Source: Kevin Winter / Getty
Oprah Winfrey and WeightWatchers are parting ways. On Feb. 28, the 70-year-old talk show host announced that she would not seek re-election as the company’s director ahead of their annual meeting for shareholders scheduled for May. Oprah has been a member of the popular weight loss company’s Board of Directors since 2015. She was also an ambassador for the company.
“I look forward to continuing to advise and collaborate with WeightWatchers and CEO Sima Sistani in elevating the conversation around recognizing obesity as a chronic condition, working to reduce stigma, and advocating for health equity,” Oprah said in a press release.
“Weight Health is a critically important topic and one that needs to be addressed at a broader scale. I plan to participate in a number of public forums and events where I will be a vocal advocate in advancing this conversation,” the OWN founder added.
Oprah and WeightWatchers
Oprah — who reportedly owns a 10 percent share of WeightWatchers — will be donating her stock to the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) when the company‘s trading window opens in March. According to reps from the company, the donation will be used to highlight the notable contributions of the NMAAHC and to destroy “any perceived conflict of interest around her taking weight loss medications.”
Thilo Semmelbauer, WeightWatchers’ Chairman of the Board, thanked Oprah for her passion and dedication to the company over the years.
“Oprah has been an inspiring presence and passionate advocate for our members, providing critical insights and counsel that has helped shape WeightWatchers over these last 8 years. On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank her for her energy, and dedication, and for continuing to play a role as collaborator and thought partner going forward. What I know for sure, we will dearly miss her presence on the Board,” Semmelbauer said.
Oprah admitted to using weight loss medication in 2023
Source: Raymond Hall / Getty
Oprah’s and WeightWatchers split comes one year after she admitted to taking weight loss medication as part of her healthy weight loss regimen. The star — who co-produced the 2023 musical adaptation of The Color Purple — began her health and fitness journey shortly after knee surgery in 2021.
“I started hiking and setting new distance goals each week. I could eventually hike three to five miles every day and a 10-mile straight-up hike on weekends. I felt stronger, more fit and more alive than I’d felt in years,” the media maven told People in December 2023.
“I eat my last meal at 4 o’clock, drink a gallon of water a day, and use the WeightWatchers principles of counting points. 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.”
The 70-year-old star did not specify whether she was using Ozempic or Wegovy, two weight loss drugs that are growing popular across the U.S. and in the world of Hollywood. Initially, Oprah felt shame about using weight-loss medication on her road to wellness, but ultimately, she found that the medication was a tool to help her manage and prevent “yo-yo-ing,” a term used to describe weight fluctuation.
“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,” she said.
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