Jillian Michaels Offers No Apologies Amid Backlash Over Lizzo Weight Remarks

BY Erika Marie 6.9K Views
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Jillian Michaels
She stands by what she said, but she added that "we are all beautiful and worthy."

It was a rough day for Jillian Michaels. The fitness guru found herself the target of heavy criticism following an interview with Buzzfeed's AM2DM series. During her chat, the personal trainer shared a few passing thoughts about singer Lizzo. "I love her music, yeah, a hundred percent," Jillian said as the host brought up celebrities, including Lizzo and model Ashley Graham, who preach body acceptance. "I don't know anything about her, I'm sure she's a cool awesome chick." The host added that she was happy that these artists promote bodies that aren't normalized or celebrated in the media.

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"But why are we celebrating her body?" Jillian asked. "Why does it matter? That's what I'm saying. Like, why aren't we celebrating her music. 'Cause it isn't gonna be awesome if she gets diabetes. I'm just being honest. Like, I love her music. Like, my kids loves her music, but there's never a moment where I'm like, 'And I'm so glad that she's overweight!' Like, why do I even care? Why is my job to care about her weight?"

Social media came like a raging tsunami on Jillian and accused her of being an insensitive body-shamer, while there were a select few who believed that the masses were misinterpreting her comments. Hoping to bring some clarity to the situation, Jillian posted a text image of a few final thoughts on her recent controversial statements.

"As I've stated repeatedly, we are all beautiful, worthy, and equally deserving," Jillian tweeted. "I also feel strongly that we love ourselves enough to acknowledge there are serious health consequences that come with obesity - heart disease, diabetes, cancer to name only a few. I would never with these for ANYONE and I would hope we prioritize our health because we LOVE ourselves and our bodies." The explanation sparked an even more heated reaction, so let us know where you stand on this one.


About The Author
Since 2019, Erika Marie has worked as a journalist for HotNewHipHop, covering music, film, television, art, fashion, politics, and all things regarding entertainment. With 20 years in the industry under her belt, Erika Marie moved from a writer on the graveyard shift at HNHH to becoming a Features Editor, highlighting long-form content and interviews with some of Hip Hop’s biggest stars. She has had the pleasure of sitting down with artists and personalities like DJ Jazzy Jeff, Salt ’N Pepa, Nick Cannon, Rah Digga, Rakim, Rapsody, Ari Lennox, Jacquees, Roxanne Shante, Yo-Yo, Sean Paul, Raven Symoné, Queen Naija, Ryan Destiny, DreamDoll, DaniLeigh, Sean Kingston, Reginae Carter, Jason Lee, Kamaiyah, Rome Flynn, Zonnique, Fantasia, and Just Blaze—just to name a few. In addition to one-on-one chats with influential public figures, Erika Marie also covers content connected to the culture. She’s attended and covered the BET Awards as well as private listening parties, the Rolling Loud festival, and other events that emphasize established and rising talents. Detroit-born and Long Beach (CA)-raised, Erika Marie has eclectic music taste that often helps direct the interests she focuses on here at HNHH. She finds it necessary to report on cultural conversations with respect and honor those on the mic and the hardworking teams that help get them there. Moreover, as an advocate for women, Erika Marie pays particular attention to the impact of femcees. She sits down with rising rappers for HNHH—like Big Jade, Kali, Rubi Rose, Armani Caesar, Amy Luciani, and Omerettà—to gain their perspectives on a fast-paced industry.