Kathy Bates pushed back against critics who have attributed her 100-pound weight loss solely to the diabetes drug Ozempic, saying the transformation took years and a combination of factors.
"People say, ‘Well, it was the Ozempic.’ F–k you, it was the Ozempic!" Bates told Variety in a cover interview published this week, then went on to explain that the medication helped only with the final portion of her weight loss. She said she lost about 80 pounds through sustained lifestyle and dietary changes over roughly seven years and used Ozempic to lose the last 15 to 20 pounds and keep them off.
Bates, 77, who was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes around 2017, described the diagnosis as a turning point. She cited a family history of the disease — noting that her father and grandmother suffered complications and that a sister is dealing with serious consequences — as a motivating factor for changing her habits.
"I got this diagnosis about diabetes — my father died of it; his mother died of it; one of my sisters is in peril," she said. "When they said ‘diabetes,’ I figured out what to do to slowly, over years, to lose the weight." Bates has previously said she ate out of fear and as a reaction to low self-esteem, and that the COVID-19 pandemic made discipline more difficult.
In the interview, Bates recounted an emotional moment at a fitting when a stylist presented a dress she did not expect to fit. "I put it on, and it fit, and I just melted down," she said. "I just started crying and crying." She added that she is still adjusting to life "without all of that weight," describing the loss as removing an "armor" and prompting unexpected emotions.
Bates has addressed public speculation about her weight loss before. Last October she told People that while Ozempic played a role, the overall change required hard work and long-term adjustments. "There’s been a lot of talk that I just was able to do this because of Ozempic," she said at the time. "But I have to impress upon people out there that this was hard work for me, especially during the pandemic. It’s very hard to say you’ve had enough."
The conversation about Bates's weight loss comes as she enjoys renewed visibility and awards-season recognition for her role in the CBS series Matlock. Bates is nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series at the 2025 Emmy Awards, which air Sunday; if she wins, she would become the oldest recipient in the category. She told Variety that the career surge has been "serendipity," noting an influx of interest from designers.
Her comments add to a broader public discussion about GLP-1 medications such as Ozempic and their role in weight loss, though Bates framed her own experience around a mix of medical advice, personal resolve and long-term lifestyle change. She said the diagnosis and family history frightened her into action and that the results have been emotionally complex as well as physical.
Bates's Variety cover story explores those complexities alongside her current Emmy campaign, detailing how the combination of health concerns, sustained dietary change and the later use of medication culminated in a significant weight reduction and renewed career attention.