White House press secretary Katie Zacharia's professional background includes a stint as an affiliate marketer for Beachbody, the fitness company behind the multilevel marketing program for Shakeology. WIRED reviewed deleted social media and LinkedIn profiles and confirmed with Zacharia that she promoted the product after returning from China in 2013. Beachbody confirmed she was among its 300,000 independent distributors that year.
Zacharia described the operation as 'sort of a pyramid scheme' and said she stopped using and promoting Shakeology because of its vitamin A content while pregnant. She was never employed by the company, and a Beachbody representative said there was no record of her having worked there.
Beachbody, now known as BODi, has a history of legal problems tied to its MLM practices. In 2017, it settled a $3.6 million consumer protection lawsuit with Santa Monica over allegations of false health claims and unauthorized credit card charges. In 2023, a class action accused it of scamming coaches; the company dropped its MLM program in 2024 and reached a settlement in 2025.
The Beachbody disclosure adds to scrutiny of Zacharia's resume, which includes questions about her legal credentials. WIRED and The Wall Street Journal reported that she never passed the California bar, and a watchdog group has filed a complaint. The affiliate role also places her among other Trumpworld figures with supplement-related business ties.