Celebrities on Ozempic: Who Actually Said They Take It

A growing list of celebrities have confirmed on the record that they take Ozempic or another GLP-1 weight-loss drug, and most of them did not actually name Ozempic. Oprah Winfrey confirmed taking a weight-loss drug but did not say which one ^[1]. Elon Musk said Wegovy in 2022 and later clarified he takes Mounjaro ^[3][4]. Serena Williams takes Zepbound and lost 31 lb ^[8]. Whoopi Goldberg takes Mounjaro ^[8], while Kelly Clarkson said hers is “not” Ozempic and did not name it ^[7].

This page covers only people who disclosed their own use publicly. Whenever a celebrity appears slimmer, “the Ozempic accusations always follow,” as TODAY put it — but a photo is not a disclosure ^[1]. Several of the names below also have commercial relationships with the companies involved, and those ties are flagged where each person appears.

Is the drug celebrities take actually Ozempic, or something else?

Often, no. “Ozempic” has become shorthand for the whole category, but the celebrities who have spoken up named several different medicines. Musk named Wegovy first, then Mounjaro ^[3][4]. Goldberg, O’Donnell, Trainor, Stonestreet and Vanessa Williams all said Mounjaro ^[1][8]. Serena Williams and Shaquille O’Neal take Zepbound ^[8]. Kathy Bates, Chrissy Teigen and Rebel Wilson are among the few who specifically said Ozempic ^[1][8]. Clarkson explicitly pushed back on the rumor: “Everybody thinks it’s Ozempic. It’s not” ^[7].

Ozempic itself is approved to treat type 2 diabetes, and weight loss is a prominent side effect, so it is often prescribed off-label for weight loss ^[1]. Novo Nordisk, the maker of Ozempic, previously told TODAY it does not support off-label use of its medications ^[1].

What’s the difference between Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound?

Ozempic and Wegovy contain the same active ingredient, semaglutide. Ozempic is approved for type 2 diabetes; Wegovy is approved to treat obesity ^[1]. Mounjaro and Zepbound are both made by Eli Lilly and contain tirzepatide. Mounjaro is approved for diabetes, and Zepbound is approved for obesity ^[1][8].

So when a celebrity says they take Mounjaro or Zepbound, they are on tirzepatide, not semaglutide — and when someone says Ozempic or Wegovy, they are on semaglutide. The four brand names cover two different drugs across two companies.

Did Oprah take Ozempic?

Oprah Winfrey confirmed in a December 2023 People interview that she takes a weight-loss medication, but she did not specify which one ^[1]. “I now use it as I feel I need it, as a tool to manage not yo-yoing,” she told People ^[1].

In March 2024 she hosted a prime-time ABC special, “An Oprah Special: Shame, Blame, and the Weight Loss Revolution,” about GLP-1 drugs and her own experience on them ^[8].

Her story since then includes a stop-and-restart. In a People interview published in December 2025, Winfrey said she stopped GLP-1s about six months after starting them to test whether she could maintain the loss on her own. Over the following 12 months she regained about 20 pounds, then went back on the medication ^[8].

“It’s going to be a lifetime thing,” she said. “I’m on high blood pressure medication, and if I go off the high blood pressure medication, my blood pressure is going to go up. The same is true, I now realize, with these medications. I’ve proven to myself I need it” ^[8].

What did Elon Musk say he takes?

Musk’s disclosure came in two short posts on X. On October 1, 2022, he posted “Fasting.” The next day, October 2, 2022, he added: “And Wegovy” ^[3].

Two years later, on Christmas Day 2024, he posted a photo of himself in a Santa costume captioned “Ozempic Santa” — then immediately clarified: “Technically, Mounjaro, but that doesn’t have the same ring to it” ^[4]. So Musk has named two different drugs from two different companies: Wegovy, the semaglutide brand, in 2022, and Mounjaro, the tirzepatide brand, in 2024.

In December 2024, Musk also posted that “nothing would do more to improve the health, lifespan and quality of life for Americans than making GLP inhibitors super low cost to the public” ^[4].

What is Serena Williams taking to lose weight?

Serena Williams takes Zepbound, the tirzepatide drug approved for obesity, and said in summer 2025 that she lost 31 lb after the birth of her second child ^[8].

She told TODAY the drug was not a shortcut. Combined with her professional training, she would “walk for hours,” switched to a vegetarian diet, then a vegan one, and still struggled to shed the pounds. “As an athlete and as someone that has done everything, I just couldn’t get my weight to where I needed to be at a healthy place — and believe me, I don’t take shortcuts,” she said ^[1]. Since starting, she says her blood sugar levels have improved and her joints feel lighter ^[1].

Williams’ disclosure is tied to a business relationship. On August 21, 2025, the telehealth company Ro announced she had joined as a celebrity patient ambassador in a multi-year campaign to normalize GLP-1 use, appearing in national marketing across digital, broadcast and out-of-home channels. Ro’s own disclosure notes that Williams’ husband is an investor in Ro and serves on its board ^[5]. “This isn’t a shortcut. It’s healthcare,” Williams said in the Ro announcement ^[5].

What did Whoopi Goldberg and Kelly Clarkson say?

In 2024, Whoopi Goldberg told her cohosts on “The View” that she used Mounjaro to lose a significant amount of weight ^[8]. “I will tell you, I weighed almost 300 lb when I made [the 2022 film] ‘Till.’ I had taken all those steroids, I was on all this stuff, and one of the things that helped me drop the weight was the Mounjaro. That’s what I used,” she said ^[8]. She also addressed the public chatter about people’s bodies: “Maybe the key is to stop judging everybody” ^[8].

Goldberg repeated the story on “The Kelly Clarkson Show” in an episode that aired on a Monday and was reported on May 14, 2024: “It’s all the weight I’ve lost. I’ve lost almost two people” ^[7].

That appearance is where Clarkson addressed her own weight loss. “Mine is a different one than people assume, but I ended up having to do that, too, because my bloodwork got so bad,” said Clarkson, who was 42 at the time. “Everybody thinks it’s Ozempic. It’s not” ^[7]. She did not name her drug, describing it only as “something that aids in helping break down the sugar — obviously my body doesn’t do it right” ^[7].

Clarkson said her doctor had pushed the medication for about two years and she resisted because “I already have thyroid problems.” She also said her heaviest was 203 lb ^[7].

Which other celebrities have said they take a GLP-1?

Here is the rest of the roster of people who named their own use, with the drug they specified and what they said about it.

Celebrity	Drug named	What they said
Renee Graziano (“Mob Wives”)	Mounjaro	Shared her experience on Instagram; by May 2025 said she’d lost 52 pounds [1]
Savannah Chrisley	Tirzepatide	Quit her first weight-loss shot because “I love food”; switched to tirzepatide and lost 25 pounds. “I love tirzepatide.” Her company Good Girl RX sells GLP-1 medications [1]
Vanessa Williams	Mounjaro	Started at menopause. “It’s a game-changer” [1]
Rosie O’Donnell	Mounjaro	May 2025 Instagram: “i cant believe this is me now” with #mounjaro; Aug 2025: now a size 12, “#mounjaro is a life saver” [1]
Eric Stonestreet	Mounjaro	Takes it for type 2 diabetes; hid the diagnosis out of shame; doctor flagged the injectable before its May 2022 release, and he’s been on it since [1]
Chrissy Teigen	Ozempic	Said in September 2025 on her “Self-Conscious” podcast that she turned to it after her 2020 pregnancy loss at 20 weeks and about 40 lb gained [1]
Meghan Trainor	Mounjaro	Used it after her second pregnancy alongside a dietitian and trainer; she and husband Daryl Sabara took the lowest dose [1][8]
Billie Jean King	Not specified	At 82, described herself as a binge eater on the “Wiser Than Me” podcast and started the medication hoping to quiet food noise [8]
Kathy Bates	Ozempic	Lost 100 lb over seven years — 80 through lifestyle change, the final 20 with Ozempic; journey began after a type 2 diabetes diagnosis [8]
Charles Barkley	Mounjaro	“I started at 352, and I’m down to 290,” with a goal of 270, said on “The Pat McAfee Show”; a Ro ambassador [8][11]
Rebel Wilson	Ozempic	Used it for a period to maintain the 77 lb lost in her 2020 “year of health”; now chief wellness officer at Noom [8]
Jim Gaffigan	Mounjaro	Told People in November 2024 he used it to lose 50 lb [4]
Shaquille O’Neal	Zepbound	Said in June 2026 he takes it for moderate obstructive sleep apnea: “I even lost some weight”; partnering with Zepbound maker Eli Lilly on sleep apnea awareness [8]
Chrissy Metz	Not specified	Skeptical for years, started as perimenopause began; cites relief from food obsession and less joint pain; a brand ambassador for Ro [8]

Which celebrities said the drug made them feel worse?

Not every disclosure was positive. Bunnie XO, podcast host and wife of Jelly Roll, told People in December 2025 that she had “a bout of suicidal ideation” while on a GLP-1, which she called “horrific.” She tried the drug because both her parents had diabetes and “my insulin numbers are really crazy.” She described that December as a rough month but said she is “good now” ^[1].

If you or someone you know has thoughts of self-harm, contact a healthcare provider, or call or text 988 in the United States to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

Sharon Osbourne said her first weeks on Ozempic involved throwing up constantly and feeling nauseous, before the symptoms subsided ^[10]. Savannah Chrisley — whose company, Good Girl RX, sells GLP-1 medications ^[1] — stopped her first weight-loss drug because of how it suppressed her appetite: “When I’m on the shot and I can’t eat, I’m like, ‘I really love food’” ^[1]. Chrissy Teigen said she struggled with the loss of hunger cues: “It was frustrating for me because I know that logically you need food to have energy” ^[1].

These are individual accounts, not a measure of what any reader should expect. Anyone considering a weight-loss medication should talk to a doctor first, as TODAY’s own reporting on the topic advises ^[1].

What happened when Sharon Osbourne took Ozempic?

Osbourne is the clearest cautionary case among the celebrity disclosures. She started Ozempic in December 2022, she said in a November 2023 Daily Mail interview ^[10].

She lost 42 lb — three stone — in four months. “Too much,” she told The Guardian in February 2024 ^[10]. She stopped the medication after about a year because she couldn’t stop losing weight. “I’m too gaunt and I can’t put any weight on,” she said ^[10].

Osbourne, 71, said her heaviest was 230 lb and that she is now under 100 lb. She wants to maintain around 105 and would like to put back 10 lb ^[10]. Her warning to others: “Don’t give it to teenagers, it’s just too easy… it’s easy to become addicted to that” ^[10].

She does not regret taking it. “It’s not a sin to use Ozempic if you have a weight problem, so why not talk about it?” she said ^[10].

Are any of these celebrity disclosures commercial partnerships?

Several of them are, and the commercial relationships are worth separating from the plain interviews.

On April 29, 2025, Ro announced Charles Barkley as its first GLP-1 celebrity ambassador. According to the release, Barkley lost nearly 50 lb on his first GLP-1 course, stopped because of supply and access problems, regained much of the weight, and is now restarting with Ro. Ro will also work with Barkley’s production company, Round Mound Media, on obesity education projects ^[11].

Serena Williams is described as a paid Ro ambassador leading a national campaign, with Ro disclosing that her husband is an investor and board member ^[5][8]. Chrissy Metz is a Ro brand ambassador ^[8]. Shaquille O’Neal is partnering with Eli Lilly, the maker of Zepbound, on sleep apnea awareness ^[8]. Rebel Wilson is chief wellness officer at Noom ^[8]. Savannah Chrisley’s company Good Girl RX sells GLP-1 medications ^[1].

Ro frames the Barkley and Williams partnerships as fights against shame and access barriers ^[5][11] — but a promotional campaign is not evidence that a drug is right for any individual reader.

What did Lizzo say about the “ozempic boom”?

Lizzo has become one of the loudest voices on the cultural fallout of the Ozempic boom. In a Substack essay published November 24, 2025, she addressed the backlash to her own weight loss ^[13]. The essay is commentary on how weight-loss drugs have changed the conversation around bodies — not a disclosure of her own medication use.

She said she began losing weight in fall 2023 while “severely depressed” after her former backup dancers filed a lawsuit against her, and took up Pilates. The loss “wasn’t intentional,” she wrote ^[13].

Lizzo said she still weighs over 200 lb and deliberately never disclosed how much weight she released, “because I didn’t want anyone holding themselves to a certain standard” ^[13]. Her stance on choice: “There’s nothing wrong with being fat. But if a woman wants to change, she should be allowed to change” ^[13].

She also argued the landscape has shifted against larger bodies: extended clothing sizes are less available, plus-size models are “no longer getting booked,” and “we have a lot of work to do, to undo the effects of the ozempic boom” ^[13]. Lizzo frames her weight lost as weight “released” and still calls herself “a proud big girl” ^[13].

Why doesn’t this list include celebrities who just look slimmer?

Because a slimmer appearance is not a disclosure. Before-and-after imagery and “Ozempic accusations” have become the default public reaction to any visibly thinner celebrity, regardless of what that person has actually said ^[1].

This page includes only people who named their own use publicly — no inference from photos, no unnamed “sources,” no speculation. The same rule runs the other way: Musk said Wegovy, then clarified Mounjaro, so he is listed with both statements ^[3][4]. Oprah did not name her drug in the December 2023 interview, so no drug is listed for her ^[1]. Clarkson said hers is not Ozempic, and that is as far as the record goes ^[7].

If a name is missing here, it means the person has not publicly confirmed GLP-1 use — not that they have denied it.

Sources

1. TODAY. Celebrities who’ve said they’re on Ozempic, weight-loss drugs.
2. People. Article about Oprah Winfrey stopping GLP-1 medications for 12 months.
3. Elon Musk (@elonmusk). Post on X. October 2, 2022.
4. Axios. Elon Musk dubs himself “Ozempic Santa” as weight-loss drugs go mainstream. December 26, 2024.
5. PR Newswire. Serena Williams joins Ro as GLP-1 celebrity ambassador. August 21, 2025.
6. People. Article about Whoopi Goldberg using Mounjaro after hitting 300 pounds.
7. NBC News. Kelly Clarkson sets record straight on Ozempic rumors, says she started medication after ‘bloodwork got so bad’.
8. Everyday Health. 17 celebrities on Ozempic, Wegovy, and other GLP-1 drugs. Updated August 11, 2026.
9. People. Article about celebrities’ comments on Ozempic and Wegovy.
10. Women’s Health. Sharon Osbourne, 71, says she lost 42 pounds with Ozempic.
11. PR Newswire. Charles Barkley partners with Ro as GLP-1 celebrity ambassador. April 29, 2025.
12. People. Article about Lizzo trying Ozempic for weight loss and what worked for her.
13. TODAY. Lizzo addresses weight loss backlash, new body-positive movement.
14. Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center. New study examines stigma toward women who lose weight using GLP-1 medications.
15. Flow Space. 16 celebrities who’ve shared their experiences with GLP-1 drugs.
16. Teen Vogue. How to talk about Ariana Grande in the Ozempic era.
17. World Anti-Doping Agency. The 2026 Monitoring Program. September 2025.
18. MedPage Today. Use of GLP-1 drugs under scrutiny at Winter Olympics. February 6, 2026.