‘Heartbroken’ influencer slams Serena Williams over GLP-1 weight-loss drug promotion (Credit: RO)
Criticism around Serena Williams has grown louder since her appearance in a Super Bowl campaign promoting GLP-1 weight-loss medication. The ad, tied to the telehealth company Ro, showed Williams speaking openly about using the drug after the birth of her second daughter in 2023.
What she framed as a personal health decision and an effort to normalize such treatments has instead sparked a wider debate about influence, responsibility, and the messaging young audiences absorb from elite athletes.
Serena Williams’ GLP-1 campaign draws mixed reactions
The backlash has not been abstract. It has felt personal, especially among fans who once saw Williams as a symbol of strength beyond appearance. One influencer, who described herself as a long-time admirer, voiced that conflict clearly.
“These Serena Williams GLP-1 ads are so triggering to me, and this is coming from somebody who loves Serena Williams. It hurts me to even talk about this, but my following is primarily young women, and I need y’all to know that this whole like being constantly sold things to make you prettier or skinnier or better is not normal.”Her concern went deeper than advertising fatigue. For her, sport has always offered a different kind of message, one rooted in function, not form.
“There are people who need that extra like oomph to lose weight, but it’s just so sad to see that infiltrate the world of sports. That’s how it’s particularly heartbreaking to me. Sports has always been like a body positive space because your body is so much more than what it looks like when it comes to sports. It’s your tool. It’s your tool to function at your highest in your sport, and Serena Williams, she’s the pinnacle of that.
”Even then, the criticism stopped short of blame.“But also that doesn’t mean that she’s not a woman and doesn’t want to be beautiful or doesn’t want help losing weight. And so like this isn’t her fault, you know what I’m saying? like it’s not Serena Williams’ fault… It’s just like the promotion of it and like the reckless promotion of it on social media is so heartbreaking to me.”
Serena Williams’ opinion on GLP-1
Williams has not backed away from her decision. In fact, she has leaned into the health side of the conversation.
Speaking to Today.com in January 2026, she described measurable improvements that reshaped how she views her own body.“My blood sugar is better. I was able to lower my cholesterol by 30%. Some of these numbers [previous high cholesterol levels] are from when I was literally winning Grand Slams. It wasn’t, like, just playing tennis. I was dominating. I was at risk for heart disease, and I didn’t even know. … That’s scary,” said Serena Williams.Her account adds another layer to the debate. This is not just about image or public messaging. It is also about private health realities that even peak athletes can overlook. Williams reportedly lost 31 pounds during the process, but she has pointed more to what those numbers mean internally than how they look externally.The conversation now sits in that uneasy middle ground. Admiration for her honesty remains. So does discomfort about how that honesty is packaged and shared at scale.
