Fitness expert Jillian Michaels is throwing shade at Oprah Winfrey, accusing her of benefiting financially from using Ozempic to drop pounds.
Suggested Reading
The Queen of Talk has slayed red carpets lately, showing off a new, slimmed-down physique. After initially suggesting that getting a boost from drugs like the popular type 2 diabetes medication Ozempic would be the “easy way out,” the multi-hyphenate media mogul recently admitted to including an unnamed medication in her regimen.
“Oprah, I believe, is one of the biggest shareholders of WeightWatchers, and WeightWatchers is now in the Ozempic business,” Michaels told Page Six. “I believe [WeightWatchers] bought a company that provides access to these drugs, now there is a financial interest in these drugs. I think it’s important to put that out there right off the bat.”
In March, WeightWatchers acquired Sequence, a digital subscription health platform that gives users access to healthcare providers who specialize in “chronic weight management.” If necessary, the doctors can prescribe medication like Ozempic to support the user’s behavior and lifestyle changes.
Michaels went on to say that although she doesn’t endorse using Ozempic for weight loss, she doesn’t judge those who choose to use it to help them reach their weight loss goals.
“If I believed in it, I would be capitalizing on it like every other diet trend. Trust me, I gain nothing by telling you I don’t like it,” she said. “My job is to educate people so that they can make the best decision for themselves. And that’s it.”
This isn’t the first time Michaels has had something to say about a Black woman’s weight. In 2020, she said this about Lizzo:
“Why are we celebrating her body? Why does it matter? That’s what I’m saying, like, why aren’t we celebrating her music? Cuz it isn’t gonna be awesome if she gets diabetes. I’m just being honest.”
Winfrey’s weight loss journey has played out publicly for most of her career. The media mogul, who at her heaviest weighed 237 pounds, told PEOPLE she’s been using a holistic approach, including regular exercise and lifestyle changes since her 2021 knee surgery.
She added that after the “Oprah Daily” panel discussion on weight, she made a conscious decision to stop blaming herself for being overweight and consulted her doctor about using medication to help.
“I had an awareness of [weight-loss] medications, but felt I had to prove I had the willpower to do it. I now no longer feel that way,” she said. “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. I’m absolutely done with the shaming from other people and particularly myself.”
Straight From 
Sign up for our free daily newsletter.