Vanessa Williams Reveals She’s Been Taking a GLP-1 for Weight Loss for 2 Years

Vanessa Williams has opened up about her health and wellness regimen, revealing that she has been using a GLP-1 agonist medication for the past two years to help manage her weight.

In a candid interview with Hello! magazine, the 62-year-old icon shared that she turned to Mounjaro, a brand name for tirzepatide, after struggling with the physical changes associated with menopause. She described the medication as a “game-changer” for her lifestyle and confidence.

Williams explained that the decision to start the medication coincided with her milestone 60th birthday. She recalled thinking that she wanted to maintain her longevity and look her absolute best for the years to come, which prompted her to seek a medical solution.

The multi-hyphenate star noted that despite maintaining her usual disciplined routine, her body simply stopped responding the way it used to. “You feel out of control because you’re working out the same way, eating the same, and your body is not reacting the way it used to,” she told the publication.

Williams emphasized that her experience with menopause was a primary factor in her choice. She noted that while she started perimenopause in her late forties, the shift became drastic once she hit 51, making it difficult to maintain her weight through diet and exercise alone.

Beyond the weight-loss medication, Williams detailed a comprehensive “bio-hacking” approach to her health. She revealed she is also undergoing hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and has recently begun NAD+ injections, which are believed to aid in cellular repair and metabolism.

Her transparency adds her name to a growing list of celebrities who are speaking openly about using medical aids to navigate aging and weight management. By sharing her story, Williams hopes to normalize the conversation around the tools women can use to feel their best during midlife.

While Williams is making headlines for her health revelations, she is also enjoying a massive surge in her professional career. She is currently lighting up the West End stage in London, starring as the formidable fashion editor Miranda Priestly in the musical adaptation of The Devil Wears Prada.

The casting is widely considered a stroke of genius, as Williams previously played the similarly sharp-tongued fashion icon Wilhelmina Slater on the hit series Ugly Betty. Her performance has been so well-received that her run at the Dominion Theatre has been extended through October 2025.

In addition to her theatrical triumph, Williams recently returned to the recording studio. In August 2024, she released Survivor, her first new studio album in 15 years. The project features a mix of genres, including the dance anthem “Legs (Keep Dancing),” proving she hasn’t lost her touch as a chart-topping vocalist.

Fans of her earlier television work will remember her vividly as Renee Perry on Desperate Housewives, a role that cemented her status as a television superstar in the 2000s. Before that, she made history as the first Black woman to be crowned Miss America in 1984, subsequently launching a successful music career with hits like “Save the Best for Last” and the Academy Award-winning “Colors of the Wind” from Disney’s Pocahontas.

Looking ahead, Williams is showing no signs of slowing down. Alongside her extended West End run, she is preparing for a return to the intimate cabaret venue 54 Below in New York City for a series of shows in February 2026. She is also attached to the upcoming film Eleanor the Great, directed by Scarlett Johansson, which follows a 90-year-old woman trying to rebuild her life in New York City.

Do you think more celebrities should be open about using weight-loss medications like Mounjaro to manage menopausal weight gain? Share your thoughts in the comments.