Susan Powter

Susan Powter is the woman who told millions of people to "Stop the Insanity!" and built a career on that three-word rallying cry. Born in Sydney, Australia, in December 1957, she moved to the United States and became a fixture of 1990s television, hosting her own talk show, The Susan Powter Show, and starring in a weight-loss infomercial that made her a household name. She was also an actress, a fitness trainer, and an author, with a background that included a stint as a stripper.

Powter's career began in 1988, and over the years she has reinvented herself many times. She has been married twice, has two sons from her first marriage, and adopted a third son after her second marriage. She has described herself as a "radical feminist lesbian woman" and is openly bisexual. She dated comedian Jessica Kirson in 2008.

Despite her early fame, Powter's finances collapsed in the mid-1990s, after a series of lawsuits and poor financial planning. By 2024, she was living in an RV and delivering food for Grubhub and Uber Eats. After a health scare, she filed for Medicaid, and at 66, she moved into a low-income senior community while applying for Social Security. At 68, she remains a striking blonde with brown eyes and a slim build, and she has a large tattoo on her chest. Her story is one of resilience, but it is also a cautionary tale about the fickleness of fame.