (SU2C) is a charitable program of the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF). SU2C aims to raise significant funds for translational cancer research through online and televised efforts. Central to the program is a telethon tha ...

, Working Wardrobes, Hope for Haiti, and Sow a Seed and Dress for Success. Michaels also devotes time to animal welfare causes, and she recently helped

PETA Peta or PETA may refer to: Acronym * Pembela Tanah Air, a militia established by the occupying Japanese in Indonesia in 1943 * People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, an American animal rights organization * People Eating Tasty Animals, an ...

rescue a racehorse from the slaughterhouse.

Personal life

Michaels has two children with her ex-fiancée Heidi Rhoades. Michaels adopted their then-two-year-old daughter from Haiti in May 2012, and Rhoades gave birth to a son that same month. The couple announced the end of their relationship in June 2018. As of late 2018 Michaels has been in a relationship with designer Deshanna Marie Minuto. In November 2021, Michaels announced that she and Minuto were engaged. On her sexuality, Michaels has stated, "Let's just say I believe in healthy love. If I fall in love with a woman, that's awesome. If I fall in love with a man, that's awesome. As long as you fall in love...it's like

organic food Organic food, ecological food or biological food are food and drinks produced by methods complying with the standards of organic farming. Standards vary worldwide, but organic farming features practices that cycle resources, promote ecological ...

. I only eat healthy food, and I only want healthy love!" She credits

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...

's "

Justify My Love "Justify My Love" is a song by American singer Madonna from her first greatest hits album ''The Immaculate Collection'' (1990). It was released on November 6, 1990, by Sire Records as the lead single from ''The Immaculate Collection''. The song ...

" video with helping her find her voice. In September 2020, Michaels told Fox Business that she had recently recovered from

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...

. She said that she was "able to get on the other side of it pretty quick."

Bibliography

* ''Winning by Losing: Drop the Weight, Change Your Life'' (September 2005), William Morrow, * ''Making the Cut: The 30-Day Diet and Fitness Plan for the Strongest, Sexiest You'' (April 2007),

Harmony Books Harmony Books is an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, itself part of publisher Penguin Random House. It was founded by Bruce Harris, a Crown executive, in 1972. The imprint has been used for such books as: *Jill Freedman, ''Circus Days'' ( ...

, * ''Master Your Metabolism: The 3 Diet Secrets to Naturally Balancing Your Hormones for a Hot and Healthy Body!'' (April 2009), Crown, * ''The Master Your Metabolism Calorie Counter'' (April 2010),

Three Rivers Press Three Rivers Press is the trade paperback imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House. It publishes original paperback titles as well as paperback reprints of books issued initially in hardcover by the other Crown imprints ...

, * ''The Master Your Metabolism Cookbook'' (April 2010), Harmony Books, * ''Unlimited: How to Build an Exceptional Life'' (April 2011), Harmony Books, * ''Slim for Life: My Insider Secrets to Simple, Fast, and Lasting Weight Loss'' (April 2013), Harmony Books, * ''Yeah Baby!: The Modern Mama's Guide to Mastering Pregnancy, Having a Healthy Baby, and Bouncing Back Better Than Ever'' (November 2016), Rodale Books, * ''The 6 Keys: Unlock Your Genetic Potential for Ageless Strength, Health and Beauty'' (December 2018), Little Brown,

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Michaels, Jillian 1974 births Living people 21st-century American businesspeople 21st-century American businesswomen 21st-century American women writers American exercise and fitness writers American exercise instructors American podcasters American sports businesspeople American talent agents American television talk show hosts American video game designers American women philanthropists American women podcasters American women television personalities Businesspeople from Los Angeles California State University, Northridge alumni Diet food advocates LGBT broadcasters from the United States LGBT people from California American LGBT sportspeople Participants in American reality television series Philanthropists from California Sportspeople from Los Angeles Writers from Los Angeles