GLP-1 drugs like Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic and Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro have firmly become part of the zeitgeist.
With demand still so high, these drugs continue to face shortages that show little sign of easing up any time soon.
There is even a burgeoning community of “GLP-1 influencers” on social media sites like TikTok, where people who take the drugs document their weight loss journeys and build audiences of people who want to try the drugs themselves.
However, before all that, much of the hype surrounding these novel drugs was sparked by celebrities. As the original “influencers,” celebrities have had a profound impact on the GLP-1 narrative since they launched.
Here are some of the top celebrities who have confirmed they have tried taking a GLP-1 drug and what they had to say about it.
Oprah Winfrey
There might not be a more well-known celebrity associated with weight loss than Oprah.
For decades, the public has followed her weight loss story intently on both TV and in the press. However, that saga took a different turn at the end of last year Winfrey admitted that she finally gave GLP-1 drugs a try, following a lifelong struggle with weight and obesity.
In her interview with People, Winfrey noted that she initially chose not to try the drugs because she wanted to prove she had the willpower to stick to a diet and exercise weight loss plan.
Following a discussion she hosted as part of her Life You Want series — which included weight loss experts and clinicians discussing GLP-1 treatments — Winfrey changed her mind.
“I had the biggest aha along with many people in that audience,” she explained to People. “I realized I’d been blaming myself all these years for being overweight, and I have a predisposition that no amount of willpower is going to control. Obesity is a disease. It’s not about willpower — it’s about the brain.”
Winfrey noted she “released my own shame about it” following the panel, and sought a prescription from her doctor, though she did not disclose which drug she was taking.
“I now use it as I feel I need it, as a tool to manage not yo-yoing,” she said.
Winfrey, who noted she has faced negative scrutiny on her body and weight for decades, said that having a medically approved prescription for managing weight “feels like a 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,” she added.
Elon Musk
CEO of Tesla and co-founder of Neuralink Elon Musk was one of the first high-profile celebrities to openly discuss they were taking GLP-1 drugs.
On X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter which he owns, Musk tweeted in November 2022 that he was “down 30 lbs!”
When commenters asked what had made the most difference, Musk replied: “Fasting + Ozempic/Wegovy + no tasty food near me.” He also noted the drug was helping him get “fit, ripped and healthy.”
Tracy Morgan
Actor and comedian Tracy Morgan, who is perhaps most well-known for his roles on Saturday Night Live and 30 Rock, noted in an interview with Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager in August 2023 that he was taking Ozempic.
He credited his recent weight loss to Novo Nordisk’s star drug, noting he took an injection every Thursday and “I ain’t letting it go!”
“It cuts my appetite in half,” Morgan added, and he joked, “now I only eat half a bag of Doritos.”
Emily Simpson
Real Housewives of Orange County star Emily Simpson admitted during a recent discussion on SiriusXM’s Jeff Lewis Live that her doctor encouraged her to try Ozempic.
“So I did that,” she said. “I did that in December for one month.”
She noted that some of her unhealthy eating habits “went away” and that being on the drug “made me more conscientious of what I was eating and so that was a really great kick start for me.”
Simpson recently lost a significant amount of weight, according to Women’s Health, and much of that she attributes to major lifestyle changes. This includes walking 14,000 steps per day, working out three days a week, dieting and getting solid sleep every night.
She did not confirm whether she continued Ozempic long-term, though she did consider it a “kick start” for her larger weight loss journey.
Amy Schumer
While many celebrities are fans of the drugs, there are critics who have had negative experiences.
Comedian Amy Schumer noted in an interview with Andy Cohen in June 2023 that she had tried the drug but said the side effects were too much for her.
“I was one of the people that felt sick, I couldn’t play with my son,” she said. “You’re like, ‘OK, this isn’t livable for me,’ but I immediately invested because I’m like, ‘Everyone and their mom is going to try it.’”
Schumer also noted that while many celebrities are being open about their use of GLP-1s, there are countless others who aren’t admitting to using the drug as a key to their weight loss.
“Everybody [is] lying, everyone’s like, ‘Oh, smaller portions,’” Schumer said. “You’re on Ozempic or one of those things. Just be real with the people.”
Sharon Osbourne
The wife of heavy metal legend Ozzy Osbourne has also been open about trying GLP-1 drugs in helping her lose 42 pounds.
However, she says the drugs should be taken with a grain of salt — and ideally relied on forever.
“It does what it says on the packet, it absolutely does,” she noted in an interview. “I don’t think it’s for teenagers at all. I’m scared for 16- to 20-year-olds. I think it needs to be in the hands of the people who understand there could be side effects.”
Charles Barkley
King Charles is far from shy when it comes to sharing his opinions and that includes GLP-1s as well.
The NBA Hall of Famer and TV analyst noted on The Pat McAfee Show last year that he was taking Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro — and the effects were beneficial for him.
He said he lost 60 pounds in six months on the drug, as part of his overall weight loss plan that included healthy eating and exercising.
“It’s been amazing,” Barkley said when asked about the effects of the drug. “My doctor, she is amazing. I know a lot of people take Ozempic, but my doctor prefers Mounjaro.”
Boris Johnson
Former U.K. prime minister Boris Johnson also didn’t have the best experience trying GLP-1 drugs, but in an article in the Daily Mail, he noted semaglutide could be a “wonder drug” for other people.
Johnson first came across GLP-1s when he noticed a member of the Cabinet had lost a significant amount of weight, which inspired him to want to try the “magic potion” as well.
“I was going to search for the hero inside myself,” Johnson wrote, “the one that was three stone lighter. I was going to locate the svelte and dynamic version of Johnson, imprisoned for decades in pointless extra body weight, and I was going to set him free.”
Johnson sought advice from his doctor, who prescribed him Ozempic — and “hey presto — no more raiding the fridge at 11:30 p.m. for the cheddar and chorizo washed down with a half bottle of wine,” Johnson wrote.
“For weeks I jabbed my stomach,” Johnson continued, “and for weeks it worked.” He lost four to five pounds per week, and saw his appetite decrease.
However, then the side effects sunk in, as the injections began leaving him with a sense of malaise. Johnson ultimately decided to stop taking Ozempic due to those side effects.
“For now I am back to exercise and willpower, but I look at my colleagues — leaner but not hungrier — and I hope that if science can do it for them, maybe one day it can help me, and everyone else.”
