Oprah Winfrey has shared more information about her recent departure from WeightWatchers.
In 2015, she became a member of the board, acquiring a 10% stake in the company. And in a report from Variety, published in February, it was revealed that the mogul would not be standing for reelection at WeightWatchers’ annual shareholders meeting later this year.
WeightWatchers does support the use of some weight loss medications, like Wegovy (a semaglutide injection) and Zepbound (a tirzepatide injection), which are both marketed to possibly “help adults with obesity.”
At the time of her exit announcement, WeightWatchers said that Oprah’s decision to leave “was not the result of any disagreement with the company on any matter relating to the company’s operations, policies, or practices.” And since she has not specified which weight loss drug she’s used, it was unclear whether her use of the medication had anything to do with her exit.
But now the mogul has clarified her exact reasons for stepping back from the company.
During an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live this week, Oprah shared that her departure from WeightWatchers was so that she could air her upcoming ABC special about weight loss without being accused of profiting through the company’s affiliation with medications like Wegovy and Zepbound.
In a statement last week, Oprah said the topic is “very personal” to her — and she echoed similar sentiments while explaining to Jimmy Kimmel why she chose to leave her position at WeightWatchers in order to pursue the project.
Prior to announcing that she’d used medication herself, Oprah said she thought using drugs for weight loss was the “easy way out.”