UPDATED 1/9, 2:10 p.m. ET: After receiving criticism for her Lizzo comments, Jillian Michaels did not back down in an interview with TMZ.
"I'm a health expert, for decades I have said repeatedly that your weight and your size have no bearing or merit on your value, your beauty, your worth, your ability," she explained. "Where it does have relevance is your health. And to pretend that it doesn't is not only irresponsible, it's dangerous, and it's just not a lie I'm willing to tell because it's politically correct."
She reiterated her previous comments, and added that Lizzo's "health is her business."
Michaels said her comments weren't directed at the Grammy-nominated artist, and it was the host on BuzzFeed News who did.
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Jillian Michaels is facing backlash after she suggested that the media shouldn't "celebrate" Lizzo's body.
During an appearance on Buzzfeed News' AM2DM morning show, Michaels questioned why she and other people should praise Lizzo for having an image that doesn't adhere to societal norms.
"Why are we celebrating her body?" Michaels asked in regards to Lizzo. "Why aren't we celebrating her music? Cause it isn't going to be awesome if she gets diabetes. I love her music. My kid loves her music. But, there's never a moment where I'm like, 'And I'm so glad that she's overweight.'"
Micheals comments quickly went viral, leading Lizzo to accuse Michaels of being fatphobic.
Micheals is a professional trainer who is famous for hosting shows like NBC's The Biggest Loser that help people live healthier lifestyles. Michael's career path has led fans to claim that she's made a living off fat-shaming people and they believe that her comments about Lizzo are an extension of this. Also, her story of overcoming obesity as a child to put herself in this position is well known. As a result, some fans believe that her loathing for "out of shape" people is rooted in self-hate.
Michaels later took to social media to address the backlash. "As I've stated repeatedly, we are all beautiful, worthy, and equally deserving," she wrote. "I also feel strongly that we love ourselves enough to acknowledge there are serious heath consequences that come with obesity - heart disease, diabetes, cancer to name only a few."
