Jillian Michaels

Jillian Michaels was born in Los Angeles in 1974 and developed an early passion for fitness after struggling with weight as a child; she began martial arts classes as an emotional outlet, eventually earning a black belt and using fitness for personal empowerment. This foundation led her into the fitness industry, where her aggressive, results-driven style gained attention. Her breakthrough came in the mid-2000s as a trainer on NBC's The Biggest Loser, which aired from 2004 to 2020, where she became known for her 'tough love' approach, pushing contestants to meet benchmarks for long-term success. Michaels' television success spawned further opportunities, including an NBC spinoff Losing It With Jillian in 2010 and her own E! reality show Just Jillian in 2016. She launched her podcast Keeping It Real: Conversations With Jillian Michaels in 2011, which by 2025 had produced over 860 episodes covering health, nutrition, mindset, politics, and current events, featuring guests like Tony Robbins and doctors on topics such as perimenopause and digestive health. Complementing this, she developed the Jillian Michaels: The Fitness App in 2017, offering classes and meal plans, and signature programs like 30 Day Shred, Body Revolution, and Ripped in 30. As an entrepreneur, Michaels founded Empowered Media LLC and published nine books on health and wellness between 2005 and 2018, several becoming New York Times best-sellers. By late 2025, at age 51, she underwent a 'radical rebirth,' shifting from pure fitness training to media punditry and talk show hosting, discussing cultural and political topics while embracing philosophies like Kaizen for continuous improvement. She is married to DeShanna Marie Michaels, with two children: Lukensia and Phoenix Michaels.