Talk show host, OPRAH WINFREY, leaving WeightWatchers board after admitting she used weight-loss drug

Friday, March 01, 2024 – Diet company, WeightWatchers has announced that Oprah Winfrey is leaving its board after nearly 10 years.

The talk show host, who has been on the firm's board since 2015, said she would not stand for re-election at its next shareholder meeting in May.

A WeightWatchers regulatory statement said that her “decision was not the result of any disagreement” or “any matter relating to the company’s operations, policies or practices.”

“Oprah is an inspiring presence and passionate advocate both for our members and for society at large, in elevating the conversation around weight health,” CEO Sima Sistani said on a recent call with investors (via CNN).

“While I and the rest of our directors will certainly miss her in our board meetings following the end of her current term, she remains a strong strategic voice and collaborator with WeightWatchers,” Sistani added.

The “Color Purple” star, 70, plans to donate her stock to the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

“I look forward to continuing to advise and collaborate with WeightWatchers and CEO Sima Sistani in elevating the conversation around recognizing obesity as a chronic condition, working to reduce stigma and advocating for health equity,” she said in a statement.

The decision to end her long-term relationship with WeightWatchers comes a couple of months after the talk show host admitted to using a weight-loss drug to shed unwanted pounds.

“I now use it as I feel I need it, as a tool to manage not yo-yoing,” she told People in December — the same time that WeightWatchers announced its program dedicated to users using weight-loss medications such as Ozempic and Wegovy.

“The fact that there’s a medically approved prescription for managing weight and staying healthier, in my lifetime, feels like relief, like redemption, like a gift, and not something to hide behind and once again be ridiculed for.”

The Emmy winner added, “I’m absolutely done with the shaming from other people and particularly myself.”