Jillian Michaels left 'The Biggest Loser' over 'fundamental differences'

LOS ANGELES, July 17 (UPI) -- Jillian Michaels has explained why she left The Biggest Loser.

The 40-year-old personal trainer addressed her departure in an interview with People this week. Michaels was with the series for 12 of its 15 seasons, and officially quit the program in June. She told the magazine she is "so grateful to the show and so sad to leave," but said there are "fundamental differences" with producers that made it impossible to stay.

The main objection Michaels has is her portrayal on the show. She feels the audience saw "the tough" and "the love" early on, but only the "harsh" in later seasons, and "none of the relationships."

"Millions of people have this warped, negative perception of me," she said. The portrayal has affected her personal life with partner Heidi Rhoades and their two children, and the trainer admitted it is hard to hear television commentators call her "abusive" and wonder "about what kind of mom I must be." One person even told her daughter, "I know who your mom is -- she's a cheater. I saw it on TV."

Michaels had been accused of cheating this past season for allowing her team to take caffeine pills. She continues to stand behind her choice, but does not support other aspects of the show. She did not train last season's winner, Rachel Frederickson, and was dismayed when the champion appeared at the finale looking extraordinarily thin and weighing only 105 pounds.

"I had to take a hard look at my work," she shared. "I came to the conclusion that moving forward, I need to be able to have an impact on the outcome of what I do."