Macy Gray, the soulful voice behind hits like “I Try,” faced a dramatic health scare recently, captured on camera during the filming of The Surreal Life.
The singer was rushed to the hospital after experiencing severe side effects from the popular weight loss drug Ozempic.
In a heart-wrenching confessional, Gray described her struggles.
“This sucks because I’m here all the way in Colombia, and I really just want to give it my all, but I just feel awful, and I just want it to go away,” she said. “This is not going well. I can’t even walk very much without losing my breath.”
Gray’s condition was noted by producers and fellow cast members. One producer, aware of Ozempic’s potential to cause pancreatic issues, encouraged her to seek medical attention.
The gravity of the situation was further highlighted by fellow cast member Chet Hanks, who observed Gray’s lack of appetite and shared his concern with others.
“She hasn’t been eating,” Hanks explained, prompting X Factor star Ally Brooke to confirm, “I know why. It’s the shot. That’s what happens. It literally happened to, like, my friends.”
Gray had previously opened up about other side effects of Ozempic, including constipation and severe digestive discomfort, during a conversation with Kim Zolciak and Johnny Weir.
“Oh, boy my stomach hurts,” Gray lamented. “I took Ozempic. I can’t go to the bathroom, and I was up all night.” Zolciak, echoing concerns, warned of the drug’s potential side effects.
After her hospital visit, Gray returned to the show and shared her reasons for trying Ozempic.
“I’ve gained a lot of weight over the past couple years, and this is right about the time when everybody starts talking about this Ozempic,” she admitted. “So, I thought, okay, I’m not taking [the weight] off the right way. Let me see if I can get one of these.”
Ozempic, a drug increasingly popular in Hollywood for weight loss, is known for its potential side effects, including constipation, fatigue, and even pancreatitis, which Gray might have experienced.
Florence Comite, M.D., founder of the Comite Center for Precision Medicine & Health, noted that such symptoms are common among users.
The trend of using semaglutides like Ozempic has stirred significant conversation.
Oprah Winfrey, who has also publicly discussed her use of weight loss medication, highlighted the broader acceptance and transparency around these treatments.
“The fact that there’s a medically approved prescription for managing weight and staying healthier…feels like relief, like redemption, like a gift, and not something to hide behind and once again be ridiculed for,” Winfrey told People.
