Oprah Winfrey attended the Ralph Lauren Spring 2026 runway show in New York City on Wednesday, appearing slender and youthful as she continued to draw public attention for a recent, widely discussed weight-loss journey. The 71-year-old media figure has publicly acknowledged using a prescription weight-loss medication and has addressed criticism over earlier comments about such treatments.
Winfrey arrived at the show in a white high-necked lace blouse layered beneath a loose shirt, paired with barrel-leg leather trousers and patent boots, and carried a black leather and cork handbag. She was accompanied by longtime friend and television personality Gayle King and by singer Usher, while King wore a grey ruched roll-neck midi dress. Winfrey was photographed leaving the venue after the show.
In recent weeks Winfrey posted a self-portrait on Instagram for her book club holding a copy of Elizabeth Gilbert’s memoir All the Way to the River, drawing attention to a slimmer physique. She paired a colorful V-neck blouse with leather trousers in the photo and disabled comments on the post amid online discussion about her use of weight-loss medication, which she has said she is using but has not publicly named.
Winfrey acknowledged using doctor-prescribed GLP-1 medications, a class of drugs originally developed to treat type 2 diabetes that has been used to aid weight loss. The admission, first made public in late 2023, followed years of speculation and criticism after she had previously called such drugs an "easy way out". Winfrey said in interviews that she had decided she was "done with the shaming," adding that having a medically approved prescription for managing weight felt like "relief, like redemption, like a gift." She has said she used the medication as a tool to avoid repeated cycles of weight loss and regain and that she had recommended the approach to others before deciding to take it herself.
Winfrey has described a long-running personal struggle with weight. While hosting a recorded panel with medical experts on obesity and weight loss in July 2023 as part of Oprah Daily’s The Life You Want series, she said her highest weight was 237 pounds and that her weight challenges had been exploited publicly for years. She has attributed part of her earlier weight loss to the WeightWatchers program and in 2015 disclosed acquiring a 10% stake in the company; she later stepped down from the WeightWatchers board after announcing she was using a GLP-1 medication.
She has also described changes to her lifestyle following knee surgery in 2021, saying that she began hiking and setting weekly distance goals as part of a broader health regimen. Winfrey has said she lost roughly 50 pounds following her change in approach, though she has not provided a precise timeline for that total.
The Ralph Lauren appearance underscores the continued public interest in Winfrey’s health and public persona. She has moved to address both criticism and curiosity directly in interviews and social media posts while continuing to make public appearances and promote projects tied to her books and media enterprises.