Support truly
independent journalism
Our mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.
Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.
Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.
Louise Thomas
Editor
Christina Aguilera has opened up about her body image after fans accused her of taking Ozempic for weight loss.
The “Genie In A Bottle” singer recently spoke to Glamour for its August cover story, published on August 15. During the interview, she touched on growing up with constant judgment of her body and how she’s reached a point where she no longer cares.
“I have a maturity now where I just don’t give a f*** about your opinion. I’m not going to take it on,” she told the outlet. “It must be your responsibility to take up your space. Other people’s opinions of me are not my business.”
Aguilera explained that when she was younger, the media regularly brought up her weight, which led to her self-esteem being based around “how skinny I was.”
“When you’re a teenager, you have a very different body than when you’re in your 20s,” she said. “I started to fill out, and then that was unacceptable because it was like, ‘Oh, she’s getting thicker.’ Then I had industry people: ‘They liked your body and how you were as a skinny teenager.’”
The “Beautiful” singer admitted that having children played a large part in shifting her mindset away from comments about her body, because she didn’t want them to experience what she did. Aguilera has two children: nine-year-old Summer Rain, who she shares with fiancé Matt Rutler, and 16-year-old Max Liron with her ex-husband, Jordan Bratman.
“Your kids trigger things in you that you don’t want them to go through,” she said. “And it’s almost like you’re reliving this whole thing again.”
“I’ve seen so much so young,” Aguilera added. “You just want the best for your kids.”
Fans first speculated the pop star was taking Ozempic – a popular Type 2 diabetes medication known for its weight loss side effects – back in May, following one of her performances in Mexico. A clip of Aguilera singing began to circulate on TikTok, with many commenters claiming how “well” Ozempic worked for her.
“Ozempic ages everyone terribly but it’s honestly working wonders for her. She looks incredible,” one comment speculated, while another agreed: “Best Ozempic results. She looks great.”
Most recently, fellow singer Macy Gray spoke out about her own experience with taking Ozempic for weight loss. “Oh, boy my stomach hurts,” she said, while appearing on The Surreal Life: Villa of Secrets with Real Housewives of Atlanta alum Kim Zolciak and former figure skaterJohnny Weir. “I took Ozempic. I can’t go to the bathroom, and I was up all night.”
However, Zolciak mentioned that these were normal side effects for the injectible medication, as she responded: “Ozempic does that.”
Gray then revealed why she started taking Ozempic, describing herself as a “vain person.”
“Quietly, I’m kind of a vain person,” the singer said. “I’ve gained a lot of weight over the past couple years, and this is right about the time when everybody starts talking about this Ozempic.”
She admitted that prior to taking Ozempic, she did attempt to lose the weight naturally through diet and exercise. “I was actually trying to take it off before the show because I didn’t want to be super fat on TV, but here we are,” Gray said. “So, I thought, okay, I’m not taking it off the right way, let me see if I can get one of these Ozempic.”
Ozempic, the brand name for semaglutide, is a once-weekly injection that works by mimicking a hormone to regulate appetite and create the feeling of fullness. The FDA-approved medication has become widely popular for its “off-label” weight loss side effects, as celebrities like Oprah Winfrey and Kelly Osbourne have admitted to taking prescription weight loss drugs.
According to the FDA, the most common side effects of taking weight loss medication includes nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, abdominal pain, headache, fatigue, indigestion, dizziness, and digestive disorders. Taking Ozempic can also lead to possible thyroid tumours, including cancer, pancreatitis, changes in vision, and kidney and gallbladder problems.
