Biggest Loser Contestant Sued—for Gaining Weight

Company claims Tara Costa breached endorsement deal
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 11, 2013 10:49 AM CDT
Biggest Loser Contestant Sued—for Gaining Weight
Tara Costa is shown in a YouTube clip.   (YouTube)

Tara Costa lost 155 pounds during her 2009 stint on the Biggest Loser, becoming a "fan favorite," Today reports. Her popularity led to endorsement deals, including one with ILoveKickboxing.com. The company says the deal required Costa to maintain her weight loss and make public appearances—but, the company alleges in a new lawsuit against Costa, she gained about 45 pounds and, as a result, wasn't able to make appearances.

Costa disputed the claims on Twitter, saying the time period referred to in the lawsuit covered the time she took part in Ironman in 2011, when she "was the most fit I have ever been in my life." Her lawyer says the real issue is the parent company, FC Online Marketing, breaching the contract and exploiting Costa's "name and image without compensation on a website that promoted their commercial services." She will file a countersuit, he says. (TMZ helpfully informs us that "from Costa's recent Twitter pics, it appears she's back down to her fighting weight.")

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