“Bob Harper was my trainer,” Joelle told the New York Post. She competed on 2009’s “Couples” season. “[Bob] goes away and his assistant comes in. He’s got this brown paper bag that’s bundle up. He says ‘Take this drug, it’ll really help you.’ It was yellow and black. I was like, ‘what the f*ck is this?'”
After she took the pill, which the Post claims was an ephedra extract, Joelle says she was “jittery and hyper.” Fearing the worse, she “went and told the sports medicine guy. The next day, [Dr. Robert Huizenga] gave us some lame explanation of why they got added to our regiment and that it was up to use to take them.”
Both Bob, 50, and Dr. Huizenga have denied these accusations that they forced The Biggest Loser contestants take drugs. “These allegations are absolutely false and are in direct conflict with my lifelong devotion to health and fitness,” he told PEOPLE magazine. Dr. Huizenga also slammed Joelle’s story, telling the New York Post, “Nothing could be father from the truth. Contestants are told at the start of the show that there is zero tolerance for any weight-loss drugs.”
Joelle is sticking to her guns with her accusations. She even pointed out how scandalous it is for Bob and Dr. H to allegedly force her to take drugs. “People chastise Bill Cosby for allegedly offering meds to women, but it’s acceptable to do that to fat people to make them lose weight. I feel like we got raped, too.”
Some contestants have come out in support of the show. “I was NEVER asked to take any weight loss drugs,” Jacky Kmet, 42, a contestant on Season 17, said on Facebook. “My weight loss has come from…hard work, dedication. There are no words could ever truly express my gratitude to all those associated with the show.”
What do you think about Joelle’s accusations that she was given drugs, HollywoodLifers?