Kelly Clarkson may not be on the Hollywood Ozempic train, but she recently revealed that she's getting help losing weight with another medication.
The “Breakaway” singer and host of “The Kelly Clarkson Show” opened up about her weight loss in an episode that aired Monday. She was joined by guest Whoopi Goldberg, who admitted that she was “doing that wonderful shot that works for people who need help.”
“Mine is different than what people assume, but I ended up having to do that too because my blood work got a lot worse,” Clarkson, 42, told the “Sister Act” star.
Clarkson, who began losing weight back and forth after complimenting her guest on her appearance, said she was previously unaware of her own heavier figure. Later in the segment she said that she weighed 203 pounds at her peak. “I didn't see it,” said the singer, who noted that she is 5 feet, 3 inches tall.
The three-time Grammy winner said her doctor had been recommending a treatment (which she didn't mention during the segment) for two years, but she was hesitant to try it because of “thyroid issues.”
And he added: “Everyone thinks it's Ozempic. It's not, it's something else. “It’s something that helps and breaks down sugar… my body doesn’t do it well.”
Ozempic, a brand of semaglutide, is an injectable diabetes medication that has become Hollywood's quick fix for weight loss. Amy Schumer, Sharon Osbourne, Chelsea Handler and Tracy Morgan are among the stars who have spoken publicly about using Ozempic.
The weight-loss version of Ozempic is called Wegovy, while the weight-loss version of the injectable diabetes drugs Mounjaro (tirzepatide) and Victoza (liraglutide) are called Zepbound and Saxenda, respectively. In very rare cases, all three can cause thyroid tumors, according to the prescribing information.
After starting treatment, Clarkson said she was surprised to see how she looked before. “Who the hell is that?” she recalled saying when she watched a video of herself before taking the medication. Goldberg shared a similar experience, noting that one critic thought the actress was wearing a fat suit when she appeared in the 2022 film “Till.”
“I don't really care how you felt about the movie, but you should know that it wasn't a fat suit, that was me,” Goldberg responded at the time.
Clarkson responded by saying that she never felt insecure about her weight and was happy with her life, despite speculation to the contrary.
Referring to earlier images of herself, Clarkson joked: “She, any minute now, is going to die.”
Talking about one's image is nothing new for the Emmy-winning host. In a 2017 interview with Attitude, she revealed that she felt suicidal when she was “very thin.”
In the past, the singer has also defended herself against body shamers, including CNN host Chris Wallace.
Earlier this year, Clarkson told People that moving her talk show to New York City also affected her lifestyle. In a January cover story, she told the outlet about walking around the city, her affinity for “infrared saunas” and cold baths, her diet and how she “listens to my doctor.”
“I went through some very difficult years, and even in the first season it was difficult behind closed doors,” he said. “Just being able to get to season 5 feeling good and knowing that my kids feel good, and the dust has settled. Season 5 is the first one that I really enjoyed every minute of.”
