Jillian Michaels is an American personal trainer, businesswoman, author and television personality from Los Angeles, California. Michaels is best known for her appearances on NBC, particularly The Biggest Loser. She has also made an appearance on the talk show The Doctors. In fall 2015, she hosted and co-judged a series on Spike titled Sweat, INC. Take a look below for 30 more fascinating and interesting facts about Jillian Michaels.

1. Michaels was born in Los Angeles, California, the daughter of JoAnn and Douglas McKarus, a lawyer.

2. She was raised in Santa Monica.

3. Michaels has recalled a traumatic childhood that included night terrors, her parents’ divorce, and suffering verbal abuse by classmates as a 5-foot, 2-inch, 175-pound eighth-grader.

4. Michaels attended California State University, Northridge, supporting herself as a bartender and personal trainer during that time.

5. After working briefly as an agent with International Creative Management, in 2002, Michaels opened the sports medicine facility Sky Sport & Spa in Beverly Hills.

6. As a personal trainer and black belt owner, Jillian Michaels uses a blend of strength training techniques with her clients including kickboxing, yoga, Pilates, plyometrics and weight training.

7. Since 1993, Jillian has held four personal training certificates from the National Exercise & Sports Trainers Association NESTA and The Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA), CanFitPro and she is Kettlebell Concepts certified.

8. Jillian 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).

9. In January 2012, Michaels released a 90-day weight loss program titled “Body Revolution”.

10. She recently launched BODYSHRED, her 30-minute workout class exclusively at GoodLife gyms in Canada and in the US with clubs like Lifetime fitness, Crunch and UFC Gyms.

11. In 2015, she launched her new infomercial BODYSHRED, a 60-day at-home workout program.

12. Michaels’ business partner and manager is Giancarlo Chersich. Together, they operate Empowered Media, LLC.

13. The Jillian Michaels My 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.

14. Michaels has also released 20 fitness DVD’s that have sold over 100 million copies worldwide.

15. Michaels has also authored 9 books on health and wellness topics with 8 NY Times Best Sellers New York Times Best Seller list.

16. Michaels hosted a Sunday talk radio show on Los Angeles’s KFI (640 AM) from 2006 through 2009.

17. Since February 2011, Michaels has hosted a weekly podcast, The Jillian Michaels Show, through iTunes.

18. 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.

19. On October 21, 2008, she launched a video game for the Wii, Jillian Michaels’ Fitness Ultimatum 2009.

20. A year later, she launched a sequel called Fitness Ultimatum 2010. In 2011, Michaels released two more games, Jillian Michaels Fitness Ultimatum 2011 and Jillian Michaels Fitness Adventure for the Xbox 360.

21. Jillian launched her company Empowered Media LLC in 2008 and released her fitness video membership website called Fitfusion.com, often referred to as the Netflix of fitness, featuring top fitness and yoga trainers and celebrities including Dashama, Tara Stiles, Cassey Ho, Crunch Fitness, Jennifer Nicole Lee, Tone It Up, Zuzka Light, and others.

22. Michaels has two children with her ex-fiancée Heidi Rhoades.

23. Michaels adopted their then-two-year-old daughter from Haiti in May 2012, and Rhoades gave birth to a son that same month.

24. On her sexuality, Michaels 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!”

25. The couple announced the end of their relationship in June 2018.

26. She also credits Madonna’s “Justify My Love” video with helping her find her voice.

27. Michaels is an avid activist who works closely with a variety of charities including the UNHCR and has taken multiple missions on behalf of this organization to help raise awareness and funds for refugees around the globe.

28. Michaels is involved in a variety of charities including the NFL’s Play 60, the Clinton Foundation’s Alliance for a Healthier Generation, Stand Up to Cancer, Working Wardrobes, Hope for Haiti, and Sow a Seed and Dress for Success.

29. Michaels also devotes time to animal welfare causes, and she recently helped PETA rescue a racehorse from the slaughterhouse.

30. Michaels serves as an adviser to the National Day of Dance for Heart Health, an organization that encourages people to exercise.