Fitness influencer and former “The Biggest Loser” trainer Jillian Michaels is feeling the heat from practically every corner of social media after comments she made during an August 14 appearance on “CNN NewsNight with Abby Philip” went viral. And after she justified Trump’s move to review Smithsonian Museum exhibits to make sure they “align with his vision,” some folks online are wondering what Michaels, who has an adopted Black daughter, is teaching her kid at home.
Suggested Reading
In a roundtable discussion about President Donald Trump’s latest plan, some on the panel accused him of attempting to whitewash history, including downplaying the horrors of slavery. But Michaels pushed back, arguing that some of exhibits in question unfairly target white people.
“He’s not whitewashing slavery,” she said. “And you cannot tie imperialism and racism and slavery to just one race, which is pretty much what every single exhibit does.”
Michaels then went on to try to justify her argument by saying that slavery is thousands of years old and that only a small percentage of white Americans actually owned slaves, something host Abby Phillip did not seem to appreciate.
“I’m surprised that you’re trying to litigate who was the beneficiary of slavery,” she replied.
After watching the segment, journalist Touré didn’t hold back, pointing out all of the holes in Michaels’ argument on TikTok.
“When you talk about adult white men in the south, we’re looking at 25 to 30 percent ownership of slaves, but the point of the two percent stat talking point is to say it wasn’t that big a deal,” he said. “It wasn’t just slave owners who benefitted and participated in slavery, their families also benefitted. But there were also banks, textile mills, shipping companies, insurance firms, auctioneers, slave catchers. Plus everyone who benefitted from the American economy at that time, benefitted from slavery.”
Other critics blasted Michaels, who adopted her now-15-year-old daughter, Lukensia “Lu” Michaels Rhoades, from Haiti when she was two, for making a statement they say is rooted in racism.
“Someone rescue that child from this woman, this is how [Clarence] Thomases are made,” wrote someone on YouTube.
Another commenter cosigned on X, making the case that white people who have racist views have no business raising Black children.
“White people, please do not cancel me for saying this, but Jillian Michaels is exactly the reason why I sometimes have an issue with transracial adoption,” wrote someone on X. “For a white person to adopt a black or POC child in this very racist world is damned serious business, and in my opinion, only the truly self-aware anti-racists among them have any business doing it.”
Straight From 
Sign up for our free daily newsletter.