Katie Zacharia’s past under scrutiny: Why Trump’s Press Secretary called Beachbody ‘Sort of a Pyramid Scheme’

White House press secretary Katie Zacharia is facing specific questions about her professional past after a WIRED investigation uncovered her former work promoting products for fitness company Beachbody.

Katie Zacharia says she worked as an affiliate marketer for the company in the early 2010s, rather than as an employee. She described its multilevel marketing operation as “sort of a pyramid scheme.” The disclosure comes as other parts of her résumé, including her claims of legal experience, have also drawn scrutiny.

What was Katie Zacharia’s role at Beachbody

According to WIRED, a deleted LinkedIn profile listed Beachbody email addresses among Zacharia’s professional contacts. The company initially told the publication it had no record of employing her. During a phone call with WIRED, Zacharia confirmed that she had never been employed by Beachbody. She said she became an affiliate marketer after returning from China in 2013, following an introduction from a friend.

Her work involved promoting Shakeology, which the company marketed as a “superfood nutrition shake.” Zacharia said she eventually stopped using and promoting the product because she was concerned about its vitamin A content while pregnant.

Beachbody, now known as BODi, confirmed that Zacharia was one of its 300,000 “independent Team Beachbody distributors” in 2013.

A company spokesperson said it would be “misrepresentation” to treat her past involvement as representative of “BODi’s current business and operations.”

Why has Beachbody faced legal scrutiny

The multilevel marketing business of Beachbody faced so many legal challenges over the years. The multilevel marketing business of Beachbody paid $3.6 million to settle a consumer protection lawsuit, in California in 2017. Beachbody did not admit they did anything wrong. The people who brought the case said that some health claims about products, like Shakeology were "false, misleading and not supported by scientific proof."

The papers also said that some customers were charged automatically for product renewals without asking for them. As part of the agreement Beachbody had to give $1 million to charities that support health and nutrition.

The company faced another legal challenge in 2023 when a class action lawsuit accused the company of misleading its coaches. The lead plaintiff said she spent twenty thousand dollars on coaching expenses while earning about fifty dollars a month for roughly fifty hours of work. The company settled the case in 2025. All claims were dismissed.

Beachbody moved to a “single-level affiliate” model later on.

What else is under scrutiny in Katie Zacharia’s background

Zacharia’s Beachbody work is only one part of the questions surrounding her résumé. Her LinkedIn profile listed her as an associate at Chinese law firm Zhong Lun from 2011 to 2013, as per WIRED. She also described herself as general counsel for nonprofit Fix California, although tax filings reviewed by WIRED identified her as a fundraiser.

Journalist Judd Legum reported that Zacharia did not appear to have passed the California bar exam. The Wall Street Journal later reported that she had taken the exam but failed, a finding WIRED independently confirmed. Campaign for Accountability has since filed a complaint asking the State Bar of California to investigate Zacharias claims of being an attorney. I am not sure if Zacharia is truly a lawyer.



Zacharia previously worked as a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson, a communications adviser at Trump’s media company and a commentator on Newsmax and Fox News. Zacharia has a background in government and media.

Her former Beachbody affiliation also connects her to a wider pattern of supplement and wellness business ties among prominent figures in Trump’s circle, including FBI chief Kash Patel and surgeon general nominee Nicole Saphier.