Real Housewives star Kyle Richards addresses speculation she used Ozempic for weight loss after bikini selfie

Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Kyle Richards has spoken out amidst speculation she used diabetes drug Ozempic to lose weight.

The speculation began when the former child actor, 54, posted a mirror selfie showing off her toned figure to her Instagram story on Sunday, 15 January. Her selfie was then screenshotted by a fan who re-posted it to Twitter, praising the reality star for her appearance.

However, one reality TV fan accused Richards of using the diabetes-medication-turned-weight-loss-drug when they replied to the tweet: “Is Kyle on Ozempic too?”

Meanwhile on Instagram, others claimed the star used Ozempic to achieve her slimmed down figure after Page Six pointed out in an Instagram post that Richards “appears to be on a health kick in 2023, as she hit the gym with her BFF” and former RHOBH co-star, Teddi Mellencamp.

“Ozempic?” commented one Instagram user under the post.

“Definitely!” replied someone else.

Richards then shut down critics when she responded to commenters: “I am NOT taking Ozempic. Never have.”

When another Instagram user claimed Richards’ figure was due to “many visits to the plastic surgeon,” the Halloween Kills actor replied in an Instagram comment: “I have never tried Ozempic and this is not from plastic surgery. I did have a breast reduction in May.”

“I’m honest about what I do,” she added. “But if giving plastic surgery the credit makes you feel better then pop off sister”.

Just one week earlier, Richards was forced to address accusations she uses Ozempic once more, when she posted a mirror selfie of herself with some friends after they had finished a workout in the gym.

When one critic commented, “Kyle is skinnier than ever,” another internet troll speculated the reality star used the diabetic injection to achieve her look. “Ozempic,” they said.

Richards responded to the post: “Do not spread lies. I’m not on Ozempic”.

Ozempic is a once-weekly antidiabetic injection used for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes, although some of its side effects include weight loss. Ozempic – which is the brand name for semaglutide – works by mimicking a hormone that regulates appetite, by creating the feeling of fullness.

Recently, the diabetes medication has been trending on social media as many celebrities have been rumoured to use Ozempic as a quick fix to lose weight. Because of its known weight loss side effect, the increased demand of Ozempic has sparked a global shortage and can cost up to $1,500 per month.

Richards isn’t the only reality TV star that’s been accused of using Ozempic to lose weight. Earlier this month, Khloe Kardashian shut down claims she used the medication after posting a series of photos from her cover shoot with Sorbet Magazine on Instagram.

The photoshoot prompted a number of comments about Kardashian’s appearance, including comparisons to Taylor Swift and plastic surgery accusations. When some users speculated the Good American founder also used prescription drugs to achieve her look, Kardashian denied that she uses the medications and reminded her followers of her rigorous workout routine. She also urged them to stop making “assumptions”.

“Let’s not discredit my years of working out. I get up five days a week at 6am to train. Please stop with your assumptions,” she wrote. “I guess new year still means mean people.”

“I openly talk about my nose job and anyone who ‘looks up’ to me must know I’ve lost over 60 pounds over the years,” Kardashian wrote in response to another user’s since-deleted comment. “So recently the only change is the bangs. I didn’t know I had to do a running list.”

Social media influencer and plus-size model Remi Bader recently shared her experience with using the diabetes drug Ozempic, after her doctor had recommended she use it for her pre-diabetic, insulin resistance, and weight gain issues.

During a recent episode of the Not Skinny But Not Fat podcast , the Victoria’s Secret ambassador admitted to host Amanda Hirsch that she had mixed feelings about Ozempic, because once she stopped taking the once-weekly injection, her binge eating worsened.

“I saw a doctor and they were like, ‘It’s 100 per cent because you went on Ozempic,’ because it was making me think I wasn’t hungry,” she explained. “I lost some weight. I didn’t want to be obsessed with being on it long-term, and I was like, ‘I bet the second I go off, I’m going to get starving again,’ and I did.”

“My binging got so much worse, so then I kind of blamed Ozempic,” Bader added. “I gained double the weight back after.”