Jillian Michaels Defends Melissa McCarthy's Weight
America's toughest trainer is taking a stand against a film critic who called actress Melissa McCarthy a "hippo."
"It's evil," says Jillian Michaels of comments pointed towards McCarthy's weight in Rex Reed's scathing review of Identity Thief. "It's just plain cruelty and it's unnecessary."
While promoting her book Slim For Life (out today), Michaels, who struggled with body issues as an adolescent, tells ET that Reed's words could hurt other women who are also plus-sized.
"That kind of prejudice is wrong in every possible way," she argues. "I'm here to say when you do things like that, it's spreading harm and it's hurtful and it's prejudice."
Related: 'Identity Thief' Cast Extols Melissa McCarthy
Today Reed finally spoke out about the controversy, telling WOR Radio in New York that his piece was in no way a personal attack against the actress.
"My review was really more about the movie and about the character [McCarthy] plays than it is about her," he said. "I don't care how much she weighs."