Susan Powter, the fitness icon whose memorable “Stop the Madness” catchphrase defined the health and weight loss craze that swept American pop culture in the 1990s, talks in a revealing new interview. He opened up about his life after rising to stardom.
Through notable infomercials and VHS specials, as well as her own short-lived talk show, the 66-year-old revealed to people that she lost millions of dollars in the early ’90s trying to buck diet culture trends with a different approach. revealed. Her income increased in the years after her popularity waned, and she turned to delivery services for food services like Uber Eats and Grubhub to survive.
“I know despair,” Powter told the magazine, adding that after selling nearly $50 million a year in goods during Las Vegas’ heyday, she now helps low-income seniors who receive free meals from local Las Vegas charities. He also mentioned that he lives in an ethnic community. Her reputation was destroyed by a combination of bad deals and lawsuits, she said. “The feeling of hopelessness is when you walk back from the welfare office. It’s that shock of, ‘How in the name of God did I go from there to now here?'”
Susan Powter.
Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty
Powter said her life became “very scary” after she moved from a campground (where she lived in an RV) to an apartment complex in Nevada in 2018. She then started delivering for Grubhub and Uber Eats, earning about $80 a day. “It’s very painful. It’s terrifying and shocking,” she said. “If grief could kill you, I would be dead.”
Part of that frustration stems from the thought that “no more books or videos will ever be published,” and the fear that “I won’t be able to make a living” to support my sons later on. Arose. She also said she was fired from her job as a waitress after her boss discovered her true identity.
“She Googled me and said, ‘What are you doing here?’ She thought I was doing an expose,” Powter claimed.
Sign up for Entertainment Weekly’s free daily newsletter for the latest TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more.
That led to the aforementioned Susan Powter Show series (which aired from 1994 to 1995), a parody of Saturday Night Live, and a one-episode guest appearance alongside Will Smith on the ’90s TV show This is very different from Powter’s name recognition in the wellness field. She was scheduled to appear in the 1994 version of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, as well as the 1995 sitcom Woman of the House, but that did not happen. She also appeared on an episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race in 2011 as a season 3 guest judge, but many years earlier, a clip from her Shopping with Susan VHS tape can be seen here. It started going viral on TikTok for a few months.
Powter, who came out as a lesbian in 2004, receives a $1,500 monthly check from Social Security and still works as an Uber Eats delivery driver to support herself. He also talked about the pain he felt when being recognized and sometimes questioned. She recalled that she “used to be Susan Powter,” adding that she then returned to her car and cried.
“That $1,500 check really shocked me. Anyone who said money can’t buy happiness was lying. A liar. It wasn’t happiness. It was more than happiness. I took a deep breath,” she said. “And this isn’t just a case of ‘I used to have millions and now I don’t have them anymore.’ This is a very real thing that so many women experience.”
Although she has no plans to return to the fitness industry, she recently self-published a memoir, “And then Em Died… Stop the Insanity!” Memoir, Jamie Lee Curtis is making a documentary about her life with director Zebelia Newman.
“Susan was one of the world’s first true influencers at the beginning of what is now called the social media age,” said Curtis, who was involved in the production of Stop the Insanity: The Search for Susan Powter. he told PEOPLE. and woke us all up. ”
