Serena Williams posts about mental health after backlash over weight-loss medication

Serena Williams posted a cryptic Instagram message this week saying she has been prioritizing her mental health after a "difficult August," days to weeks after publicly disclosing use of a GLP‑1 medication and drawing criticism from some fans.

In a Bridgerton‑styled note addressed to a "dearest gentle reader," the 43‑year‑old wrote that her summer "started out well but I was plunged into a difficult August," and that she had "taken some time away to breathe, to reconnect with myself, and to remember that it’s perfectly okay to pause and reconnect." Williams signed the post with the hashtag #LadySerenaOfStocktonStreet and added, "I’ve learned that the end of a matter is better than its beginning. And even though things haven’t reached their end yet, I’m also learning to let go and live life one moment at a time."

Williams revealed in August that she had lost 31 pounds over the past year and said she used a GLP‑1 medication, a class of drugs that mimic a natural hormone involved in blood sugar regulation and appetite and are marketed under brand names including Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound. She said the treatment left her feeling "physically and light mentally." The tennis icon said she began struggling with her weight after the birth of her first daughter, Alexis Olympia, in 2017 and experienced additional postpartum challenges following the birth of her second daughter, Adira, in August 2023.

Williams, who stepped away from professional tennis after the 2022 U.S. Open, said she sought guidance from Ro, a health care company for which she is a paid spokesperson and in which her husband, Reddit co‑founder Alexis Ohanian, has invested. The disclosure that she used Zepbound prompted a wave of commentary on social media, with some users expressing concern about promoting prescription drugs and questioning the safety and messaging around GLP‑1 medications.

"GLP1 is a drug, and there are still doubts about the safety of this drug. Please don't promote something so sinister for money," one social media user wrote. Others criticized what they described as the promotion of weight‑loss products by a public figure who has long been associated with athleticism and body‑positive messaging; several posts incorrectly identified the specific brand Williams used.

Earlier this summer, Williams drew attention for posting photographs from a luxury yacht getaway in which observers noted a leaner physique. The images and her subsequent disclosure prompted wider discussion about post‑career body changes, celebrity endorsements of health products and the public role of athletes in health conversations.

In her recent Instagram message, Williams emphasized self‑care and reflection rather than addressing the online criticism directly. Her post did not include further medical details beyond her August disclosure.