Serena Williams sparks controversy with new weight loss medication advertisement

Tennis champion Serena Williams' appearance in an advertisement for Ro, a direct-to-patient healthcare company has received mixed reactions. The ad promotes the use of GLP-1 treatments.

GLP-1 is short for glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, which work in the brain to impact satiety. Popular brands include Ozempic and Mounjaro.

Williams is the newest ambassador at Ro, a company that her husband Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, is an investor and serves on its board.

In the advertisement, Williams is seen injecting herself with GLP -1 as she narrates how after welcoming her children her body wasnt the same. 

She admitted to People magazine in an interview that she was very nervous about deciding to use one herself.

“I did a lot of research on it. I was like, 'is this a shortcut? What are the benefits? What are not the benefits?' I really wanted to dive into it before I just did it," she said.

“I lost over 31 pounds using my GLP-1 and I was really excited about that weight loss.”

The Olympic gold medalist’s endorsement of the weight loss drug has left her supporters with many questions and mixed reactions.

@cristinavanko said: “Interesting to see, but also my questions are—as a seemingly healthy person who just wants the extra help to lose weight—how did she get approved? when so many patients are denied because they’re not at risk for diabetes/etc. this story to me is saying they will, in fact, approve anyone.”

@stillinthefield said: “Seeing THE Serena Williams being used to sell weight loss products feels like an insult to everything Serena Williams represents, stands for, and has achieved, even if she herself or her team doesn’t feel that way.”

@FatouSambe1 said: “Serena Williams promoting ozempic/GLP-1 is problematic and disappointing because it’s being marketed as a ‘health’ choice rather than an aesthetic one. 

“She didn’t look like this at her peak as an athlete so really she’s losing weight to achieve a certain look nothing else.”

@bon_j0vee said: “Seeing serena williams, a whole gold metal olympian, be on a glp-1 talking about how she “finally lost weight” just broke something in me.”

IOL