Legally Brunette: The Menendez Brothers & Jillian Michaels

Summary

Two Ts In A Pod: Legally Brunette – The Menendez Brothers & Jillian Michaels

Podcast: Two Ts In A Pod with Teddi Mellencamp and Tamra Judge
Episode: Legally Brunette: The Menendez Brothers & Jillian Michaels
Date: August 24, 2025
Host: iHeartPodcasts
Summary compiled by an expert podcast summarizer

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Episode Overview

This episode, hosted by Emily Simpson (substituting on this installment), takes a deep dive into the Menendez brothers’ recent parole hearings, the implications of their case history, and what led to their most recent denial. In the latter half, the hosts transition into a discussion of the new Netflix documentary about The Biggest Loser, focusing on controversies involving Jillian Michaels and the show’s ethics. The overall tone is energetic, opinionated, and features a mix of legal insight and reality TV commentary.

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Main Topics & Key Discussion Points

1. The Menendez Brothers: Parole Hearings and Controversy

[03:41–27:38]

Case Update and Background

• Emily and co-host Shane revisit the Menendez story, focusing on their recent parole hearings.
• Recap of how Lyle and Eric ended up before the parole board:
  • A habeas petition introduced new evidence (a letter from Eric’s cousin corroborating abuse and testimony from a former Menudo band member about Jose Menendez’s abuse).
  • Judge Ryan resentenced the brothers from life without parole to “50 years to life with the possibility of parole.”
    Notable Quote:

    "Judge Ryan resentenced the Menendez brothers to, instead of life without parole, to life with the eligibility for parole." – Emily ([05:39])

Parole Proceedings and Denial

• Separate hearings and different parole boards for each brother.
• Parole denied for both, largely due to:
  • Possession and use of contraband cell phones (allegedly for privacy after realizing monitored communications were sold to tabloids).
  • Associations with prison gangs (Eric’s involvement with the “Two Fivers” and an alleged tax scheme).
  • Past drug and alcohol use during their early years in prison, though Eric claimed over a decade of sobriety.
  • “Antisocial personality traits”: parole board cited traits such as deception and rule-breaking, questioning rehabilitative progress.
• The hosts question the fairness of evaluating social and behavioral standards after 35 years of incarceration.
  Memorable Moment:

  "Wouldn't you expect that someone that spent the last 35 years in their life maybe does suffer some type of anti-social personality?" – Emily ([10:19])

Reflections on Life in Prison and Rehabilitation

• Hosts are critical of the expectation that inmates have a “pristine personality” after decades of imprisonment.
• Skepticism about the possibility of a spotless prison record. Quote:

  "I can't imagine that you can go through 35 years of prison without some type of mark on your record because... you are put into situations where you are forced to make decisions and act in ways where you're just surviving as opposed to following rules." – Emily ([12:09])

The Crime and Its Aftermath

• The board focused on the heinous nature of the crime, particularly the manner of Kitty Menendez’s death and the brothers’ attempt to cover up the murders.
• Discussion of whether, after decades, the focus should remain on the crime or on rehabilitation and present risk.

Future Prospects and Appeals

• The next parole eligibility is in at least 3 years, but with potential for administrative review in 18 months.
• Appeal for this denial will go before the same judge (Ryan) who had previously resentenced them, viewed as a possible ray of hope.
• Comments on the potential existence of “parole consultants” and how inmates might better prepare for future hearings.

Key Quotes & Moments

• On Life in Prison:

  "Everyone's grumpy. I'd probably be happier in a jail cell. No responsibilities." – Shane ([12:46])

• On Loaded Questions:

  “If someone asked you on a parole board hearing, are you a good liar? ... You can't answer that correctly.” – Emily ([24:41])

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2. Jillian Michaels & The Biggest Loser Documentary

[32:09–42:10]

Reactions to Netflix’s Biggest Loser Documentary

• Emily confesses to being a “huge Biggest Loser fan,” drawn to transformation stories.
• Reflection on how perspectives shift with age; what once seemed inspiring on the show (dramatic challenges/transformations) now appears “humiliating” and cruel in hindsight. Quote:

  “Watching as a 50-year-old woman... Some of those challenges... that’s humiliating.” – Emily ([34:39])

Jillian Michaels: Response to Allegations

• Discussion around Jillian Michaels refusing to participate in the documentary, reasons why that might have been a good or bad call.
• Michaels’ public pushback:
  • Disputing claims (through social media and posted “receipts”) that she and other trainers gave contestants unapproved caffeine pills—arguing the show’s doctors approved supplement use.
  • Denying personal allegations, like not supporting colleague Bob Harper after his heart attack, backed by text message evidence.
  • "She did post a text message that said something to the effect of, you never respond to any of my texts."
• Questioning blame-shifting: Is it fair for Harper to criticize Michaels for not reaching out after he allegedly ghosted her?

Issues Raised by the Documentary

• The show’s ethics questioned for humiliating contestants, like tempting them with junk food for drama.
• Criticisms of enforced extremely low-calorie diets and pushing for dramatic, rapid weight loss.
• Allegations Michaels made an inappropriate comment (“You’re going to make me a millionaire”), which she denies.
• Concerning incident: Contestant Rachel Frederickson’s severe weight loss and the show's response.

  "[Rachel] comes out... and everyone looks shocked because she is so thin... not like she's been working out... unhealthy thin." – Emily ([39:38])

Legal and Production Ethics

• Michaels is considering legal action against Netflix for defamation.
• Discussion about the tension between creating “good TV” (incentivizing dramatic weight loss and emotional breakdowns) vs. contestant health and well-being. Quote:

  "The problem is... you're doing that versus good tv and you've got production on one side saying, but we have to make good tv." – Emily ([41:05])

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Timeline of Notable Segments

• [03:41] – Beginning of Menendez brothers’ discussion: recent parole hearings context
• [05:39] – Background on resentencing and legal path to current parole status
• [06:26–10:56] – Contraband, discipline, and prison life: cell phone use, prison gangs, and anti-social behavior
• [17:44] – Parole board focus on crime specifics, particularly the mother’s death and cover-up
• [20:43] – Key moments from Lyle’s parole hearing: Commissioner Garland’s comments
• [24:17–25:28] – The “Are you a good liar?” exchange: host reactions to loaded questions
• [32:09] – Shift to Jillian Michaels/Biggest Loser topic
• [34:39–38:50] – Critique of the show’s ethics, highlighting particularly troubling or humiliating challenges
• [39:38] – Discussion of Rachel Frederickson’s dramatic weight loss
• [40:34–41:33] – Debate over legal, medical, and production roles and responsibilities
• [41:45] – Concluding thoughts and wrap-up on following ongoing developments

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Memorable Quotes

• "Judge Ryan resentenced the Menendez brothers to, instead of life without parole, to life with the eligibility for parole." – Emily ([05:39])
• "Wouldn't you expect that someone that spent the last 35 years in their life maybe does suffer some type of anti-social personality?" – Emily ([10:19])
• "I can't imagine that you can go through 35 years of prison without some type of mark on your record… you're put into situations where you are forced to make decisions and act in ways where you're just surviving." – Emily ([12:09])
• "If someone asked you on a parole board hearing, are you a good liar? ... You can't answer that correctly." – Emily ([24:41])
• "Watching as a 50-year-old woman... Some of those challenges... that’s humiliating." – Emily ([34:39])
• "The problem is... you're doing that versus good tv and you've got production on one side saying, but we have to make good tv." – Emily ([41:05])

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Episode Summary Takeaway

• The Menendez brothers’ parole denial provides a case study in how the criminal justice system evaluates remorse, rehabilitation, and the lifelong consequences of notorious crimes—raising bigger questions about redemption and survivability in incarceration.
• Jillian Michaels and The Biggest Loser documentary highlight the evolving conversation about reality TV ethics, personal responsibility, legal liability, and how stories are told (and who gets to tell them).
• The hosts balance legal analysis with lived experience, humor, and genuine curiosity about both justice and pop culture.

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For listeners seeking insight on true crime, criminal justice, and pop culture controversies—with a dose of humor and sharp opinion—this episode delivers a nuanced, lively discussion packed with relevant details and thought-provoking commentary.

Transcript

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[A]

Hi, guys. Welcome to another episode of Legally Brunette. I'll be your host, Emily Simpson.

[E]

And are you gonna set me up?

[A]

Oh, oh, you need a setup. Yes. And Shane. And Shane, first of all, we are going to go into the Menendez brothers because obviously they've had a big week this week. They were both went up before the parole boards and I think maybe we should just do a little, little background just to see, you know, just to cover how we got to this point. We've covered Menendez many, many times. Our, actually our very first episode for Legally Brunette was on the Menendez brothers. And so if you haven't listened to it, go back and find it. I think it was a really good episode because I had done so much research and read the book written by Robert Rand and, and studied as much as possible. So every video clip watched every once in their house, I went to their house, I stalked them. I've done everything possible that I could to know as much as I could. Anyway, so they are on, they went before the parole board this week and that the parole board came about because they were on a true A2 track system. If you guys remember, we've talked about this before. They had a habeas petition that was basically based on new evidence that came out later, which was a letter from a cousin of Eric's corroborating that there was sexual abuse in the relationship with Jose. And then there was also the boy, the guy from the Menudo band that came forward that said that he had been, you know, sexually abused by Jose as well. So those two pieces of new evidence put them on track for a possible new hearing, new trial. And that was the habeas route that is still ongoing. This other route that led to them being in front of the parole board was the resentencing and that was in front of Judge Ryan. And I don't remember the exact Date, but it was, I don't know, maybe a month or so ago or a couple months. I don't know. Time flies. I can't even keep track. But Judge Ryan re sentenced the Menendez brothers to, instead of life without parole, to life without. With the eligible eligibility for parole. So that's how they have ended up.

[E]

50 years to life.

[A]

It was 50 years to life with the eligibility for parole, which has now put them in front of the parole board. So Eric.

[E]

And separately. Not together.

[A]

Not together. They have separate parole hearings. Lyles was yesterday. Eric's was the day before. And I'm sure, as we all know, just based upon the headlines and the news, both of them were denied parole. Let's talk about, first of all, which is an interesting thought, is because they had separate parole hearings, one could have been paroled and one could have not, which would have been a really probably, I mean, devastating scenario for them as well as an interesting scenario that one could have been paroled and one could have stayed in prison. We know now that didn't happen. They were both denied parole. So let's talk about why they were denied.

[E]

And they both had different, not just different dates, but they had different boards that they were in front of.

[A]

They did. They were both in diff. In front of different parole boards. And each brother had a different commissioner that was. That was heading up the parole board. So a lot of the issues with the denial was this contraband that had to do with cell phones. So officials stressed that such devices pose serious security risks in prisons, often tied to gangs, drugs or violence. This is when it had to do with Eric. Eric acknowledged that using a phone to stay connected his wife and for entertainment, which he likes to watch YouTube, listen to music, etc and apparently also watch pornography, Ly turned to phones when he realized his communications with his wife and family. Even though Ly isn't married any longer, I believe he's now divorced. And then there was like a young.

[E]

Girlfriend and he got married.

[A]

I think he's been married.

[E]

Married and divorced in prison.

[A]

Yeah, I think maybe he was married twice. And then there was like a young girlfriend that came and visited him that was like, from the uk and anyway, that's a whole nother podcast. We'll stick to the parole hearings. But he realized that his communications with his wife and family were being monitored and sold to tabloids. So he saw cell phones as a privacy measure and a way to stay in touch with his wife during a stressful time in their marriage. So that was the reasoning that both of them gave for using cell phones in prison. First of all, my question is, who. How did they get the cell phone and who pays the bill?

[E]

Well, someone on the outside pays the bill, I imagine. Well, why not his wife?

[A]

Yeah. So you think.

[E]

Or maybe. Maybe in the divorce proceedings, he gets some type of alimony and he uses it to pay the phone.

[A]

Yeah, but he can't be paying his cell phone bill from. Was he log on and pay his cell phone bill?

[E]

Sure, he has a cell phone. Is it a smartphone? He probably has email and everything.

[A]

I don't know.

[E]

I mean, he could Venmo in jail. They probably Venmo each other.

[A]

You know, it just seems odd to me, but I mean, obviously I've never been in prison, but it seems odd to me. I guess there's just. I picture like someone's in prison and that they're just being watched 24 7, but I guess there are a lot of opportunities where you can pull out a cell phone. There's a cell phone, and. And do it on the down low and people don't know and. All right. Also, another reason that they were denied bail was that there were many moments where they were not considered model prisoners. Eric faced questions about associating himself with a prison gang called the quote quote, two Fivers. I don't know what that means, but.

[E]

The number two and the number five.

[A]

Yeah, the two fivers and helping them with a tax scheme. In 2013, he claimed that he only did so to survive the violent gang. He also used drugs and alcohol in his very early years in prison, but noted that he had been sober for more than a decade. I did read this in an article after his parole was denied, because Eric was first and I thought, how now, how do you get involved in a tax fraud? Do you pay taxes when you're in prison?

[E]

Well, if you're married, I guess. Filed married, but living separately.

[A]

I don't know. Clearly living separately.

[E]

Yeah.

[A]

So I don't know. I guess Eric was involved in some type of tax scheme, but again, that.

[E]

Means he has to have income.

[A]

I need a prison insider to come on the podcast and answer these questions, because I want to know what it's like. Like, for real, not just from the outside reading articles, but I want to know. I want to know the cell phone usage. I want to know how a tax fraud scheme goes on in prison. I want to know if he's filing taxes. I. I want to know all the things is that does he have income? I did think it was good though, that. I mean, he's been sober for 10 years. That's commendable.

[E]

Well, shouldn't he have been sober for 35 years or however long he's been in prison?

[A]

No. He claims that he did use drugs and alcohol in his early years in prison, but that he's been sober for the past ten years. Ten.

[E]

Oh, wow.

[A]

Ly's record was less severe, but still drew criticism from the commissioners who said he demonstrated, quote, antisocial personality traits like deception, minimization and rule breaking that lie beneath that positive surface. You know, here's another question I have, and this is what I thought when I read this. When they say he has anti social personality, whatever. He's been in prison for 35 years. He went into prison when he was like, you know, 21 or something. I mean, wouldn't you expect that someone that spent the last 35 years in their life maybe does suffer some, some type of anti.

[E]

Like he's very, he's very grumpy. He's grumpy and he's, he doesn't appreciate.

[A]

What he, he doesn't show a lot of gratitude. I mean, it's like I sometimes when I read these decisions and, and what they're saying, you know, as far as his personality, I think, well, what kind of personality do you expect someone to have after 35 years of being locked up in prison?

[E]

I would love to see like a result of someone that did get off after 30 years. And what, what was it that they did?

[A]

You mean, what was their personality like after they spent five years?

[E]

Were they like perfect? Did they have a flawless record?

[A]

I can't imagine. That was another good question and a point I would like to make. Is anyone spending 35 years in prison, I can't imagine anyone would have a flawless record and a pristine personality analysis. You, the amount of violence that you're dealing with. You probably have to make a lot of decisions to stay alive. Possibly. Maybe you have to make decisions or do things that you wouldn't necessarily do, but you have to survive. I think you wake up and think, how am I going to.

[E]

Like, you might, you might get a fight, but you started it, but you started as a proactive measure because they were, you heard they were going to attack you or something, or you got to set the standard.

[A]

I mean, I can't imagine that you can go through 35 years of prison without some type of mark on your record because I'm sure that you are put into situations where you are forced to make decisions and to act in ways where you're just surviving as opposed to following rules. So I don't know how, you know, feasible that is that someone just has a clean record after all that time.

[E]

Even on the outside, no one has a clean record. Yeah, I mean, I've broken rules in the last 30 years.

[A]

I mean, you, you have antisocial personality too. Shane's like, everybody's grumpy. Everybody's out of the house by 9pm.

[E]

I'd probably be happier in a jail cell. No responsibilities.

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[E]

Foreign.

[A]

There were also concerns about the death of Kitty Menendez, and this was something else I thought about before the decisions came out. When we were when they had separate parole hearings. I remember thinking when it comes to separate parole hearings, Lyle Definitely acted differently the night of the murders as opposed to Eric, because Lyle was the one who. Well, they both went into the den and they shot both of them. They both had shotguns. Lyall was the one that left and went and reloaded and went back and then shot his mom. So really, if you want to look at the facts of the case and maybe who was more culpable, you could have put that on Lyle and then that would have maybe made a, a difference in whether he was paroled or not or whether Eric was or not. But anyway, it, it ended up being that the panel pointed out that the way their mother, Kitty Menendez, was killed and how the brothers attempted to cover up the murders afterward, describing those actions as callous and tr. Troubling. And if you do know the case, and also I said we did a very in depth episode on this, which was our first episode. You know, they did immediately afterwards pretend like, you know, it's not like they came clean. They did say it was someone else. They did try to point police in the direction of a gang related or no, a, a mob related hit, you know, saying their dad was involved in, like, shady business practices. They did spend a lot of money, their parents money afterwards.

[F]

So.

[A]

But again, it was 35 years ago. And at some point, when do you not focus so much on the actual crime that was committed, because we all know it was heinous and do you focus on the rehabilitation and where they're at now and that they've spent 35 years in prison? So it says, it says basically that they have to wait three years. However, I believe that there's a way that they can apply earlier for parole.

[E]

Well, what I have here is written Eric and Lyle must wait at least three years before the next eligible parole hearing. Some indications suggest they may reapply via an administrative review for after one year and get scheduled for a hearing in 18 months. So I guess, you know, they might. I don't know what administrative review means. Maybe that just means they can apply and if there's. They're on track to do whatever they're set out to do as far as good behavior and getting rid of their cell phones and, I don't know, paying his taxes or whatever, then might be as early as 18 months.

[A]

Right. And, you know, they can't appeal this decision. And so I'm sure their attorneys are working on the appeal. And I, I thought this was interesting. The appeal for this parole decision will go before Judge Ryan, who is the judge that resentenced them.

[E]

Oh, oh, it's the same judge that resentments.

[A]

Yeah, it would be Judge Ryan that they would be in front of in regards to an appeal to the parole hearing, which, I don't know, maybe that is just a glimmer of hope because obviously he did resentence them. So maybe he's more amenable to that.

[E]

He's more familiar with them. Maybe he's come across things that'll. That'll work in their favor.

[A]

Yeah, so we'll keep following that. Also, here's just some other things that came out of Lyle's hearing yesterday. First of all, I do know that there was some audio from Eric's hearing that was leaked while Lyle was having his hearing.

[E]

Oh, wow.

[A]

And when the audio was leaked and a news station started running it, Lyle became upset and actually left the hearing. And I think he. He was upset that like, I think he felt like that was supposed to stay private, but it was leaked and then everybody was commenting on Eric. Anyway, Lyle comes back in his commissioner. The commissioner for Lyle was named Commissioner Garland. And she goes into some details about why he was denied parole. And she says that the crime lacked self control, was impulsive and made very poor, and that Lyall made poor decisions during the commission of the crime. She says he has poor threat perception with regard to the risk Jose posed. And she specifically cited shooting Kitty one final time as extremely callous, which you know, we've spoken about before.

[E]

Yeah.

[A]

The commissioner also highlighted Ly's role in the COVID up, which was lying to police and working to avoid prosecution. Commissioner Garland also says Lyall has a strong support network and good plans for his post release life and is set up when he walks out the door, which is all positive. She also commends Lyle's lack of violence in his prison record, his work on programs inside, and his positive relationships with other inmates and staff. This is a quote from the Commissioner. We find your rem. Your remorse is genuine. In many ways. You look like you've been a model inmate. You have been a model inmate in many ways who has demonstrated the potential for change. But despite all those outward positives, we see you still struggle with antisocial personality traits like deception, minimization and rule breaking that lie beneath that positive surface. She also goes on to say, incarcerated people who break rules are more likely to break rules in society and that we do understand that you had very little hope of ever being released for many, many years. Citizens are expected to follow the rules whether or not there is some incentive to do so. I don't know what? I don't know if I necessarily agree. Obviously, they have the statistics and. And you know, all that to back up what she's saying. But to me, when you're in.

[E]

Well, it's like they just described a politician.

[A]

Yeah, right.

[E]

You don't follow your rules, you lie, you're deceptive.

[A]

Right.

[E]

Reelect.

[A]

Yeah. I. I just don't know if I believe that you would make the same choices or use the same level of deception in prison as you would outside of prison. I feel like when you're in prison again, you're put into a situation where it's a survival type of situation. I don't want. And also another thing they look at, obviously, is what the risk is that these two would commit a crime again. And I. We talked about this earlier. To me, I don't think there are risks to society in any way, shape, or form. I think what happened was 35 years ago, it was an isolated event. It had to do with traumatic circumstances that they were dealing with within their home at a very young age. They made a poor decision. It was a heinous crime. I think they've felt remorse for 35 years. I feel like they've done their time, and I don't think that they're a threat to society.

[E]

No.

[A]

Do you agree?

[E]

No, I don't. Based on what I've seen. No, I don't think so. I mean, if you wanted to say they should be in there longer because the crime itself, like, deserves a longer sentence, that's. That's a different story. But if you're saying that they're a threat to society, therefore they should be in prison, I disagree with that.

[A]

Also, Commissioner Garland said that. I think she was taken aback by as this question that she asked Lyle, which was, are you a good liar? And he said no. Ultimately, she said, Lyle needs to be the person that he shows. Who is the person who is running programs for other inmates. I don't know. If someone asked you on a parole board hearing, are you a good liar? I mean, that's.

[E]

What.

[A]

What?

[E]

Yeah. That's not fair.

[A]

How are you going to answer that?

[E]

You can't. It's a loaded question. You can't answer it. The. Right.

[B]

Right.

[E]

There's no good answer.

[A]

Right. Are you a good liar? Well, if I say yes, yeah.

[E]

It's like when we're kids, you'd run around. I remember we'd say, like, does your mom know you're ugly? And the person's like, no. It's like, well, ha, ha, your mom doesn't know you know, but it's like you can't answer that correctly.

[A]

No, it.

[E]

That's in your favor.

[A]

That's a lose, lose. So I didn't. I. I felt like that was a. I don't know what you. You call it a trick question, a loaded question, whatever.

[E]

But it's a question where there's no good answer.

[A]

There's no. Exactly. It puts him in a position where there. You're right, there's no good choice. If he says, yes, I'm a good liar, then it's like, oh, you're being honest. But now nothing we. You know, nothing you have said has any weight because you just admitted that you're a good liar. And if you say, no, you're not a good liar, then it's like, oh, you're lying.

[E]

Unless they're trying to say, like, not a good liar means you. You're not. You don't do it. You get called out. If you do lie, like, people know you don't get away with things. I don't know.

[A]

Well, then at the end of this hearing with Lyle, I think she goes on to give him a little bit of hope. Don't ever not have hope. This denial is not the end. It's a way for you to spend some time to demonstrate, to practice what you preach about who you are, who you want to be. Don't be somebody different behind closed doors. So she says he'll be considered for an administrative review within one year, and Lyle could be moved up to a hearing as soon as 18 months. And then the hearing adjourned. Here's. Sorry.

[E]

They have 35 years or however long. And then in one year, magically, it's like, oh, okay, you know, 35 years, you weren't eligible. You weren't very good. You're not a rule follower. You're accepted. But, you know, in the last 12 months.

[A]

But if you get your crap together in the next year, we might let you out. I mean, I. I bet, basically, yeah. That's. That's a really good point to make, that they've been in prison for 35 years, but they're saying, don't lose hope. If you can just, you know, Right. Get your act together in the next year, we might, you know, free you. But is there. Here's what I was thinking. Are there consultants that help you? Do you know what I mean? Like, everything has. Yes.

[E]

Like, probably.

[A]

I mean, if you. If you go in a pageant, there's pageant consultants that teach you.

[E]

Like, if you remember those child custody there's child custody hearing consultants. So you go teach you how to, you know, how to deliver. Not, not to change the truth or anything, but how to deliver what to express, what to kind of refrain from, you know, what, what looks, what's bad, a bad look, you know.

[A]

Right. And I, I know maybe to you listening, maybe that sounded like a dumb question, but it's really not a dumb question. It really is like, are there attorneys?

[E]

No. That's why he needed a cell phone. He had a call his parole board consultant.

[B]

Right.

[A]

He, I mean, I feel like at this point it's like, okay, well, we went through one round of parole hearings. We didn't do well. We have a year. What do we need to do to get ourselves you know, prepared for this next parole hearing? Anyway, if anyone has any, any insight on that as well, I'd like to know.

[C]

Sandals and Beaches Resorts offer their best all inclusive value in the Caribbean through their all in one pricing. Located across the Caribbean's most stunning islands, Sandals Adults Only Resorts offers immersive experiences, gourmet dining, plus both land and water activities including paddy certified scuba diving, golf and pickleball. Families love beaches resorts where kids enjoy water parks and parents unwind at the Red Lane SPA. And coming March 2026, beaches Turks and Caicos is set to unveil their latest village, Treasure Beach. There's no better place to experience the Caribbean than at resorts founded by a family from the Caribbean. Visit sandals.com or beaches.com for the best all inclusive resorts and offers.

[B]

If there's anything as perfectly dramatic and totally engrossing as reality tv, it might be the procedural shows on primetime TV right now.

[C]

Specifically all of the shows from the One Chicago Universe. If you're a fan of one of their shows, then there's a new podcast you'll want to check out called the One Chicago Podcast from USG Audio and Wolf Entertainment. When it comes to tv, there's something so satisfying about knowing how the sausage gets made. From cheeky production choices to plot lines and the reactions of the fan base, the One Chicago Podcast is all that and more. It's the official behind the scenes look at the iconic shows from the One Chicago Universe, Chicago pd, Chicago Medic, and of course, Chicago Fire.

[B]

Each episode joins host and former Chicago Cop turned Chicago PD producer Brian Lucci, and he's joined by the actors, producers and writers behind the epic One Chicago Universe.

[C]

To listen to the One Chicago Podcast, search for One Chicago Podcast on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app. That's One Chicago Podcast.

[F]

Before all the algorithm fed blah and the endless sea of dupes. Shopping used to feel more, well, fun. But here's a confession Dirty Rush listeners. You can find that fun feeling again on ebay. It's not mindless scrolling. It's a fashion pursuit. I love using filters for condition and price saving searches and spotting verified listings. It makes shopping feel smart and exciting again. And when you score that rare Adidas Collab or that Dior saddlebag you've been manifesting, it's. It's a rush. Ebay has millions of pre loved finds from hundreds of brands backed by ebay's authenticity guarantee. Ebay Things People Love did you know.

[D]

Microsoft has officially ended Support for Windows 10? Upgrade to Windows 11 with an LG Gram laptop, voted PCMag's Reader's Choice top laptop brand for 2025. Thin and ultra lightweight, the LG Gram keeps you productive anywhere, and Windows 11 gives you access to free security updates and ongoing feature upgrades. Visit lgusa.com iheart for great seasonal savings on LG Gram laptops with Windows 11. PCMag reader's choice used with permission. All rights reserved.

[C]

Okay, if you thought season two of Sniffy's Cruising Confessions was spicy, buckle up. Season three is here and Gabe Gonzalez and Chris Patterson Rosso are taking things deeper. They're tackling trendy topics, offering practical advice, and having hilarious and heartfelt conversations with a range of queer celebs and sexperts who know their stuff. This season, they are covering it all. From circuit culture to hookup horror stories to locker room shenanigans. No stone is left unturned. And let's be real, 2025 hasn't exactly been a breeze. So Gabe and Chris are doing the work, keeping the community informed with chats on prep, harm reduction, and how to cruise smart in a wild political climate. Oh, and this season they want to hear your stories. Their call in segments are getting even hotter and they'll react to your wildest Cruising Confessions on air. No pressure. So if you're ready for round three, just push play Sniffy's Cruising Confessions. Sponsored by Healthy Sexual from Gilead Sciences now on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes every Thursday.

[A]

All right, so let's move on to I just wanted to touch briefly on the Jillian Michaels of pop culture because I see her everywhere and I will tell you, I am the biggest fan of Biggest Loser. You know that I watched it all the time and because I realized I'm one of those people that I like shows where there's transformation. That's why you make fun of me all the time. But I love my 600 pound life because I, I, I get to know them, I root for them. I want to see them, you know, get healthy.

[E]

And intervention, you like that too?

[A]

Oh, I love intervention.

[E]

The success rate in that, oh my.

[A]

Gosh, the success rate. And intervention is like, is it, it's so low. But I, I become so engrossed in their life and I, and I'm rooting for them. And I think that's what the appeal was with Biggest Loser. It was huge. It was, you know, everybody I watched, you know, there was so, I think there were like 20 something seasons. Anyway, so the other day when I was, I put Netflix on and I saw that there was a documentary on the Biggest Loser, I clicked on it immediately. I was so excited to watch it. So now we have. Jillian Michaels is pushing back against the claims made on her and the new Biggest Loser documentary.

[E]

It's called let's Be Clear on the Documentary. She is not, she does not appear in it. Others do. She does not. Right.

[A]

And I read that they reached out to her and asked her to appear in the documentary and she declined, which.

[E]

Now she's probably glad she didn't or she did. Well, yeah, no, because, well, yeah, you're right. If she, she would be glad she didn't because she's like that. They say a bunch of crap and they edit it in a way where they, they paint it in a bad light and I don't want to be a part of that. And now I get to sue them and hopefully I'll make some money.

[A]

Or she's regretting saying no because she doesn't get to voice her own opinion and give her own viewpoint of things. It's just everyone else talking and then.

[E]

So yeah, fair point.

[A]

Anyway, the documentary is on Netflix. It's called Fit for tv. The Reality of the Biggest Loser. I thought it was great. I, I watched, I think it's like three episodes. I watched all of them in one night. The series goes back and re examines the Biggest Loser which aired from 2004 until 2006. 16 and briefly returned in 2020 through a very critical lens, highlighting the extremes the contestants endured for dramatic weight loss. And you know, now watching it as a 50 year old woman as opposed to, you know, a 20 something or 30. How old would I be in 2004? I can't do math.

[E]

30.

[A]

30. Yeah. So there's a big difference between watching it as a 30 year old, watching it as a 50 year old. Because when they were showing some of those flashbacks scenes of the challenges they made them go through where they had to stack donuts and, you know, put donuts in their mouth and run from place to place. And I was like, that's humiliating.

[E]

It is.

[C]

Those.

[A]

That's really. That is sad.

[E]

The. The ones I didn't like are the. When they tempt them with, like, junk food.

[A]

Yeah.

[E]

You know, not. Not reward them with something, you know, like, like a lot of these shows, do they reward them with prizes or things to inspire them, but they want to tempt them with crap food.

[A]

Right. And then show, like, you know, chocolate fountains and donuts and I mean, it's just, it's make. It's just making fun of them. And I don't think I actually, originally.

[E]

I thought that's why you liked watching it.

[A]

No, I like watching table. Oh, well, I mean, I do love a good dessert table, but I know I really love the whole transformation part of it. So. Jillian Michaels has been very public. Every time I pull up my new swords source, which we all know is Instagram, there's lots. She's been doing lots of interviews and Michaels has addressed the documentary's claims on social media. I know she was posting a lot of things and she was posting receipts. She was posting screenshots and things. She disputed accusations that she and other trainers gave contestants caffeine pills without approval, sharing what she said were old emails showing that the show's doctor had cleared their use and that fellow trainer Bob Harper had had even suggested certain supplements. I did read an article where she said, I, I know she's mad because she's being blamed and accused of, like, for her team to win or whatever, that she was giving them caffeine pills to have an edge. And her dispute is that was. It's not like I was doing it on the down low. It was approved. She also rejected Harper's statement in the series that she failed to reach out after his 2017 heart attack, posting what she described as a screenshot of one of her last text messages to him that claims he's the one who never responds back to her. She did post a text message that said something to the effect of, you know, you never respond to any of my texts. You know, I do find that interesting when people ghost you. Like, let's say, for example, she shows a text that shows that he's not responding to her. So he allegedly, according to her and her screenshots, ghosted her and wasn't responding. Then he has a heart attack in 2017. And then he says, oh, she didn't, you know, reach out to me. But it's like, where does the blame lie? If you ghosted her and weren't responding to her and you weren't friends, is she obligated to reach out? I don't know.

[E]

Yeah, I don't think so.

[A]

Michael's further denied claims that she made an inappropriate comment to a contestant. Contestant saying, you're going to make me a millionaire or that she encouraged unsafe dieting.

[E]

Why would. Wait. As if Jillian said, you're going to make me a millionaire?

[A]

Yeah. In one of the interviews, I don't remember which contestant it was, but he claimed that she was just, you know, pushing and pushing and pushing and pushing and said something like, you know, don't give up. Keep pushing, because you're gonna make me a millionaire. You know, when we watched, I don't remember the one woman's name, but it was the very first. It's like they flew them in and they ran on the beach. Remember? And this is like the.

[E]

This is before, wasn't it, like, make it to the finish line, then you'll. You'll make the cut or something?

[A]

Yeah. And she nearly died, and they had to helicopter her away. And I'm thinking, like, literally, like, I. I work out every day, and I wouldn't have been able to run that far in sand and heat on a beach. And then. And you're talking about people that are.

[E]

I mean, they probably didn't stretch and warm up the leaves.

[A]

Right. I mean, then these are people that clearly are extremely overweight and have a sedentary. That's when you don't move. Like, they don't. They don't work out. They don't move a lot. That's whatever that is. Yes, but. And then you put them on a beach and you're like, run for as long as you can and as hard as you can.

[E]

And these are people that never tried to work out, knew they were overweight, were okay with it for. Or not okay with it. But they let it be for 20 years. And all of a sudden you expect them to be like superstars and just run.

[B]

Right.

[E]

Like, they could have done that on their own. They knew that.

[A]

Right.

[E]

They don't want to do it.

[A]

So he claims that she says, you're going to make me a millionaire, or that she encouraged unsafe dieting. She said that. That written records, including emails and messages with former participants and producers, supported her account, that she promoted a cal intake of 1600 calories per day. The documentary also alleges that she was forcing contestants to consume less than a thousand calories. In addressing Rachel Fred's dramatic weight loss during season 15. Oh, my gosh, that was crazy. Did you see that? That was in the very last episode of this. They show. This girl named Rachel Frederickson comes out. You know when they show the dramatic weight loss and you can see everybody's face and they all look. Look shocked because she is so thin.

[E]

Like, not like unhealthy thin.

[A]

Like, unhealthy thin. Not like she's been working out and she lost the weight and. And she looks, she, like, gaunt. And you can look. The camera pans to the trainers, and they are just, like, in shock. So in addressing this, her name was Rachel Fredrickson's dramatic weight loss during season 15. Michael's claim that NBC told her if she did not publicly condone Frederickson's appearance, NBC would pursue legal action against her. Michaels also added, I resigned from the Biggest Losers shortly thereafter. At this time, she's considering suing Netflix for the claims made against her. I mean, obviously without her own input in this documentary, since she chose not to be a part of it. I know she's thinking, this is defamatory. They're accusing her of giving, you know, caffeine pills to contestants when they're claiming that you weren't supposed to do that. And she's saying, but we were allowed to do that.

[E]

That.

[A]

She even claims that Bob Harper was saying, why don't we give them some other brand stackers or something. But she said the conversation revolved around her saying, no, let's use the caffeine pills I like, because they're cleaner, and that the. The ban on caffeine was never a rule. Also, when they interviewed Dr. Hazanga, he's the doctor that's on staff, he disapproved.

[E]

Of the caffeine pills, right?

[A]

Well, I think he disapproved of a lot of things. But I think I felt, to me, my takeaway about Dr. Hisanga was that I felt like he was genuinely a good guy.

[E]

Ye. I think his health. Health was a concern.

[A]

Yeah, that was really looking out for the best interest of the contestants and their health. But the problem is, is that you're doing that versus good tv and you've got production on one side saying, but we have to make good tv. So they got to work out hard and they got to lose weight. We got to have transformations. And, yeah, you know, you're right.

[E]

Because if they didn't have any, if people weren't losing weight every week.

[A]

No one was going to tune in.

[E]

Yeah, you think, oh, okay, the show is not working right. You just think it's not.

[A]

So in order to make good tv, you have to have a, a significant transformation and you have to have people dropping weight. And so that's where the line was.

[E]

Blurred and just breaking down, you know, because they'd break them down all the time, right? They're crying, they're falling over. That reminded me of military tactics, you.

[A]

Know, when you go to boot camp and the whole point is to break you down so then they can build you up. We will continue to follow Jillian Michaels. We'll see if she actually does sue Netflix and we will follow that story. But anyway, thank you guys so much for listening today. We appreciate it.

[E]

Thank you.

[C]

Sandals and Beaches resorts offer their best all inclusive value in the Caribbean through their all in one pricing. Located across the Caribbean's most stunning islands, Sandals Adults Only Resorts offers immersive experiences, gourmet dining, plus both land and water activities including PADI certified scuba diving, golf and pickleball. Families love beaches resorts where kids enjoy water parks and parents unwind at the Red Lane SPA. And coming March 2026, beaches Turks and Caicos is set to unveil their latest village, Treasure Beach. There's no better place to experience the Caribbean than at resorts founded by a family from the Caribbean. Visit sandals.com or beaches.com for the best all inclusive resorts and offers.

[D]

Did you know? Microsoft has officially ended Support for Windows 10? Upgrade to Windows 11 with an LG Gram laptop voted PC Mags Reader's Choice Top Laptop Brand for 2025. Thin and ultra lightweight, the LG Gram keeps you productive anywhere, and Windows 11 gives you access to free security updates and ongoing feature upgrades. Visit lgusa.com iheart for great seasonal savings on LG Gram laptops with Windows 11. PCMag reader's choice used with permission. All rights reserved. This time of year, most of us are checking off our holiday gift lists. But identity thieves have lists too, and your personal information might be on them. Protect your identity with LifeLock LifeLock monitors millions of data points every second and alerts you to threats you could miss. If your identity is stolen, Lifelock will fix it, guaranteed, or your money back. Make this season about joy, not Identity theft. With LifeLock, save up to 40% your first year at LifeLock.com iHeart Terms Apply.

[C]

A GLP1 helped you lose weight, but now you're noticing unwanted facial changes. The weight came off, but facial volume loss and dull sagging skin are making you look older. That's where the next phase of your weight loss journey comes in. There's before weight loss, after weight loss, and the after. After. Help restore and refresh your facial skin and reclaim your natural looking youthful glow. To learn more, visit face afterweightloss.com that's face after weightloss.com this is Boyen Yang.

[D]

From Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang. And I'm Matt Rogers from the very same podcast. And guess what? It's the holiday season. And you know what that means. Holiday parties, Beau holiday parties. They're the best. But there's always the stress of what to wear, what to bring. Easy solution. Okay, bring a bottle of Casamigos. Casamigos. Wow. That is the move you can make. Casamigos Mules or Casamigos Espresso Martinis or Casamigos Cram. And don't forget about Casamigos Margaritas. A Casamigos margarita is the perfect cocktail all year round. Casamigos is just the perfect gift that keeps on giving. And as the saying goes, anything goes with my Casamigos. On second thought, a holiday party might be in order.

[A]

That's a great idea.

[D]

Please drink responsibly. Imported by Casamigos Spirits Co. White Plains, New York. Casamigos Tequila 40% alcohol by volume.

[A]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.