Jillian Michaels: Another Lawsuit Filed Against 'Biggest Loser' Diet Guru
Aug. 6, 2010— -- "Biggest Loser" star and fitness guru Jillian Michaels is being sued for endorsing a diet cleanse supplement that contains allegedly dangerous ingredients.
According to court documents, the unnamed plaintiff in the lawsuit is suing Michaels and Thin Care International, makers of "Triple Process Total Body Detox & Cleanse," for $10 million for "actively and fraudulently conspiring to hide the alleged dangers" of the product, TMZ reports.
Though the verdict is still out on whether or not this product is as dangerous as the court documents claim, experts agree that the product is no doubt ineffective at providing any of its purported benefits, such as reduced "belly bloat," increased energy, and reduced "body waste buildup."
The class action suit was filed in the Stanley Mosk Court House in Los Angeles by one R.D. (the plaintiff wishes to be known only by her initials), according to the public information office at the L.A. County Superior Court.
This marks the fourth time that Michaels has been sued over her supplements. Three separate cases were filed in February concerning other products, including the Jillian Michael Maximum Strength Fat Burner and Jillian Michaels Maximum Strength Calorie Control.
Less than a year ago, Michaels introduced Triple Process Total Body Detox & Cleanse as a way to jump start a diet by "detoxifying" the digestive tract.
According to the packaging, using the product for a seven-day course will "reduce belly bloat," "support the colon and digestive system" and "support the liver's natural detoxification process," and make you feel "lighter and more energized."
According to R.D.'s suit, however, several of the ingredients included in the product, such as Irish moss powder, uva-ursi (also called bearberry), and Chinese rhubarb can be harmful to your health.
R.D. alleges that Irish moss causes "gastrointestinal ulcers," bearberry is "known to cause nausea and vomiting" and Chinese rhubarb is "a harsh laxative and dangerous diuretic…that may cause irreversible liver damage," and the supplement as a whole "might kill you," TMZ reports.
While diet and toxicology experts said it was extremely unlikely that the cleanse could be lethal, or even particularly dangerous, they agreed that some of the gastrointestinal symptoms mentioned by R.D. in the lawsuit may have some merit.
