Kathy Bates appeared on the cover of Variety this week modeling a noticeably slimmer figure and pushing back at critics who attribute her weight loss solely to the diabetes drug Ozempic.
Bates told Variety that her transformation was the result of a years-long effort to improve her health after a 2017 type 2 diabetes diagnosis and family history of the disease. "People say, 'Well, it was the Ozempic.' F**k you, it was the Ozempic!" she said, adding that the medication helped her lose the last 15 to 20 pounds after she had already shed most of her weight over time.
The 77-year-old actress said she initially lost about 80 pounds from a 5-foot-3 frame through gradual lifestyle changes and that Ozempic, a semaglutide medication prescribed for type 2 diabetes, helped her finish that process and maintain the weight loss. Bates also described health benefits beyond the scale, including reduced soreness, improved mobility and relief from lymphedema that previously required compression sleeves.
Bates, an Academy Award winner who survived ovarian and breast cancer, has returned to higher-profile work in recent seasons. She earned an Emmy nomination for her starring role in the new Matlock series and told Variety that the timing of her improved health and the job felt "unbelievable." "Physically, I'm capable of doing this show," she said in comments first reported by People, noting she no longer needs to sit between takes and can stand, walk and move more easily.
The actress also described emotional reactions to fitting into clothes she once believed would not fit, saying she unexpectedly cried after trying on a dress supplied by a designer. "I'm still figuring out what it’s like to be without all of that weight," she told Variety. "What was it for? What was I hiding myself from? What are the emotions that are pouring out because I don't have that armor?"
Celebrities who have publicly acknowledged using Ozempic or similar GLP-1 medications in recent years have faced public debate and sometimes criticism, with some commentators questioning fairness, access and the cultural focus on rapid weight loss. Bates emphasized the medical context behind her own use, noting her diabetes diagnosis and family history: "When they said 'diabetes,' I figured out what to do to slowly, over years, to lose the weight. And then when Ozempic came along, I was able to lose the last 15 to 20 pounds and keep it off," she said.
Bates recounted an earlier turning point that prompted her to take her health more seriously: while working on the series Harry's Law, she said she had to sit between takes because of her size and that the experience was "awful." That period helped launch a long-term effort that, combined with recent medical treatment and lifestyle routines such as treadmill use, she said has made her daily life and work less physically taxing.
Her comments follow a larger cultural conversation about the use of weight-loss medications and their role for people with medical indications such as diabetes. Bates's account emphasizes the medical diagnosis and incremental work that preceded the medication, and her visibility on the Variety cover has prompted public response: social media users and some fans have praised her appearance and her frankness about health and treatment.
Bates said the changes have given her new professional opportunities, with designers sending garments for fittings and a renewed ability to perform on set. She described the experience as "magnificent," adding, "I never expected to have this at my age, at the end of my career."