Celebrities on Mounjaro and Zepbound: Who Said What
Four public figures have named Mounjaro or Zepbound themselves: Shaquille O'Neal with Zepbound, and Whoopi Goldberg, Sunny Hostin and Tori Spelling with Mounjaro. Serena Williams disclosed GLP-1 treatment without naming a brand, and several disclosures are paid corporate campaign partnerships.
Semaglutides.org provides information only, not medical advice. Talk to a licensed provider about your own care before making changes. Some telehealth links are affiliate links and are labeled where they appear.
Four public figures have named Mounjaro or Zepbound themselves in datable, citable interviews, broadcasts or announcements: Shaquille O’Neal in connection with Zepbound, and Whoopi Goldberg, Sunny Hostin and Tori Spelling with Mounjaro [3] [6] [8] [9]. Kym Whitley is described in trade reporting as a Zepbound campaign partner sharing her obesity story, though that reporting contains no direct statement from her naming the medicine [4]. Serena Williams has spoken about using GLP-1 treatment but has not named a brand [2]. Several of these disclosures are corporate campaign partnerships rather than independent interviews [2] [3] [4] [5].
Both brand names cover the same active ingredient, tirzepatide. Mounjaro is the brand name of an injectable medicine for blood sugar control in people with type 2 diabetes, and tirzepatide is FDA-approved for weight loss under the name Zepbound [9]. Zepbound is a dual GIP and GLP-1 receptor agonist obesity medication made by Eli Lilly [3] [5]. On December 20, 2024, the FDA approved Zepbound for moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in adults with obesity, calling it the first drug treatment option for certain patients with OSA [1].
Are Mounjaro and Zepbound the same medicine?
Yes. Both contain tirzepatide. Mounjaro is the brand name for an injectable medicine used to help with blood sugar control in people with type 2 diabetes, and the same active ingredient is FDA-approved as a weight loss drug under the name Zepbound [9].
Lilly describes Zepbound as the first and only dual GIP (glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide) and GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) receptor agonist obesity medication [3] [5]. It is indicated for adults with obesity, or some adults with overweight who also have at least one weight-related medical problem, to lose excess weight and keep it off. It is also approved for adults with moderate-to-severe OSA and obesity. In every case it should be used with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity [3] [5].
Who has said they take Zepbound?
Shaquille O’Neal has named Zepbound in his own words [3]. Kym Whitley is described in trade reporting as opening up about her journey managing obesity with Zepbound as a campaign partner, though the article contains no direct statement from her naming the medicine [4].
Shaquille O’Neal. Eli Lilly announced on June 10, 2026 that the basketball legend was sharing his experience with moderate obstructive sleep apnea, including his treatment journey with Zepbound, as part of a partnership with the company [3]. According to the Lilly announcement, O’Neal dismissed fatigue, loud snoring and difficulty focusing for years before learning they were symptoms of moderate-to-severe OSA [3].
“For a long time, I was tired during the day, not sleeping well at night, and I just thought that’s how it was for someone my size,” O’Neal said. “Being prescribed Zepbound helped make a difference for me in my OSA treatment journey; I even lost some weight.” [3]
His closing line in the announcement’s Q&A: “Talk to your doctor. That’s the play.” [3] The campaign, called Watch This, is national and multi-channel, spanning broadcast, streaming, digital and social platforms plus in-person community events [3].
Kym Whitley. The Emmy-nominated actress and comedian is a Zepbound campaign partner sharing her journey managing obesity [4]. Whitley played an active role in shaping the messaging herself and used humor where appropriate; her story centers on the frustration of weight-fluctuation cycles [4]. Tom Nowlin, associate VP of consumer marketing for Cardiometabolic Health at Lilly, told MM+M: “Humor is a way to relate to people.” [4] Her story has generated over 140 million impressions for the brand, and the same campaign also features social media influencer Nita Danielle [4].
What did Serena Williams say about GLP-1 treatment?
Ro, a direct-to-patient healthcare company, announced on August 21, 2025 that the 23-time Grand Slam champion had been using Ro to lose weight and was joining as a celebrity patient ambassador in a multi-year campaign to normalize GLP-1 medications for weight loss [2]. The release describes her treatment only as GLP-1 treatment accessed through Ro; it does not name a brand of medicine [2].
Williams said her body changed postpartum and that more gym time and healthy eating were not helping her reach her goals [2].
“I realized it wasn’t about willpower; it was biological,” Williams said. “This isn’t a shortcut. It’s healthcare.” [2]
The campaign is national, spanning digital, broadcast and out-of-home advertising [2]. The Ro release also discloses that Williams’ husband is an investor in Ro and serves on its board [2].
Did Tan France say he takes Zepbound?
No. The Queer Eye star was announced on November 10, 2025 as a partner in Zepbound’s “Changing the Thread Collection” [5]. The collection features garments, from scrubs to a swimsuit, embroidered with stories from people living with obesity [5].
“So many people with obesity use clothing to hide from bias and judgment,” France said [5].
The campaign included a live experience in New York City at 13 Crosby Street on November 14 and 15 from 1PM to 8PM [5].
Who has said they take Mounjaro?
Three television personalities have named Mounjaro in their own words. Based on the available reporting, none of the three involves a paid brand partnership.
Whoopi Goldberg. On “The View,” in a segment published March 19, 2024 responding to Oprah Winfrey’s ABC special “An Oprah Special: Shame, Blame and the Weight Loss Revolution,” Goldberg said she weighed nearly 300 pounds during filming of the 2022 film “Till” after being prescribed steroids for back pain in 2021 [6].
“I had taken all those steroids and was on all this stuff,” Goldberg said, noting that “one of the things that helps me drop the weight is Mounjaro.” [6]
Sunny Hostin. In the same segment, the co-host said she gained 40 pounds during COVID [6]. “All I did was eat. I love to cook and I found out I love to eat. And I was horrified by the fact that I would have to come out on air. So I took Mounjaro,” Hostin said [6].
Hostin described the backlash that followed: nasty emails saying she was too skinny and “taking the drug away from diabetics.” “So there is shame when you’ve gained weight, and I had never experienced that kind of shame before,” she said [6].
Tori Spelling. The former “Beverly Hills, 90210” star revealed in an April episode of her “misSPELLING” podcast that she took Mounjaro and lost about 40 pounds [8] [9].
“I did Mounjaro, and everyone admits it now. It’s a different time so I don’t feel shamed saying that,” Spelling said [8] [9].
Spelling said she weighed about 120 pounds most of her life and 160 pounds after her fifth child, Beau, who was born in March 2017 when she was 44 [8] [9]. She said she tried focusing on protein and intermittent fasting first, but “the weight wouldn’t come off” [8] [9]. Her doctor prescribed hormone therapy simultaneously with Mounjaro as she approached menopause [9]. Spelling said she stopped at the end of January because she had hit her ideal weight and didn’t want to get any thinner [8] [9].
Which disclosures are brand partnerships?
Four of the named people are campaign partners: Williams with Ro, and O’Neal, Whitley and France with Eli Lilly [2] [3] [4] [5].
| Person | Brand or campaign | Relationship | Announced |
|---|---|---|---|
| Serena Williams | GLP-1 treatment via Ro | Celebrity patient ambassador, multi-year campaign | August 21, 2025 [2] |
| Shaquille O’Neal | Zepbound | Lilly campaign partner, “Watch This” | June 10, 2026 [3] |
| Kym Whitley | Zepbound | Campaign partner | Undated in the reporting [4] |
| Tan France | Zepbound “Changing the Thread Collection” | Lilly partner | November 10, 2025 [5] |
The Ro and Lilly announcements are corporate press releases from companies with a commercial interest in the medicines, not independent reporting [2] [3] [4] [5].
Goldberg, Hostin and Spelling made their statements on their own show or podcast, and the available reporting does not indicate any brand involvement [6] [8] [9].
Charles Barkley sits in a separate category. Ro announced in April that the NBA legend joined as its first GLP-1 celebrity patient ambassador, but the Ro release does not name a brand of medicine he takes [2].
Which widely circulated names have no citable disclosure here?
These names circulate on celebrity GLP-1 lists, but the materials here do not contain a citable primary disclosure for Harvey Fierstein, Rosie O’Donnell, Meghan Trainor, Jim Gaffigan, Vanessa Williams, Eric Stonestreet, Scott Disick, Savannah Chrisley, Oprah Winfrey, Elon Musk, Kris Jenner, Amy Schumer or Chelsea Handler. Treat those attributions as unverified until the person names the drug in a quotable source.
Winfrey detailed her own struggles with weight in the ABC special that prompted the “View” discussion, but these sources do not record her naming a drug [6].
What did the sleep apnea trials behind Zepbound show?
The FDA’s OSA approval was based on two randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies of 469 adults without type 2 diabetes — one enrolling participants using positive airway pressure (PAP), the standard of care, and one enrolling participants unable or unwilling to use PAP [1]. In both studies, participants received either 10 or 15 milligrams of Zepbound or placebo once weekly for 52 weeks; those were the doses studied in the trials [1].
The primary measure was the change in the apnea hypopnea index (AHI), which counts how many times a person stops breathing or breathes shallowly per hour during sleep, at week 52. Zepbound produced a statistically significant reduction versus placebo [1].
Lilly cites these trial averages: adults taking Zepbound went from a starting average of 52.9 breathing disruptions per hour to 27.6 (placebo: 50.1 to 44.8). In the study of adults on PAP therapy, those taking Zepbound went from 46.1 to 16.8 (placebo: 53.1 to 47.6) [3].
At one year, 42.2% of adults taking Zepbound achieved remission or mild OSA with no symptoms, versus 15.9% on placebo. Among those on CPAP, 50.2% did so, versus 14.3% on placebo [3]. Moderate-to-severe OSA affects approximately 24 million US adults, and 85% of cases remain undiagnosed [3].
Zepbound works by activating GLP-1 and GIP receptors to reduce appetite and food intake, and the improvement in OSA is likely related to body weight reduction [1]. These are group averages from trials, not results any individual should expect, and celebrity anecdotes are not trial data.
What are Zepbound’s side effects and warnings?
Common side effects include nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, abdominal discomfort and pain, injection site reactions, fatigue, allergic reactions (typically fever and rash), burping, hair loss and gastroesophageal reflux disease [1].
Zepbound causes thyroid C-cell tumors in rats, and it is unknown whether it causes such tumors in humans, according to the FDA [1]. The labeling states it should not be used by people with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 [1] [5].
Other warnings include inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis), gallbladder problems, hypoglycemia, acute kidney injury, diabetic retinopathy in patients with type 2 diabetes, suicidal behavior or thinking, and pulmonary aspiration during general anesthesia or deep sedation [1].
Zepbound should not be used with other tirzepatide-containing products or any GLP-1 receptor agonist medicines, and it is not known to be safe and effective in children [3] [5]. It must be used with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity [1] [3] [5].
How should you read a celebrity disclosure?
Keep three things in mind. First, an individual anecdote is not a trial result, and some accounts include stopping the medicine — Spelling has been off Mounjaro since the end of January [8] [9]. Second, ambassador framing is negotiated: the Ro and Lilly announcements are promotional materials from interested companies, not independent journalism [2] [3] [4] [5]. Third, some disclosures deliberately shift the focus from appearance to medical conditions — O’Neal talks about OSA, and the Lilly campaign with France frames obesity as a chronic disease [3] [5].
Whether any medicine fits a particular person is a question for a healthcare provider, not something a celebrity story can answer.
Sources
- US Food and Drug Administration. FDA Approves First Medication for Obstructive Sleep Apnea.
- PR Newswire. Serena Williams joins Ro as GLP-1 celebrity ambassador. August 21, 2025.
- Eli Lilly and Company. Zepbound (tirzepatide) and Shaquille O’Neal launch national campaign after NBA legend learns the obstructive sleep apnea he has lived with for years is treatable. June 10, 2026.
- MM+M (Medical Marketing and Media). Zepbound taps comedic influence from Kym Whitley in newest campaign.
- Eli Lilly and Company. Queer Eye’s Tan France helps unthread obesity bias as part of Zepbound’s (tirzepatide) ‘Changing the Thread Collection’. November 10, 2025.
- Salon. “The View”: Sunny Hostin and Whoopi Goldberg reveal they also used weight-loss drugs. March 19, 2024.
- AOL. News article page.
- TODAY. Tori Spelling weight loss: Star talks Mounjaro, body image and more.
- Women’s Health. Tori Spelling used Mounjaro to lose weight after having 5th child.
- Us Weekly. Scott Disick ‘is not embarrassed’ he took Mounjaro for weight loss.
- The Guardian. NHS begins mass rollout of weight-loss jabs to patients in England. June 23, 2025.
- MM+M (Medical Marketing and Media). Eli Lilly’s Oscars ads aim to educate on GLP-1 drugs.
- The Flow Space. 16 celebrities who’ve shared their experiences with GLP-1 drugs.
- TODAY. Celebrities who’ve said they’re on Ozempic, weight-loss drugs.
Frequently asked questions
Are Mounjaro and Zepbound the same medicine?
Yes. Both contain tirzepatide. Mounjaro is the brand name for an injectable medicine used for blood sugar control in people with type 2 diabetes, while the same active ingredient is FDA-approved as a weight loss drug under the name Zepbound.
Why do some celebrities say Mounjaro when they mean weight loss?
Mounjaro is the brand name tied to type 2 diabetes blood sugar control, and tirzepatide is FDA-approved for weight loss under the name Zepbound. Some people, like Whoopi Goldberg, Sunny Hostin and Tori Spelling, described their experience using the diabetes brand name.
Which celebrity disclosures are brand partnerships?
Serena Williams is a Ro celebrity patient ambassador, and Shaquille O'Neal, Kym Whitley and Tan France are Eli Lilly campaign partners. Whoopi Goldberg, Sunny Hostin and Tori Spelling spoke on their own show or podcast with no brand involvement indicated in the reporting.
Did Serena Williams get paid to talk about GLP-1s?
Ro announced on August 21, 2025 that Williams joined as a celebrity patient ambassador starring in a multi-year national marketing campaign, a promotional partnership. The release discloses that her husband is an investor in Ro and serves on its board.
What did Shaquille O'Neal say about sleep apnea and Zepbound?
O'Neal said he was tired during the day and not sleeping well for years before being diagnosed with moderate obstructive sleep apnea. "Being prescribed Zepbound helped make a difference for me in my OSA treatment journey; I even lost some weight," he said in the June 10, 2026 Lilly announcement.
Did Oprah say which drug she used?
No. Oprah Winfrey detailed her struggles with weight in her ABC special "An Oprah Special: Shame, Blame and the Weight Loss Revolution," but the available sources do not record her naming a specific medicine.
What did Whoopi Goldberg and Sunny Hostin say on The View?
On March 19, 2024, Goldberg said steroids for back pain pushed her near 300 pounds and that "one of the things that helps me drop the weight is Mounjaro." Hostin said she gained 40 pounds during COVID and "So I took Mounjaro," then described shame and nasty emails about her weight loss.
How much weight did Tori Spelling say she lost?
Spelling said Mounjaro helped her lose about 40 pounds after her fifth child. She said she went from roughly 120 pounds most of her life to 160 after Beau's birth in March 2017, and that she stopped the medicine at the end of January once she hit her ideal weight.
This article summarizes FDA labeling, published research and company information current as of September 14, 2026. It is not medical advice and does not replace a conversation with your own healthcare provider. How we research and verify.