Ozempic, Wegovy, and Hollywood: A Deep Dive into the Celebrity Weight-Loss Phenomenon
Hollywood has long been a barometer for beauty and body trends, and the latest conversation dominating Tinseltown revolves around a class of medications initially developed for type 2 diabetes: GLP-1 and GLP-2 receptor agonists like Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound. These “nutrient-stimulated, hormone-based medications,” as described by Dr. Ania Jastreboff to PEOPLE, target the brain’s satiety signals, leading to significant weight loss. While offering transformative results for many, their surging popularity among celebrities has ignited a fervent public discussion, exposing a complex interplay of personal struggles, medical necessity, aesthetic desires, and stark ethical concerns.
The Science Behind the Trend
Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and dual glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) and GLP-1 receptor agonists (often referred to collectively as GLP-1 drugs) mimic natural hormones in the body that regulate appetite and blood sugar. Specifically, semaglutide (found in Ozempic and Wegovy) and tirzepatide (in Mounjaro and Zepbound) slow gastric emptying, increase insulin release, and suppress glucagon, ultimately making individuals feel fuller for longer and reducing cravings. While FDA-approved primarily for managing type 2 diabetes and, in some cases, chronic weight management, their effectiveness has led to widespread off-label use in Hollywood. Dr. Caroline Apovian, co-director of the Center for Weight Management and Wellness at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, voices a critical perspective, stating, “The Hollywood trend is concerning… We’re not talking about stars who need to lose 10 lbs. We’re talking about people who are dying of obesity, are going to die of obesity.”
Voices of Transformation: Celebrities Embracing the Medications
Many public figures have openly shared their positive experiences, crediting GLP-1 drugs for helping them achieve long-sought health and weight goals.
- Tennis icon Serena Williams revealed to PEOPLE that she lost “over 31 pounds” using a GLP-1 medication. She expressed profound relief, stating, “I never was able to get to the weight I needed to be no matter what I did, no matter how much I trained… It was very frustrating to do all the same things and never be able to change that number on the scale or the way my body looked.” For Williams, the drug “helped me enhance everything that I was already doing — eating healthy and working out.”
- Comedian Jim Gaffigan detailed his “50 lbs” weight loss with Mounjaro on The View, calling it a “game changer.” He candidly admitted, “it’s none of my own willpower. It’s a shot in the stomach. That works wonders.”
- Reality star Renee Graziano (from Mob Wives) attributes a “52-lb” weight loss to Mounjaro, claiming it “saved my life” by eliminating “food noise”—a persistent preoccupation with food that many struggling with weight experience.
- Oprah Winfrey shared her extensive journey in a PEOPLE interview and an ABC special, revealing she now uses a weight-loss drug (unnamed, but in the GLP-1 class) as “a tool to manage not yo-yoing.” After knee surgery, she focused on hiking, adopted a 4 PM last meal, drank a gallon of water daily, and followed WeightWatchers principles. She emphasized the relief of having a “medically approved prescription” after years of struggling and being “ridiculed.”
- Modern Family actor Eric Stonestreet spoke to PEOPLE about Mounjaro, calling it “incredible” for changing his lifestyle and approach to eating and exercise.
- Whoopi Goldberg, who stated she weighed “almost 300 lbs” when filming Till (2022), confirmed on The View that Mounjaro helped her shed significant weight, remarking, “I’ve lost almost two people.” The View co-host Sunny Hostin also used Mounjaro after gaining “40 lbs” during COVID, noting her cholesterol dropped from “200 to 140,” making her “feel better” and “look better.”
- Tori Spelling used Mounjaro after her fifth child, Beau, in 2017, when “the weight wouldn’t come off,” despite trying various safe methods.
- Media mogul Elon Musk famously tweeted about using “Fasting… And Wegovy” to achieve his weight loss, later adding that Mounjaro was “more effective.” He advocates for making GLP-1 drugs “super low cost to the public” for broader health improvement.
- The Real Housewives of New Jersey star Dolores Catania lost “20 pounds” using Ozempic and then Mounjaro, medically prescribed due to her insulin resistance/pre-diabetic status and thyroid issue. She proudly shared reaching her “high school weight” and believes there’s “no shame in it.”
Navigating Side Effects, Scarcity, and Skepticism
Despite the success stories, the GLP-1 craze is not without its critics and complications. Concerns range from severe side effects to ethical dilemmas and the promotion of unrealistic beauty standards.
- TikTok influencer Sophia Umansky shared her alarming experience of “dramatic hair loss” after starting Mounjaro, attributing it to rapid weight loss and insufficient nutrient intake rather than the medication itself.
- Comedian Amy Schumer tried a GLP-1 drug but “felt so sick and couldn’t play with my son,” deciding it wasn’t for her. Similarly, British actor Stephen Fry experienced severe nausea and “throwing up four, five times a day” on Ozempic, forcing him to stop.
- Tracy Morgan joked on The Tonight Show that he “out-ate Ozempic,” gaining “40 pounds” after initially using it to “cut my appetite in half.”
- Influencer Remi Bader reported her “binging got so much worse” and she “gained double the weight back” after discontinuing Ozempic, blaming the drug for disrupting her hunger signals.
- Former Biggest Loser trainer Jillian Michaels has “taken at least eight family friends’ parents off of this drug,” citing “pretty significant side effects” and “not lasting” results.
- Real Housewives of New Jersey star Jackie Goldschneider, who battled anorexia, described GLP-1 drugs as “an eating disorder in a needle,” expressing horror at their widespread use and fearing a “massive number of people who gain a huge amount of weight and suddenly don’t know what to do with themselves” if they stop. She noted that among her “Housewives” friends, “no one’s eating when we go out to dinner.”
- A major ethical concern is the shortage of these drugs for their primary demographic: type 2 diabetes patients. Actor Anthony Anderson, who lives with type 2 diabetes, highlighted this issue, stating the trend is “creating a shortage for those of us who need the medicine that we need and not for weight loss issues, but for our health.” Jameela Jamil, known for her body positivity advocacy, echoed this, lamenting that “actual diabetics are seeing shortages” because “rich people are buying this stuff off prescription for upwards of 1000 dollars.”
- Others question the societal implications. Meghan McCain refused a “black market freebie” postpartum, citing a “clear moral issue” and questioning its health benefits. Bella Thorne criticized the drugs for “setting all these crazy beauty standards,” declaring, “Ozempic, you can [middle finger raised] off.” Ice Spice provocatively suggested, “Lazy ass bitches never heard of a gym? It’s called the gym. It’s called eating healthy.”
- The aesthetic consequences have also drawn attention, with a phenomenon dubbed “Ozempic face” referring to facial volume loss. Reality star Spencer Pratt expressed concern about looking “Skeletor [and] spooky,” while Jamie-Lynn Sigler warned, “the thinner your face is, the older you look.”
- James Corden, who tried Ozempic, admitted it “didn’t really work” for him because his eating wasn’t driven by hunger, but by psychological factors.
Diverse Perspectives on a Shifting Landscape
The conversation extends beyond direct usage to broader views on weight management and body image.
- Lauren Manzo from Manzo’d with Children, who used Mounjaro for health issues like “high blood pressure and anxiety from being super heavy and depression,” criticized its “abuse” by those “already 130 lbs. and just want to lose 10 more.”
- Kelly Clarkson clarified that she uses a different, unnamed drug for metabolic issues, not Ozempic, because her “bloodwork got so bad,” demonstrating the medical necessity for some beyond typical weight loss.
- Jenny McCarthy acknowledged that GLP-1 drugs aren’t “permanent” and many “regain their weight,” opting for other approaches. Rob Lowe also emphasized “lifestyle” over quick fixes, questioning the “longevity” of drug-assisted weight loss.
- Arianna Huffington stressed that while the drugs can help diabetics, “you also need to eat better,” criticizing the consumption of “junk, processed foods, too much sugar.”
- Padma Lakshmi urged “kinder” self-perception and recognized the “pressure for women in media” to conform to narrow beauty standards.
- Celebrities like Khloé Kardashian, Ashley Benson, and Kyle Richards have vehemently denied using the drugs, asserting their transformations are results of rigorous diet and exercise routines, expressing frustration at assumptions of an “easy way out.”
Other celebrities mentioned in the image descriptions, not explicitly in the original text but relevant to the overall topic, are integrated here:
- Chrissy Teigen was seen arriving at a studio in West Hollywood. The model and cookbook author kept a low profile during the outing.
- Lizzo attends Amazon’s Upfront 2025 Presentation at Beacon Theatre.
- Candace Cameron Bure attends the “Unsung Hero” screening at Lionsgate on April 17, 2024 in Santa Monica, California.
- Sean Lowe and Catherine Lowe from THE BACHELOR – Finale and After the Final Rose.
- Amanda Bynes says she’s starting Ozempic to ‘look better for paparazzi pictures’.
- Rosie O Donnell.
- Meghan Trainor attends the 2025 Billboard Women in Music at YouTube Theater.
- Josh Gad attends the 77th Annual Tony Awards at David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center.
- Harvey Fierstein attends the Theatre Communications Group 2024 Gala : “Our Stories” Harvey Fierstein poses backstage at Watch What Happens Live.
- Brooks Nader seen in Meatpacking District on November 08, 2024 in New York City.
- US rapper Fat Joe arrives to attend the MTV Video Music Awards at UBS Arena in Elmont, New York, on September 11, 2024.
- Kathy Bates Los Angeles 05 02 24.
- Macy Gray visits SiriusXM Studios on September 05, 2023 in New York City.
- WATCH WHAT HAPPENS LIVE WITH ANDY COHEN — Episode 20124 — Pictured: Kandi Burruss Tucker.
- Nigella Lawson attends the press night after party for “Nigel Slater’s Toast” at The Other Palace on April 9, 2019.
- Diving into Dubai Panel Caroline Stanbury.
- CBS announced today that the new one-hour primetime series, HOUSE CALLS WITH DR. PHIL.
- Captain Lee Rosbach.
- Margaret Josephs attends the OK! Magazine Summer Kickoff Party.
- Jon Gosselin attends the grand opening of Beverly Hills Rejuvenation Clinic West Hollywood.
- Rebel Wilson attends the amfAR Cannes Gala 2023.
- Christina P. visits Build Series at Build Studio on November 29, 2017 in New York City.
- V personality Mama June visits Build Series to discuss ‘Mama June: From Not to Hot’ at Build Studio on June 11, 2018 in New York City.
- Billie Jean King attends the WTA 50th Anniversary Gala.
- Image, BOTCHED — Season: 8 — Pictured: Dr. Terry Dubrow.
- Al Roker Addresses Health During Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade.
- Kate Winslet attends the L’Oréal Paris Lights on Women Award dinner at Hotel Martinez on May 27, 2022 in Cannes, France.
- Kelly Osbourne Drakes 08 29 23.
- Sharon Osbourne attends the opening night of Black Sabbath – The Ballet at Birmingham Hippodrome on September 23, 2023 in Birmingham, England.
- Heather Gay attends 2023 Variety’s Women Of Reality TV at Spago on November 29, 2023 in Beverly Hills, California.
- Garcelle Beauvais.
- Claudia Oshry Lemme Event ULTA New York 05 17 23.
- Recent photos of Stassi Schroeder.
- Emily Simpson BRAVOCON October 16, 2022.
- Shahs of Sunset’ Star Golnesa ‘GG’ Gharachedaghi Explains Why She Didn’t Hide Her Ozempic Journey.
- Jessica Simpson.
- Mark Wahlberg – Fotos International – Getty Images Entertainment – GettyImages-72207969.
- Raven-Symone.
- Keke Palmer.
- Sophie Turner attends 2023 Vanity Fair Oscar After Party.
- Julia Fox.
- “Millionaire Matchmaker” Patti Stanger.
- Vanderpump Rules — Season 10 Premiere Party — Pictured: Katie Maloney.
- Lala Kent attends Travel & Give Fundraiser with Lisa Vanderpump at Tom Tom on October 11, 2021 in West Hollywood, California.
- New Season Press Junket in New York City on Monday, May 16, 2022 — Pictured: Andy Cohen, Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen on Bravo.
- The 24th Annual Critics’ Choice Awards – Red Carpet.
Conclusion
The rise of GLP-1 and GLP-2 agonists marks a significant moment in the ongoing narrative of weight management, particularly within the celebrity sphere. While offering a powerful tool for individuals grappling with obesity and related health conditions, their widespread adoption for aesthetic reasons has created a complex web of medical breakthroughs, personal triumphs, ethical debates, and renewed conversations about body image, self-acceptance, and healthcare access. As these medications become more entrenched in public discourse, the experiences of Hollywood’s elite continue to reflect and shape a global discussion on what it truly means to be “healthy” in the 21st century.
