Serena Williams is facing accusations of promoting a “dangerous” trend after she publicly admitted to using weight-loss pills. On Thursday, the 43-year-old tennis star appeared in a joint Instagram post with the GLP-1 medicine company Ro, confirming her partnership and showing herself injecting the weekly drug.
Williams explained that she turned to the treatment after having two children, stating it was what her body “needed.” However, many fans expressed disappointment that the athlete would resort to medication for body confidence.
One social media user commented, “As an athlete and an influencer, it’s a shame that you’re reiterating the narrative that you need to take medication to be healthy and achieve an acceptable standard of beauty. This video made me really sad and disappointed.”
Another added, “‘After kids this is the medicine my body needed.’ Needed? Fantastic, now we can undo all the progression we made on letting women know it’s okay to take time, recover and get back in shape or not to.”
Other critics called the message “wrong” and “dangerous,” especially coming from an athlete of Williams’ stature. One person said, “You can put whatever you want in your body, but let’s not call it healthcare! This is so disturbing to me coming from a former elite athlete.” Another commenter claimed the endorsement sends “a terrible message to our youth,” particularly to young female athletes who look up to Williams.
Williams has not yet publicly responded to the criticism.
