It can be a controversial subject among Bravolebs these days: the use of the pharmaceutical drug Ozempic to lose weight. Some are open about it, some deny using it, and some say they are using it to help fight type 2 diabetes.
Gizelle Bryant put Karen Huger in the hot seat during Ashley Darby’s Drag King Show on Episode 15 of Season 9’s The Real Housewives of Potomac, after Karen arrived in a form-fitting white suit dress with a back cut-out and low-cut front.
“So, ma’am, you know we’ve been friends for a very long time,” Gizelle said to Karen. “I’ve been concerned about you, seeing like, your body. And I’m like, ‘Oh my God, Karen is not eating. She’s not sleeping. She’s not doing any of it.’”
“We are all concerned about you,” Wendy Osefo added.
“Of course, with what I’m going through, that makes sense,” Karen replied, referring to her then-pending charges related to driving under the influence.
Then Gizelle asked Karen if she was on Ozempic. Keep reading to learn Karen’s answer.
Is Karen Huger using the drug Ozempic?
“Everyone in my family is diabetic,” Karen answered Gizelle. “So, I am pre-diabetic. And I am on semaglutide.”
Semaglutide is the generic form of the drug Ozempic, according to the University of California Davis. It was approved in 2017 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in adults with type 2 diabetes. It was not approved for weight loss, although some physicians have prescribed it for weight loss.
Gizelle pointed out that “semaglutide” is a form of Ozempic, but Karen insisted, “It’s not a form of Ozempic.”
This caused Keiarna Stewart to point out, “Semaglutide is actually the active ingredient that’s inside Ozempic,” and Gizelle added, “So, it’s Ozempic.”
Karen then clarified her answer.
“Right. I don’t want diabetes. People lose their limbs. People lose everything,” she said.
Stacey Rusch asked Karen if using Ozempic was “preventative care,” which Karen confirmed.
“Karen, that’s fine, I love that,” Gizelle jumped in. “But don’t have me thinking that you’re not eating. And you’re stressed out.”
Karen protested, “I’m not that thin. I’m 142 pounds,” which prompted Wendy to jokingly ask, “Can we get some chicken wings?”
Karen isn’t the first housewife to admit to using a weight loss drug. The Real Housewives of Orange County’s Emily Simpson began using the drug as part of her weight loss journey in July 2023, and she continues to work out several times a week, posting videos for her followers on Instagram. The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City’s Heather Gay has also talked about her 25-pound weight loss with Ozempic, and told other Housewives about using the drug on the Season 5 premiere.
“It’s been a long, overdue glow-up,” Heather said in her confessional. “Thank God for modern medicine, that’s all I can say.”
