Dennis HinzmannPhoto: Don Flood
What does Jillian Michaels do when she isn’t screaming in someone’s face, pushing them to run that extra quarter mile, giving them the toughest love of their life? That just depends on the hour of the day. She might be a mom, a partner, a businesswoman, or even an ordained minister.
In her new series on E!, Just Jillian, Michaels pries her personal life open so fans and audiences can see that, while the no-nonsense fitness guru is building an empire, the loving mother is just a much a part of her life. “Hopefully people will relate to it,” Michaels said. “They’ll laugh – at me, in some cases – cry, hopefully in the right places. It’s really a show about the comedy of errors that occur as we go about the juggling act of our daily routine.”
Audiences will quickly learn that Michaels, though outwardly strong and fearless, relies on a support system of friends and family just like the rest of us. Whether it’s long-time friend and manager Giancarlo, or her partner of seven years, Heidi, and their two children, Phoenix and Lukensia (Lu), Michaels has surrounded herself with the people who know her best.
Aside from obvious recurring topics of business decisions and daily disorder, Heidi broaches the subject of marriage with Michaels more than once. “We fought for the right to choose whether or not we want to be married,” said Michaels. “I personally come from a background of divorce and Heidi doesn’t. She and I are very different people, we have very different upbringings, and part of that is what makes us work really well. And part of that is definitely what creates various points of contention in the relationship.”
Just Jillian premieres tomorrow night on E! at 10/9c.
00Jillian Michaels Gets Personal in New E! Series