For years, it seemed like Jillian Michaels and Bob Harper, who starred as trainers on “The Biggest Loser” for 12 seasons, shared an unbreakable bond onscreen. But, there was a different story unfolding behind the scenes.
The dynamic duo took viewers by storm with their individual, unique way of coaching contestants on the beloved-turned-controversial NBC show between 2004 and 2013. While Michaels was known to give tough-love, Harper showed a much softer approach.
Though their onscreen chemistry was undoubtedly a driving force for the show, things took an unexpected turn circa 2013.
According to claims made in Netflix’s explosive docuseries, “Fit for TV: The Reality of the Biggest Loser,” Michaels allegedly broke show rules by distributing caffeine pills to contestants.
Shortly after the show’s premiere last week, Michaels – who did not participate in the documentary – took to social media to refute this particular claim, plus many more.
“Here is an email chain with @bobharper – the Biggest Loser’s producers – @drhuizenga’s guy… who stayed on set with us and distributed the fat burners about which ‘fat burners’ / caffeine pills to purchase the contestants,” she wrote on Instagram, alongside screenshots of alleged emails from 2009.
Michaels said this “one email of many” shows that, “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.”
Additionally, said Michaels, “Caffeine was NEVER banned on ‘The Biggest Loser.’”
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“Wild how some folks still lie like it’s 1985 before texts and email were a thing,” she added.
When asked by The Guardian during a recent interview if he was involved in handing out caffeine pills, Harper said, “Absolutely not.”
Despite the onscreen camaraderie, Harper seemed to have lost touch with his TV partner after Michaels resigned from the show in 2014. Michaels claimed she resigned after former contestant Rachel Frederickson’s dramatic weight loss during the season 15 finale caused a wave of concern.
Less than three years later, Harper suffered a “widowmaker” heart attack due to an undiagnosed genetic issue. The ordeal left him clinically dead.
“It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever gone through. I was dead on the gym floor for nine minutes,” he recalled in the documentary.
In the documentary, Harper claimed Michaels seemed to have ghosted him and their friendship.
“How do I put this? People were always like ‘You and Jillian have been so close’, and I was like, ‘Well, we were really close on television,’” he said. “After I had my heart attack, she’s the one person I never heard from. So, I mean, that to me spoke volumes.”
“We weren’t besties, but we were partners on a television show for a very long time,” he told The Guardian. “I would not expect Jillian Michaels to do anything other than what she wants to do,” he added.
Responding to Harper’s claims that she never reached out to him, Michaels shared an alleged screenshot of a text message she sent him in 2014.
“And, the last image is my second to last text ever to Bob Harper. Take from it what you will,” she wrote, alongside a screenshot of the alleged text.
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“I really think it’s s—– of you to not even respond to my texts. It’s this kind of thing that always makes me so disappointed my our [SIC] relationship,” the text message read.
Shortly after Harper’s heart attack, Michaels opened up to E! about what she believed to have been contributing factors and alluded to having lost touch.
“Knowing a little bit about Bob, I know that he does have a family history of it. I was there when he lost his mother to a heart attack – with him the night that she died. So there is a family history.
“I do also think that, you know, you’re in the middle of a CrossFit workout and you’re eating Paleo, it’s not going to help… Personally, I’m not pro-Paleo. Everyone can just go crazy on me.”
“It’s not a great combination with poor genetics,” she told us of his diet and CrossFit routine. “Not that he has poor genetics, but if you have heart disease in your family…” she trailed off.
Representatives for Harper and Michaels did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
