Tara Costa, 'Biggest Loser' Star Sued For Weight Gain
Apparently losing the weight was only half the battle. Tara Costa, who came in second place on the "Biggest Loser" back in 2009, is being sued by a company she used to represent after they claim that the contestant gained a considerable amount of weight back, thus ruining her public image.
FC Online Marketing hired Costa back in 2011 to do public appearances for the company, but they claim that she breached the fitness clause and reported in considerably heavier than when they had signed her. FC Online Marketing claims that her image was therefore useless for their purposes.
"We hired Tara Costa in 2011 to be a spokesperson," Michael Parrella, the company's chief executive, recently told Newsday. "She came on at a certain weight. We had a fitness clause. She was in material breach after she gained, in my opinion, about 45 pounds. She was supposed to visit 15 of our franchise locations, but we weren't able to send her anywhere because she gained a lot of weight."
Costa was one of the most popular contestants on the show and routinely won all of the weekly challenges set before her. She placed second on her season after losing an astounding 155 pounds. Costa's camp claims that she was actually in the best shape she had ever been in when her contract was voided by FC Online Marketing.
"Since appearing on season seven of NBC's hit series, 'The Biggest Loser,' Ms. Costa has remained physically fit and even participated in an Ironman competition. FC Online's effort to frame any debate as one related to Ms. Costa's appearance is misguided and will be exposed throughout the litigation," said Costa's lawyer, Darren Heitner.
So who is at fault here? That will be up to a judge to decide, but given Costa's track record in addition to the fact that she is currently looking as svelt as ever, she very well may win the case. Her lawyer is also quick to point out that the lawsuit may have more subversive motives.
"It is notable that despite FC Online's supposed efforts to distance itself from an overweight individual, it continued to display her name and likeness in association with the services it was offering," continued Heitner. "FC Online's lawsuit against Ms. Costa is nothing more than a worthless disguise intended to cover-up its own wrongdoing."