Jillian Michaels

Jillian Leigh McKarus (born February 18, 1974), known professionally as Jillian Michaels, is an American fitness trainer, nutritionist, businesswoman, media personality, and author. She is best known for her appearances on NBC series such as The Biggest Loser. She has also made an appearance on the talk show The Doctors. In 2015, she hosted and co-judged a series on Spike titled Sweat, INC. In 2016, her reality television series Just Jillian premiered on E!.

Michaels was born Jillian Leigh McKarus in Los Angeles on February 18, 1974, the daughter of psychotherapist JoAnn and lawyer Douglas McKarus. Her mother is Jewish and her father is of Syrian and Lebanese descent from both of his parents' sides. She was raised in the Tarzana neighborhood of Los Angeles. She identifies as half Jewish and half Arab.

McKarus Anglicized spelling of the Arabic Christian name Makarios. Michaels' paternal great-grandfather's lineage traces back to the name Makarios Al-Ghuzz. According to immigration records from 1926, her paternal grandfather, Roger Essa McKarus, was born in Kfeir, Lebanon. He immigrated to the United States alongside his father—Jillian's great-grandfather—Essa McKarus, and his mother, Ruth, who were also born in Lebanon.

Michaels was overweight in her youth, using food to comfort herself, most pronouncedly at age 12 when her parents divorced, and topping out at 170 lbs. around the time she was 13. Her mother enrolled her in martial arts classes to help her deal with stress, which inspired her interest in exercise and fitness.

She attended California State University, Northridge, supporting herself as a bartender and personal trainer during that time. In 2002, after working briefly as an agent with International Creative Management, she opened the sports medicine facility Sky Sport & Spa in Beverly Hills.

As a personal trainer, Michaels uses a blend of strength training techniques with her clients, including kickboxing, yoga, Pilates, plyometrics, and weight training. 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).

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 authored 9 books on health and wellness topics with eight New York Times Best Sellers New York Times Best Seller list.

Since February 2011, Michaels has hosted a weekly podcast, Keeping It Real, through iTunes. 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 recently formed a partnership with Bill Maher's Club Random to expand her audio podcast "Keeping It Real" to video.

Also in the same year, Michaels appeared in a commercial with former race car driver Danica Patrick for the Internet domain website godaddy.com for Super Bowl XLV.

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, BroadbandTV Corp, Bell Satellite TV Canada, and other TV channels, as well as Roku, Apple TV, and Fitness OnDemand reaching audiences in Marriott, Hilton Worldwide and Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts.

Michaels publicly came out in 2012, but 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. I only eat healthy food, and I only want healthy love!" She has credited the music video for Madonna's 1990 song "Justify My Love" with helping her acknowledge her sexuality.

Michaels works with a variety of charities including the UNHCR, the NFL's Play 60, Stand Up to Cancer, Working Wardrobes, Hope for Haiti, Sow a Seed, and Dress for Success. She also devotes time to animal welfare causes, and helped PETA rescue a racehorse from a slaughterhouse in 2012.