Subscribe
Follow Us
The hype for type 2 diabetes weight-loss semaglutide drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy is growing faster than the time it takes for these beloved injections to burn calories (which is definitely saying something, because their weight loss effects seem to be pretty fast and furious). Moving equally swiftly is public acceptance of these drugs, as evidenced by the array of celebrities who seem to suddenly feel comfortable openly admitting to having been on the drug(s) at some point.
Real Housewives of New Jersey star Lauren Manzo recently clapped back online at critics of her dramatic weight loss, expressing the pride she feels at having lost 30 pounds while on Mounjaro.
“As long as I feel good, I’m okay. I’m fine. This isn’t sad. I just ate a ciabatta sandwich with a bunch of deli meat on it, a load of mayonnaise and Fritos. I’m fine. Nothing sad here,” Manzo proclaimed in response to an online troll trying to shame her about the sudden weight loss.
Indeed, Ozempic-shaming was a hot topic online just last year, as I reported on with Kris Jenner and Anne Hathaway, but celebrities seem to be fighting back as the drugs become more and more mainstream — by embracing that they're on the weight loss injection drugs with honesty and transparency.
What follows is a list of all the prominent celebrities thus far who have admitted to currently being on (or at one point taking) weight loss drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy or Mounjaro.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk doesn't seem to have shame about anything really, so it's no surprise he's been rather forthcoming about his legal (and illegal) drug use. Musk admitted in late 2022 to be using Wegovy. When asked on X (formerly Twitter) how he was looking so fit, ripped and healthy, Musk replied “Fasting” before following it up with “And Wegovy.”
Hey, @elonmusk what’s your secret? You look awesome, fit, ripped & healthy. Lifting weights? Eating healthy? pic.twitter.com/mYeOUOLvgH
— Eva McMillan ♥️ (@EvasTeslaSPlaid) October 1, 2022
Now if only there was an injectable to make the Cybertruck look a little better.
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey can do no wrong, so if she admits to being on a weight loss drug, it must be ok right? Oprah told People magazine late last year that she had added a weight-loss drug as a “maintenance tool.”
Winfrey didn't want to specifically mention which one she was on (I guess she's not ready for medications to bear the “Oprah's Drug Club” stamp yet), but she explained her thought process about deciding to take it.
“The fact that there's a medically approved prescription for managing weight and staying healthier, in my lifetime, feels like relief, like redemption, like a gift, and not something to hide behind and once again be ridiculed for,” Winfrey explained. “I’m absolutely done with the shaming from other people and particularly myself.”
Fans are probably just bummed Oprah doesn't still have her daytime talk show, because a free shot of semaglutide feels like a natural thing for her to hide under audience chairs that she reveals by screaming, “Who wants freeeee Ooooo-zzzeempiiiic??!!”
Sharon Osbourne
Osbourne is actually a cautionary tale in taking things too far with Ozempic. Osbourne told The Daily Mail in November 2023 that her weight fell dangerously low, to below 100 pounds, because of taking Ozempic.
“I’m too gaunt, and I can’t put any weight on. I want to because I feel I’m too skinny. I’m under 100 lbs., and I don’t want to be,” Osbourne told The Daily Mail. “Be careful what you wish for.”
Osbourne added, “I started on Ozempic last December and I’ve been off it for a while now, but my warning is don’t give it to teenagers, it’s just too easy,” she explained. “You can lose so much weight and it’s easy to become addicted to that, which is very dangerous. I couldn’t stop losing weight and now I’ve lost 42 lbs. and I can’t afford to lose any more.”
Amy Schumer
Amy Schumer also doesn't shy away from personal revelations, either in her standup or interviews. She spoke openly about her experience with Ozempic on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen. During the interview, Schumer shared that she tried taking Ozempic for weight loss in 2022 but stopped after she developed serious side effects that left her feeling tired and weak.
“I was one of the people who felt so sick, and like, couldn't play with my son,” she explained to Cohen. Schumer ultimately decided, “Ok, this isn't livable for me.”
So there you have it, Real Housewives of New Jersey star Lauren Manzo. You have plenty of weight-loss medication taking celebrity company. Of course, like all medications, these semaglutide and other emerging obesity drugs are best discussed with one's personal physician, and not taken because of what a celebrity says — no matter how convincing those Hollywood actors may be!
