Sheriff’s investigators confirmed Tuesday that they have opened an investigation into illegal drug use that allegedly occurred on the set of the competitive weight loss show. “Based on the information contained in the news report, Malibu/Lost Hills Station personnel are conducting an inquiry regarding the unsubstantiated allegations”, he said. The Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department is now investigating the show for on-set drug use.
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The L.A. County Sheriff’s Department is now investigating The Biggest Loser over reports of illegal and prescription drug use on the set of NBC’s long-running reality show, according to Deadline.
The Biggest Loser has yet to be renewed for an 18th season.
The inquiry was launched after former contestants of the show brought it to the mainstream last week through an interview with the New York Post.
What do U think – is this the beginning of the end for The Biggest Loser?! One contestant, Suzanne Mendonca, said people ended up in the hospital as a result. The show’s doctor Rob Huizenga told The Post that there were no drugs allowed on the set.
Several other contestants also spoke out on social media, defending the show and the lifestyle changes it champions. The show centers on overweight and obese contestants attempting to lose the most weight and to fight for a cash prize. “People would take amphetamines, water pills, diuretics, and throw up in the bathroom”, she said. Further, they contend that the “safety and well-being of our contestants is, and has always been, paramount”.
At one point in the not so distant past, NBCs hit reality competition The Biggest Loser was viewed largely as an empowering series that really helped the annual batch of contestants lose weight and gain control of their health.
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The show issued a statement saying, “We believe these allegations are without merit and false. We prohibit the use of any illegal substances”, he claimed.
