Melissa McCarthy’s dramatic transformation took center stage as she returned to host Saturday Night Live, marking her sixth time leading the show.
The 55-year-old actress stepped onto the stage in a black velvet jumpsuit, and viewers immediately noticed her visibly slimmer frame after an estimated 75 to 95 pounds of weight loss.
As soon as her monologue began, the reaction online became impossible to ignore.
Highlights
- Melissa McCarthy returned to SNL with a visibly transformed figure after months of speculation.
- Barbra Streisand was among the first to accuse her of using weight-loss injections.
- Fans defended McCarthy, arguing her weight-loss method is personal and no one else’s concern.
The Bridesmaids star had already been drawing attention in recent months for her changing appearance. Seeing her back on SNL solidified what many suspected. Her transformation was real and substantial.
“I’m really impressed by Melissa’s weight loss progress,” one viewer wrote. “So glad to see Melissa McCarthy back on the SNL stage, and she looks fabulous,” another added.
Fans of Melissa McCarthy were stunned to see her considerably thinner frame during her appearance on SNL
Image credits: NBC/SNL
McCarthy’s appearance reignited a conversation that had been brewing since April, when she posted a photo with choreographer Adam Shankman at the Center Theater Group Gala. She wore a pastel tulle dress with a matching blazer, and appeared considerably thinner.
Image credits: NBC/SNL
The photo went viral, mainly thanks to Barbra Streisand, who immediately wondered if McCarthy was injecting GLP medication.
“Give him my regards. Did you take Oz*mpic?” she asked, only to later delete the comment as McCarthy’s fans turned on her.
Image credits: NBC/SNL
Her return to the spotlight also meant that the discussion around GLP-1 receptor agonists, the technical name for the injections, came roaring back around Melissa McCarthy.
The moment she appeared slimmer on stage, she was immediately placed among a growing list of celebrities accused or speculated to have used GLP-1 injections, whether or not they admitted it.
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Among those often cited because of dramatic weight loss are Oprah Winfrey, Serena Williams, Whoopi Goldberg, Elon Musk, Chelsea Handler, among others.
“I think Barbra is a treasure and I love her,” she said. Streisand herself later clarified that her comment had been intended as a compliment.
McCarthy tried many weight-loss methods in the past, including a liquid-only diet
Image credits: NBC/SNL
McCarthy has been open about her experiences with weight loss and gain. She has spoken openly about being “every size on the planet” and once revealed that she had lost 70 pounds on an all-liquid diet, a method she vowed she would never try again.
Image credits: NBC/SNL
After trying different methods, she eventually gave up.
“I truly stopped worrying about it,” she told Life & Style. “I think there’s something to kinda loosening up and not being so nervous and rigid about it that, bizarrely, has worked.”
Her latest transformation arrives at a time when the public conversation surrounding GLP medications has shifted.
Image credits: Getty/Stephanie Augello
A year ago, these treatments were widely criticized. Many insisted they were shortcuts and a lazy way to lose weight.
On the other hand, the current discourse is more nuanced. Many now view these drugs as legitimate medical tools for people facing chronic and often insurmountable metabolic challenges.
“Even if she used a GLP, this is the sort of person for whom losing weight by this measure is meant for,” a reader wrote. “She does look great, and I am happy for her.”
McCarthy’s fans pushed back, arguing that how she chose to lose weight is a private matter and hers alone to share
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“Melissa looks great,” one commenter wrote.
“Leave her alone, she looks great,” another added. “She’s not flaunting that she did all this hard work and secretly took injections. She simply is going about her life. However she did it is none of our business.”
Image credits: Getty/Frazer Harrison
“She looks so much better and I’m sure she feels better too,” a third one said. “I don’t care how a morbidly obese person loses weight. I just want them to do it.”
GLP medications were originally developed to treat type-2 diabetes. They work by mimicking a hormone that plays a key role in regulating digestion and hunger.
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The injections activates these receptors creating both an appetite suppression effect, and a slowing of the gastric system. In combination, the medication reduces cravings and promotes fullness.
In other words, controversial as they might be for some, GLP’s are increasingly being seen as a viable option for those who have tried everything and can’t break the cycle of overeating on willpower alone.
"Dry." While many praised her thinner frame, others felt she wasn't as funny as she used to be
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