Rosie O’Donnell says GLP-1s  ‘saved my life’ after years of struggling to lose weight: ‘It quieted the food noise’

Shania RussellThu, July 23, 2026 at 5:45 PM UTC

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Rosie O’DonnellCredit: Slaven Vlasic/GettyKey Points -

Rosie O’Donnell credits her weight loss journey with transforming her life for the better.

“I feel much healthier and more powerful in my physicality,” the comedian shared.

O’Donnell has previously opened up about undergoing vertical gastric sleeve surgery and using the GLP-1 medication Mounjaro.

Rosie O’Donnell has nothing to hide when it comes to her weight loss journey.

In recent years, the League of Their Own star has been very open about her health, including the steps she took towards losing weight and her recent decision to get a facelift. During a sit-down with PEOPLE, O’Donnell delved even further into her health journey and the transformative impact that GLP-1 mediation has had on her life.

“It’s a miracle drug,” O’Donnell, 64, said of Mounjaro, which she began taking three years ago. “I was stunned [by] how it quieted the food noise. I’ve had trouble with my weight my whole life.”

O’Donnell explained that she began taking the drug after she was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. Mounjaro, a GLP-1RA medication, mimics a natural hormone in the body that helps to regulate blood sugar levels, suppress appetite and promote weight loss. But like many GLP-1’s, the drug is also known for having significant gastrointestinal side effects.

“I know some people are ashamed to talk about it but I wanted to share how it helped me and I don’t like secrets as a whole,” O’Donnell told the outlet. She explained that her struggles with food began after the death of her mother, Roseann O’Donnell, when she was 10. The comedian said that all of her siblings got “heavy” as they dealt with the “grief and trauma” of the loss.

Rosie O’Donnell attends the Cyndi Lauper and Friends: Home For The Holiday’s Concert in 2012Credit: Neilson Barnard/Getty

“And so Mounjaro saved my life,” O’Donnell continued. “I’ve lost a pound or two a month for three years. I really wish I could do commercials for Mounjaro and they would drop the price instead of paying me. 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.”

She added that even before her diagnosis, her weight was a constant source of anxiety.

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“When I would do late night, my biggest concern wasn’t my set, it was, did I look fat?,” she recalled. “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.”

These days, O’Donnell isn’t plagued by how she looks. “I feel much healthier and more powerful in my physicality,” she shared.

Rosie O’Donnell on June 7, 2026Credit: Taylor Hill/Getty

The use of GLP-1’s as a weight loss drug has been a hot-button topic in recent years, especially for those in the public eye. Stars including Serena Williams, Oprah Winfrey, and Meghan Trainor have promoted the weight management method, while others have spoken out against the positive testimonials.

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The Big Bang Theory alum Mayim Bialik detailed her experience with GLP-1 medication in an essay published by The Free Press, writing that she experienced dramatic adverse effects after just one low dose.

“Explosive, uncontrollable diarrhea. Sulfur burps so violent they left me afraid to open my mouth in public,” she recounted. “Sneezing attacks every time I tried to eat or drink… Cramping. Bloating. Full-body aching, as though I had the flu. And an inability to keep down even small sips of water without sprinting to the bathroom with yet more explosive diarrhea.”

Meanwhile, model Ashley Graham has described the rising popularity of the weight loss drug as “a smack in the face” in the wake of the body positivity movement, while also noting that it is merely a temporary “trend” rather than a permanent fixture in medicine.

on Entertainment Weekly

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Entertainment”