Rosie O'Donnell has credited the GLP-1 drug Mounjaro with saving her life, stating it has helped her manage weight gain experienced during a period of grief. O'Donnell, 64, told People magazine that after her mother's death in 1973, she and her siblings struggled with their weight, often relying on convenience foods due to their young age when tasked with grocery shopping.
"When my mom died, all of us children gained weight," O'Donnell said, referencing the matriarch's passing and how she and her siblings, as young children, would shop for groceries. "It was Entenmann’s and Cap’n Crunch and we would always say, ‘Subtotal please,’ and when it got near $100, we’d put back the chicken and the hamburger meat."
She stated that Mounjaro has been transformative, leading to a steady weight loss of "a pound or two a month for three years." O'Donnell expressed a desire for the medication's cost to be reduced for those struggling with obesity, rather than receiving payment for endorsements. "I really wish I could do commercials for Mounjaro and they would drop the price instead of paying me," she commented. "Because when I see people struggling with obesity, I want to say I know the shame that we carry and the humiliation that is dealt to people who are overweight."
O'Donnell also reflected on past body image pressures, particularly when appearing on television. She recalled that during her early talk show appearances, her primary concern was not her performance but her appearance. "When I would do late night, my biggest concern wasn’t my set, it was, did I look fat?" she told the outlet. "The first time I did a talk show, it was Pat Sajak and people were saying ‘You were so good,’ and I’d go, ‘How did I look in that blazer?’ I wasn’t even heavy then."
She now feels "much healthier and more powerful" in her physical presence. O'Donnell's experience adds to a growing public conversation about GLP-1 medications, with other celebrities sharing their varied experiences. For instance, Mayim Bialik has written about experiencing severe digestive issues and sneezing attacks while on a GLP-1 drug, while Jenny Mollen reported increased bleeding and fainting episodes while using a similar medication, though she speculated it might have been related to hormonal changes or the fluctuation of dosage.