Susan Powter's Inspiring Comeback: From Fitness Icon to Delivery Driver and Back

Since achieving widespread recognition for her fitness infomercials, Susan Powter has undergone significant personal transformations.

Following her 1986 divorce from first husband Nic Villarreal, who left her for someone else, Powter's weight dramatically increased from 130 to 260 pounds — prompting her to embrace fitness as a coping mechanism.

The early 1990s saw Powter gain considerable fame through her “Stop the Insanity!” fitness infomercials, which paved the way for a vast wellness enterprise, including multiple published books and her dedicated talk program, The Susan Powter Show.

Nonetheless, entanglement in numerous legal disputes compelled Powter to file for bankruptcy in 1995, causing her to withdraw from public life and, eventually, deplete her finances by 2018.

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“Just try to secure employment as a woman in her sixties,” Powter remarked to People in October 2024, revealing that she had spent the previous six years working as a delivery driver for Grubhub and Uber Eats to earn an income.

Twenty years later, Powter is finally addressing her period of absence and financial collapse in her upcoming documentary, Stop the Insanity: Finding Susan Powter. This film, executive produced by Jamie Lee Curtis, is slated for release in select cinemas in November 2025.

Continue reading for further details about Powter:

Susan Powter's Two Marriages and Four Children

Powter wed Villarreal in 1982, and they had two sons, Kiel and Damien, before their 1988 divorce, which occurred after his infidelity. The betrayal by her ex-husband prompted Powter to seek comfort in food, a path that eventually steered her towards the fitness sector.

“I was essentially in a state of 'fat coma.' My life was truly at risk,” she recounted to the Chicago Tribune in a 1993 conversation. “I resolved to transform my situation.”

Subsequent to her separation from Villarreal, Powter married musician Lincoln Apeland in 1989. Their marriage concluded in 1995.

Almost ten years later, in 2004, Powter publicly identified as lesbian and adopted her third son, Gabriel.

Susan Powter's Ascent to Stardom via Fitness Infomercials

During 1990, Powter collaborated with Dallas public relations expert Rusty Robertson to produce her “Stop the Insanity!” infomercials, featuring her comprehensive health and wellness package complete with workout routines and nutritional guidance.

“I simply stood before the camera and addressed women directly,” she revealed to People in October 2024. “That was my approach during the infomercial. It was spontaneous, not following any script. And the women watching connected with it.”

Susan Powter Hosted a Talk Show and Authored Multiple Works

Following the immense success of her infomercials, Powter established her own fitness facility and penned numerous books, among them 1993’s Stop the Insanity! and 1995’s Food. However, despite her widespread renown, Powter later confessed that she lacked full control over her enterprise, describing it as a “50/50 arrangement.”

“They began to dilute my true self,” she elaborated to People in October 2024. “This shift occurred as the financial stakes grew. It became, ‘Suze, don't utter that. No, that's excessive. You're too provocative. Utterly scandalous.’ Yet, that very provocativeness was what initially propelled my success.”

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The fitness guru commenced production on her personal TV talk show, The Susan Powter Show, in 1994 — but the lack of autonomy ultimately became overwhelming.

“I dedicated immense effort to that program, taping three episodes daily,” she informed the publication. “I poured my entire being into it. Nevertheless, it was profoundly humiliating. They dressed me in pearls. Gaze at me — do I strike you as someone who wears pearls? And I had no input whatsoever. I find it impossible to even view those segments today.”

Susan Powter Filed for Bankruptcy

Following her release from The Susan Powter Show agreement and navigating multiple legal battles to renegotiate her professional arrangements, Powter was compelled to file for bankruptcy in 1995.

“The 1990s were characterized solely by legal disputes,” she stated during an October 2024 conversation with People. “Indeed, funds were involved, but my bank balance never reached $300 million. I never personally earned the revenue my brand produced.”

Powter ultimately departed Hollywood with her three offspring, relocating to Seattle where she leased a cabin and conducted culinary and exercise courses.

Susan Powter's Financial Ruin

Powter enjoyed a contented existence in Seattle until she exhausted all her earnings by 2018 and found herself unable to secure employment. This led her to move to Las Vegas, settling into a residential complex and commencing work as a delivery person for GrubHub and Uber Eats.

“This is incredibly challenging. It's truly appalling. Were sorrow lethal, I would be deceased,” Powter confided to People in October 2024, explaining that an invitation from Curtis and filmmaker Zeberiah Newman to create a documentary motivated her to chronicle her experiences in her 2024 memoir, And Then Em Died…: Stop the Insanity!. “My funds vanished a quarter-century ago. I have no aspirations for a grand, extravagant lifestyle.”

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Powter expressed her desire simply to “engage with the global audience” and “compose literature.”

“My wishes are for health coverage, a credit card, and the ability to settle my debts,” she conveyed to the publication. “I desire access to dental care. However, should prosperity return, it will be meticulously handled. It will benefit my children and myself. My aim is to restore to my children what was rightfully theirs.”