Mindy Kaling sparks jokes she's on buzzy drug Ozempic at the Oscars. Here's what she's said about her weight loss.
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- Mindy Kaling appeared at the 2023 Oscars on Sunday.
- Viewers speculated she uses Ozempic — a brand name for the diabetes and weight loss drug semaglutide.
- In his opening speech at the Oscars, Jimmy Kimmel joked about the use of Ozempic in Hollywood.
Mindy Kaling has become the latest celebrity to spark rumors that she's on the buzzy drug Ozempic, after she appeared at the 2023 Oscars.
Alongside Wegovy, Ozempic is a brand name of the drug semaglutide — a weekly injection that was originally developed for diabetes, which was approved to treat obesity in 2021.
It's rumored to be popular among celebrities in Hollywood for weight loss, although few have spoken openly about using it. At the Oscars on Sunday, host Jimmy Kimmel said in his opening speech: "Everybody looks so great. When I look around this room, I can't help but wonder 'Is Ozempic right for me?'"
After Kaling was spotted on the red — or "champagne" — carpet looking slimmer than she has done in the past, some viewers joked on Twitter that the Sex Lives of College Girls writer lost weight by using Ozempic. Insider has contacted Kaling's representatives for comment.
—TheMinorityGay (@theminoritygay) March 13, 2023
—Alexis “Bring Back Bunheads” Wilson (@sassyblackdiva) March 13, 2023
The 43-year-old actress and producer hasn't addressed the rumors, but has has previously said her weight loss — reportedly more than 40 pounds — comes down to a healthier lifestyle.
In April 2022, Kaling told Entertainment Weekly she lost weight after having her son in September 2020 during the COVID pandemic by no longer "eating what appears, not taking any consideration for what I'm eating."
"Honestly, I didn't really do anything differently. I eat what I like to eat. If I do any kind of restrictive diet, it never really works for me. I just eat less of it... I wish there was something more juicy or dynamic about the way that I've lost a little bit of weight, but that's the way I've done it."
She said that she previously ate grilled salmon and sautéed spinach to lose weight for a movie two months after having her daughter in 2017, but didn't go back to the diet after having her son in 2020 as she didn't have the pressures to lose weight during quarantine.
She told Today that after the lockdowns were lifted, she started eating in moderation and became more active.
"Sometimes I'll be like, 'Well, I have four different times today where I have ten minutes so let's just walk instead of sitting down and checking Instagram," she said.