Bravo executive and Watch What HappensLive host Andy Cohen is under fire after seeming to praise Real Housewives' stars' dramatic weight loss using the diabetes drug Ozempic.
Cohen addressed the criticism on his "Radio Andy" show on Sirius XM after a Bravo viewer DM'd him about his comments during a recent episode of Watch What Happens Live with The Real Housewives of New Jersey's Dolores Catania.
During the sit-down, Cohen praised Catania's recent weight loss and asked her if she used the diabetes drug.
Unlike the many other Real Housewives stars who've been accused of using it, Catania gleefully confirmed it was her weight loss method of choice, as seen below.
Looking impressed, Cohen said to Catania:
"Dolo you look thin! Ozemp-y?"
To which Catania gleefully replied "Yep!" Cohen then followed-up by asking "what Housewife isn't on Ozempic?" To which Catania replied, "not one."
The drug has allegedly become all the rage in Hollywood, so much so that Rosie O'Donnell, who takes a similar drug for actual diabetes treatment, recently said in a TikTok that Los Angeles women are having "Ozempic parties" where they inject each other with the drug.
@rosie Visit TikTok to discover videos!
Several Real Housewives stars like The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' Kyle Richards have been accused of lying about using the drug, as have stars like Kim and Khloe Kardashian.
The surging use of the drug in elite circles in cities like Los Angeles, New York and Miami has led to widespread shortages of the drug for people who actually need it for medical reasons--and a thriving black market has arisen as well.
Which is likely at least part of why Cohen's praising of Catania drew such backlash. During "Radio Andy," Cohen read a DM from a fan who complained about his comments to Catania:
"Tonight was the third ‘Watch What Happens Live’ guest who I’ve heard you praise for losing weight and inquiring about Ozempic."
Cohen ended up agreeing with the fan, saying, "you know what? This woman… she’s right," before admitting that discussing weight is "a slippery slope" and acknowledging that it's part of his job to acknowledge that Catania showed up to his show looking 15 pounds thinner.
On Twitter, Cohen's comments angered many fans.
\u201c@HuffPost Quelle surprise. @Andy's contribution to the world is the Housewives franchise which was built on toxic, vile, racist, plastic, obnoxious, shallow, shameless, emotionally unstable, and emotionally stunted bullies.\u201d— HuffPost (@HuffPost) 1681074711
\u201c@BrightlyAgain Hoping Andy gets fired he\u2019s the real problem with these shows .\u201d— Brightly (@Brightly) 1680791099
\u201c@ETCanada @Andy @BravoWWHL The world of the Real Housewives that Andy created is exactly the kind of futile yet superficial ground which grew a demand for the meds to *lose a few pounds* when they're actually meant to save people's lives. And now the people who really need the meds are SOL.\u201d— ET Canada (@ET Canada) 1681064918
\u201cAm I the only one who cannot stand Andy Cohen?\n\nThe Bravo maestro defended his comments, but admitted it can be a \u201cslippery slope.\u201d https://t.co/RH3EglN6O1 via @HuffPostEnt\u201d— EmmaJeanKitty \ud83d\udc31\ud83d\udc99\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8\ud83c\udf3b\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6\ud83d\ude0e (@EmmaJeanKitty \ud83d\udc31\ud83d\udc99\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8\ud83c\udf3b\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6\ud83d\ude0e) 1681079694
But others agreed that gossip about stars' weight loss is exactly what they want from Cohen.
\u201c@BrightlyAgain I am glad she told the truth and Andy keep asking those weight loss questions because it is information fans need!\u201d— Brightly (@Brightly) 1680791099
\u201c@TooFab Yeah, but once she said she used Ozempic, I guess he should have thrown her out of the clubhouse and banned her from the show. \ud83d\ude44\u201d— TooFab (@TooFab) 1680804009
\u201c@AllAboutTRH Delores told the truth while the rest lie about it. Andy was doing his job he said she looked good and thought it was refreshing that she was honest.\u201d— AllAboutTRH (@AllAboutTRH) 1680788384
Ozempic and similar medications like Wegovy and Mounjaro have been heralded as "miracles" for their effectiveness as a weight-loss treatment for Type II diabetics. But like many weight loss treatments, patients tend to gain weight back when they stop taking the drug.
The drugs are also not without their side effects, from nausea, vomiting, and constipation to gas and heartburn, and they are linked to some very serious conditions like thyroid tumors, pancreatitis, and gallbladder and kidney issues in some cases.
They've even coined a new plastic surgery term--"Ozempic face," which plastic surgeons say is caused by the rapid "deflation" of users' faces which sends them to specialists for treatments like fillers and procedures like facelifts.
The wild popularity of the drug in elite circles has also drawn criticism from several celebrities like Catania's co-star Jackie Goldschneider, who derided non-medical use of the drug as "an eating disorder in a needle" because of the way it suppresses appetite.
And Game of Thrones star Sophie Turner recently spoke out about the horror she felt at seeing the New York City subway plastered in ads for Ozempic.
"Thin is in" will probably never go away as an ideal in our culture, but the Ozempic craze seems like a new low.
