Queen Latifah has always been seen as a beacon of hope for plus-sized women in Hollywood. Despite being upheld by fans and friends as a positive role model, the Oscar nominee definitely hasn’t been immune from the weight-loss pressure, and has been open about her struggle to define her image as an actress. The issue came up anew after the hip-hop legend addressed being referred to as obese by a former personal trainer Jeanette Jenkins. After Queen Latifah’s story went viral, inspiring much disgust among her fanbase, the celebrity trainer herself decided to speak up with her side of the story.
For some background, Queen Latifah was speaking about her wellness journey while as a guest on Red Table Talk (via Glamour), and shared that the first interaction with Jenkins was a wake-up call for the Oscar nominee. The Equalizer star laid out the somewhat shocking exchange that went down during her first fitness assessment, saying:
I hooked up with a trainer. She has degrees. And she’s scientific and mathematic. She was showing me different body types, and she’s like, ‘This is what your BMI is, this is what your weight is, and you fall into this category of obesity.’ So, I was mad at that. It pissed me off. I was like, ‘What? Me? I mean, I’m just thick!’ [The trainer] said, ‘You are 30% over where you should be.’ And I’m like, ‘Obesity?’
Queen Latifah thought she was in pretty decent shape until her body assessment seemed to tell her otherwise. Of course, Jeanette Jenkins was helping the entertainer to get her health on track, and presumably wasn’t aiming to be insulting with her plainly stated advice. She’s known for helping celebrities like Octavia Spencer and Mindy Kaling get in shape, apparently without causing much uproar.
And so, upon seeing the clip surfacing online, the fitness and health coach looked to clarify Queen Latifah’s comments and complaints, saying:
I did not measure Queen Latifah’s BMI. I do not use BMI charts. Those charts are based on your height to weight ratio, and they do not provide enough information. I measured her body fat percentage using two methods: bioelectrical impedance and with calipers. Body fat percentage is not the same as BMI.
Of course, Queen Latifah’s assessment of Jenkins’ credentials was spot on. The celebrity trainer came back with facts without chastising the actress. Her years of training and schooling were on display as she broke down the rapper’s health results.
I then told her that she was over 36% body fat, which is in the obese category and the amount of body fat she carried at that time put a stress on her heart and increased her risk of heart disease. These are scientific facts backed by research from the CDC… The clips on the Red Table Talk do not reflect the truth of the actual fitness assessment I conducted.
Jeanette Jenkins just wanted to make sure viewers know her test followed scientific research. As the fitness expert mentioned, there can be confusion between body mass index and body fat percentage. The fitness expert assessed the Hollywood star’s body fat, not her body mass, which incorporates a client’s weight and height. She just felt the talk show clip painted the wrong picture of her training and methods, and it’s hard to disagree.
Hopefully, Jenkins and Queen Latifah will be able to clear up the misunderstanding behind the scenes before things go any further. Right now, the Living Single alum is currently starring in Netflix’s Hustle with Adam Sandler, which received some critical acclaim, and she has more coming this year, including the Ludacris-starring drama End of the Road.
She is also gearing up for The Equalizer Season 3, which will remain on Sunday nights for CBS’ fall schedule, and which already has an order for a fourth season. You can check out our 2022 TV schedule to see when other new and returning shows are dropping in.
