‘The Good Place’ Star Speaks out After Criticizing Serena Williams for Using Weight Loss Medication

Making it clear where she stands, The Good Place star Jameela Jamil speaks out after publicly criticizing Serena Williams for using weight loss medication.

During a recent interview with PEOPLE, Williams revealed she is using a GLP-1 medication to help lose weight. She has lost 31 pounds so far.

“I feel great,” the tennis champion declared. “I feel really good and healthy. I feel light physically and light mentally.”

Williams pointed out that she struggled to lose weight after giving birth to her first daughter, Alexis Olympia, in 2017. She said she also dealt with weight loss woes following the birth of her second daughter, Adira River, in 2023.

“I had never taken shortcuts in my career and always worked really hard,” she said. “I know what it takes to be the best. So it was very frustrating to do all the same things and never be able to change that number on the scale or the way my body looked.”

Williams said she did her own research on the GLP-1 medication before starting it.

Days after the interview started circulating online, Jamil had some harsh words for the tennis star.

“Serena Williams is selling GLP-1s,” she stated in an Aug. 24 Instagram post. “The thing I feel most uncomfortable about here is that the celebrities have access to doctors that most other[s] don’t have access to. These ‘miracle’ weight loss drugs come at a price.”

The Good Place alum further shared some of the side effects of using the medication, which include pancreatitis, cancer, osteoporosis, severe malnutrition, and thyroid issues.

“You need medical support,” she stated. “If things go wrong, you don’t have a billion dollars to fix it, that’s why I don’t like celebrities pushing drugs with such drastic undocumented side effects.”

The actress then pointed out that Williams’ husband, Alexis Ohanian, is an investor to Ro, the company that Serena was promoting.

The day after she spoke out, Jamil resurfaced on social media to clarify some of her comments. She noted that she wasn’t criticizing Williams’ use of the medication, but calling for more transparency when it comes to using the weight loss drugs.

She had also defended Williams’ right to do whatever she wants to her own body. “Her body has been policed enough over the decades. It’s not about her or her choice. It’s about how celebrities promote drugs and diet products. All gloss, none of the inconvenient truths.”

The actress reaffirmed by noting her key issue is that “privileged celebrities” are pushing medication with dangerous side effects to their followers, with many lacking appropriate healthcare.

“I love Serena and would never RIP or SLAM her,” she added.