In a digital exchange that captured attention far and wide, legendary singer Barbra Streisand found herself at the center of controversy. In a now-deleted Instagram comment, Streisand asked actress Melissa McCarthy if she was taking the weight-loss drug Ozempic. Although the 82-year-old singer meant it as a compliment, her words sparked criticism among both followers and virtual bystanders. The public backlash prompted a response from Streisand herself, alongside a touching reply from McCarthy on Instagram.
On Monday, April 28, the Bridesmaids actress posted a since-deleted photo of her and director Adam Shankman at The Center Theatre Group’s CTG The Gala event in Los Angeles. The “Don’t Rain on My Parade” hitmaker commented on the post, writing: “Give him my regards did you take Ozempic?” Though the comment was deleted, the Instagram account @commentsbycelebs took a screenshot and posted it to its feed.
That comment sent social media ablaze and headlines quickly ensued. Streisand addressed her comment on her Instagram Story on Tuesday, March 30. “OMG—I went on Instagram to see the photos we’d posted of the beautiful flowers I’d received for my birthday! Below them was a photo of my friend Melissa McCarthy who I sang with on my Encore album.
“She looked fantastic!” she continued. “I just wanted to pay her a compliment. I forgot the world is reading.”
Despite the attention garnered by both deleted posts, McCarthy has stepped forward to defend Streisand. When approached by TMZ paparazzi recently for her thoughts about what happened, she said, “I think Barbra is a treasure, and I love her.”
McCarthy took it a step further by posting an Instagram reel, suggesting to her 12.7 million followers that she was flattered by the compliment. “Barbra Streisand knows I exist!? She reached out to me and thought I looked good. I win the day,” she said in the video, captioning it, “@barbarasstreisssand fan club members only…”
Ozempic has undeniably become a hot topic of conversation in Hollywood recently. As often as weekly, celebrities either confirm they’re using the weight-loss medication (or a similar injectable medication like Mounjaro or Wegovy), or vehemently deny it.
For instance, last week, Kelly Osbourne refuted Ozempic allegations in an interview with Extra. “I know everybody thinks I took Ozempic,” she told the outlet. “I did not take Ozempic. I don’t know where that came from. My mom [Sharon Osbourne] took Ozempic.”
The week prior, Tori Spelling revealed on an episode of her podcast, MisSpelling, that she took Mounjaro after welcoming her fifth child. “I don’t feel ashamed saying that,” she continued. “I couldn’t lose the baby weight … I was lucky enough that with four of my babies, I lost the baby weight afterward.”