By DEIRDRE DURKAN-SIMONDS, US ASSOCIATE SHOWBUSINESS EDITOR
Jameela Jamil criticized Serena Williams after the tennis icon recently signed on to promote a GLP-1 weight loss drug.
The Good Place star, 39, shared a lengthy Instagram post warning about the possible dangers of what she called 'miracle' drugs that some celebrities are pushing without addressing the risks.
'Serena Williams is selling GLP-1s,' Jamil wrote. 'The thing I feel most uncomfortable about here is that celebrities have access to doctors most others don't have access to. These 'miracle' weight loss drugs come at a price.'
She went on to list some of the side effects, including 'paralysis of the gastric system, pancreatitis, cancer, hair loss, osteoporosis, severe malnutrition, muscle mass loss, depression (there have been reports of suicide), thyroid issues, blindness and they can really wreak havoc on your metabolism.'
She went on to caution that if patients are forced to stop suddenly, many end up regaining the weight quickly, often more than before.
'It's much harder to then lose,' she warned. 'Nobody tells you these things in the adverts and media. You need blood tests, dexa scans, nutritionists, a dedicated weights regimen to maintain muscle mass and bone density. You need medical support. If things go wrong, you don't have a billion dollars to fix it,' the actress added.
Jameela Jamil has blasted Serena Williams after the tennis icon signed on to promote a GLP-1 weight loss drug; seen in September 2024
Jamil stressed that her information came directly from pharmaceutical resources.
'I GOT THIS INFORMATION FROM THE WEBSITES OF THE DRUGS IN THE SIDE EFFECTS PAGES. You can go see for yourself,' she captioned her post.
She also highlighted Williams' family connection to the company.
'Many people have asked me to highlight the fact that Serena's husband is an investor in this company. Another reason we should take every celebrity endorsement with a pinch of salt,' she noted.
Clarifying her position, Jamil insisted she wasn't attacking Williams' body.
'This post is about transparency, not judging Serena’s body. Nor is it judging you or your decision to take a GLP-1. It’s a literal, FACTUAL, evidence-based plea to make sure you have adequate medical support if you DO take these drugs,' she wrote.
She added that while the medications can be life-changing for some, but 'absolutely devastating for others,' and called for more transparency around their risks.
On Thursday, Williams revealed she lost 31lbs with the aid of a weight-loss medication, GLP-1, while appearing on Today.
The Good Place actress shared a lengthy Instagram post warning about the dangers of what she called 'miracle' drugs that celebrities are pushing without addressing the risks
While on the morning show, the athlete also opened up about the health issue that runs in her family, which made her want to lose any extra weight.
Williams told viewers that several of her family members have had diabetes.
Diabetes is a chronic condition where blood sugar (glucose) levels are too high, often because the body doesn't produce enough insulin or doesn't use it effectively.
She also hoped that losing weight would relieve pressure on her knees.
'I had a lot of issues with my knees, especially after I had my kid,' she said. 'That, quite frankly, definitely had an effect on maybe some wins that I could have had in my career.'
'As an athlete and as someone that has done everything, I just couldn't get my weight to where I needed to be at a healthy place, and believe me I don't take shortcuts. I do everything but shortcuts,' Williams continued.
On Thursday, Williams revealed she lost 31lbs with the aid of a weight-loss medication, GLP-1, while appearing on Today
After Olympia was born in 2017, the seven-time Wimbledon champ worked out for hours to shed the weight but her weight refused to go down.
'I literally was playing a professional sport, and I could never go back to where I needed to be for my health, for my healthy weight, no matter what I did,' she said. 'I would always lose a lot of weight, and then I would stay. No matter what I did, I couldn't go lower than that one number.'
On Thursday, she also kicked off a campaign with Ro, a company that prescribes GLP-1 medications through telehealth and said her aim was to show that taking the medication is not just an 'easy way out.'
Her husband, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, is an investor in Ro and serves on its board.