Eli Lilly is tagging along on actress Kym Whitley’s blockbuster summer in a fresh Zepbound partnership with the “Happy Gilmore 2” star.
Whitley, a new patient spokesperson for Lilly’s popular obesity med, delved into her Zepbound story in a Q&A on Lilly’s product website. The comedian and actress said she hopes to reach others who struggle with obesity and the stigma it presents and who may benefit from Zepbound.
The Emmy-nominated actress had “hit a wall” after spending years trialing different weight management methods until hearing about Zepbound from friends, pushing her to ask her doctor about the treatment, she explained.
“What helped me break that cycle of weight loss and regain was having a tool like Zepbound that supported the changes I was already making with diet and exercise,” Whitley said. “I hope that by encouraging open dialogue and talking about obesity as a disease, we can help reduce the stigma around it.”
In her detailed Q&A, Whitley makes sure to promote the notion that Zepbound is specifically meant to be used alongside a reduced calorie diet and increased physical activity, restrictions that are stipulated in the drug’s FDA label.
“This isn’t an overnight fix,” Whitley emphasized. “It’s a tool. You still have to do the work. You still have to eat right, get your nutrients in, and move your body.”
“Managing obesity is hard, but support is out there, and real progress in your weight journey is possible,” she added.
Whitley has been acting since the late 1980s, earning acclaim for roles in films and TV shows like “Deliver Us From Eva,” “Young & Hungry” and “The Bay” and as a host of talk shows, game shows and her own reality series, “Raising Whitley.” Her latest role is opposite Adam Sandler in “Happy Gilmore 2,” the upcoming sequel to the beloved 1996 sports comedy film.
She’s taken Lilly and Zepbound along for her press tour for the film, speaking with People magazine about the role Zepbound has played in her weight loss journey over the past year.
Although Whitley appears to be Lilly’s first official celebrity spokesperson for the weight loss med, other influential figures have openly spoken about their use of the GLP-1 since its 2023 approval. Whitley’s story is joined by those of other Zepbound patients on Lilly’s consumer webpage for the drug.
Lilly recently roped in another star to promote its Mounjaro, the company’s other tirzepatide-based injection that predates Zepbound and is approved as a diabetes medicine.
Emmy-winning “Modern Family” actor Eric Stonestreet linked up with the company for its “Duets for Type 2 Diabetes” campaign in May, which saw Stonestreet and his mother, Jamey, talk about their experiences with Type 2 diabetes and Mounjaro’s A1C-lowering benefits.
Meanwhile, on the Zepbound front, Lilly has been busy knocking down prices for broader access to its weight loss drug. The company recently added single-dose vials of the drug’s highest dose strengths at $499 a month to its offerings through its LillyDirect pharmacy.