Last December, Oprah Winfrey stepped out to promote The Color Purple and she looked dramatically different and much slimmer. We soon learned how and why – Oprah appeared on the cover of People and she spoke about how she started taking a weight loss drug last fall. She did so after thinking it over for months and consulting with her doctors, and she sounded very happy with her decision and with her weight loss. She spoke about how it wasn’t just about the weight-loss drug either, that she was trying to be more active and, as always, watching what she eats. At the time, Oprah was still on the board of directors of Weight Watchers and I guess she got some pushback on that, which is strange. You can take weight loss drugs AND use WW’s point-system and methods. They are compatible, it’s not either/or, and WW has even started selling Ozempic. But I guess people didn’t think so, and now Oprah is stepping down from WW’s board.
Oprah Winfrey is leaving the board of WeightWatchers, ending a nearly decade-long stint as a director of the beleaguered company that has faced sudden competition from Ozempic. Winfrey notified the company of her decision earlier this week, telling them she won’t be standing for re-election at its annual shareholder meeting coming up in May. A reason wasn’t revealed, but a WeightWatchers regulatory statement said that her “decision was not the result of any disagreement” or “any matter relating to the company’s operations, policies or practices.”
“Oprah is an inspiring presence and passionate advocate both for our members and for society at large, in elevating the conversation around weight health,” said Sima Sistani, CEO of WeightWatchers, on a call with investors this week. “While I and the rest of our directors will certainly miss her in our board meetings following the end of her current term, she remains a strong strategic voice and collaborator with WeightWatchers.”
Winfrey will also be selling off her sizeable stake in the company: She said in a statement that she’s donating all of her stock to National Museum of African American History and Culture.
WeightWatchers shares (WW) plunged as much as 25% in premarket trading Thursday and are down nearly 70%. Winfrey’s exit is a year earlier than expected, with the media mogul in 2019 signing an extension until 2025.
“I look forward to continuing to advise and collaborate with WeightWatchers and CEO Sima Sistani in elevating the conversation around recognizing obesity as a chronic condition, working to reduce stigma, and advocating for health equity,” Winfrey said in a statement.
Winfrey joined the board in 2015 and bought a 10% stake, immediately giving the beleaguered company relevance as more people shifted to easier diets rather than counting points.
Okay, this sounds less like Oprah is stepping down because of the (asinine) backlash against her use of weight-loss drugs and it sounds more like Oprah is kind of done with WW. She’s moved on, she wasn’t pushed out.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.