Comedian and television host Rosie O’Donnell publicly criticized Jay Leno on Tuesday, August 20, 2025, after watching Netflix’s documentary series “Fit for TV: The Reality of the Biggest Loser,” which highlighted disturbing treatment of reality show contestants.
O’Donnell expressed her outrage on Instagram, writing “jay leno is a mean a**hole” alongside screenshots from the documentary featuring former “Biggest Loser” contestant Tracey Yukich.
The three-episode Netflix documentary, which premiered on August 15, 2025, includes archival footage from Yukich’s 2009 appearance on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.” During the segment, Leno read aloud death threats that viewers had sent to the show regarding Yukich, a Season 8 contestant on the weight-loss reality program.
In the documentary interview, Yukich recalled the painful experience of sitting next to Leno as he read viewer emails containing hostile messages. One email described her as “just pure evil,” while another stated intentions to harm her with a vehicle. Leno reportedly told Yukich during the broadcast that a viewer wanted to kill her but would not use profanity in the threat.
Yukich became visibly emotional while recounting the incident for the Netflix cameras. She indicated that the emails were actually sent to the show and described feeling deeply hurt by the experience. Yukich revealed she was unaware she had been portrayed as a villain until the reality show aired on television.
The documentary also details Yukich’s harrowing experience during her first challenge on “The Biggest Loser” in 2009. She described suffering a medical emergency during the competition, experiencing what she believed was a near-death experience. Yukich indicated she suffered from rhabdomyolysis, a condition where muscle breakdown products are released into the bloodstream, potentially causing organ failure.
O’Donnell also directed criticism toward former “Biggest Loser” trainer Bob Harper in a separate Instagram post on the same day. She questioned why Harper could not apologize for his role in the show, describing his behavior as hurtful and cruel.
In the documentary, Harper defended his actions on the reality series, stating he would stand behind everything he had done on the show. He emphasized that the production team was focused on creating entertaining television, noting that while diet is more important for weight loss, it makes for boring viewing. Harper claimed he never put anyone in harm’s way during his tenure as a trainer.
The documentary has generated significant controversy since its release, exposing various forms of alleged mistreatment of contestants during the show’s run from 2004 to 2016. Multiple former contestants detailed experiences of verbal abuse, constant humiliation, and inadequate aftercare following their participation in the weight-loss competition.
Former “Biggest Loser” trainer Jillian Michaels, who did not participate in the Netflix documentary, has publicly disputed several claims made in the series. Michaels shared social media posts containing what she described as receipts from her time on the show and indicated she was considering legal action against Netflix over the documentary’s portrayal of events.
The reality competition series forced overweight contestants to compete against each other to lose the most weight relative to their starting body weight over a 30-week period. The show aired on NBC for 17 seasons before moving to USA Network for its final season in 2020.
Representatives for Leno and Harper have not responded to requests for comment regarding O’Donnell’s criticism. The 75-year-old former late-night host has not publicly addressed the controversy surrounding his treatment of the reality show contestant during the 2009 television appearance.
O’Donnell, who previously co-hosted “The View” and hosted her own talk show, has frequently used social media to express her opinions on various entertainment industry figures and current events. Her Instagram posts criticizing Leno and Harper have generated significant engagement from her followers, many of whom expressed similar concerns about the treatment depicted in the documentary.
The Netflix series continues to spark discussions about the ethics of reality television production and the long-term impact on participants in weight-loss programming. The documentary features interviews with multiple former contestants who described lasting physical and psychological effects from their participation in the competition series.
