‘REDEMPTION STAGE’

Kathy Bates Slams Ozempic Rumors After Dramatic Weight Loss

The award-winning actress shed 100 pounds.

Misery star Kathy Bates hit back at critics after her 100 pound weight loss sparked Ozempic rumors. “People say, ’Well, it was the Ozempic.’ F--k you, it was the Ozempic! It took me years to do this,” she said. Bates, who currently stars as the lead role in the 2024 CBS drama series Matlock, spoke of her weight loss in a Variety piece published Wednesday. The American Horror Story alum shared that she decided to lose weight after her diabetes diagnosis, a disease that afflicted her family. “When they said ’diabetes,’ I figured out what to do to slowly, over years, to lose the weight,” the 77-year-old actor said. “And then when Ozempic came along, I was able to lose the last 15 to 20 pounds and keep it off.” Bates has described this era of her life as her “redemption stage,” not just due to the weight loss, but with the recent success of Matlock. “But the juxtaposition of getting healthy and then this show coming along is just unbelievable,” the actress said. “I finally feel like I’m who I am,” she said. “I’ve fought my way through the rapids. I feel this is the best time of my life.”