Why did Oprah Winfrey exit WeightWatchers and sell all of her stock?

Oprah Winfrey recently announced that she had stepped down from the board of WeightWatchers and had sold all her stock.

The 70-year-old presenter had been part of the setup since 2015, yet she did say that she would remain active in her participation with the organisation.

“Weight health is a critically important topic and one that needs to be addressed at a broader scale,” Oprah said. “I plan to participate in a number of public forums and events where I will be a vocal advocate in advancing this conversation.” She also said that she plans to donate her interest in WeightWatchers to the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Oprah and out after weight-loss drug revelation

According to Variety, the news of Oprah leaving WeightWatchers comes after the revelation that she is using a weight-loss drug. Winfrey told PEOPLE in December 2023 that she had started using the drug, which she did not name, in an attempt to lose weight.

“The fact that there’s a medically approved prescription for managing weight and staying healthier, in my lifetime, feels like relief, like redemption, like a gift, and not something to hide behind and once again be ridiculed for,” she said.

‘I was actually recommending it before I was on it’

Oprah told the magazine: “I eat my last meal at 4 o’clock, drink a gallon of water a day, and use the WeightWatchers principles of counting points. I had an awareness of [weight-loss] medications, but felt I had to prove I had the willpower to do it. I now no longer feel that way. I was actually recommending it to people long before I was on it myself.”

Winfrey, according to Variety, owns “about 1.1 million shares of WW International, representing a 1.43% stake in the company, according to data provider FactSet.” At the stock price at the time of writing, it is worth less than $3.5 million. Her initial investment for 6.4 million shares of the company totaled $43.2 million. WeightWatchers said it is “supportive of Ms. Winfrey’s proposal” to donate all of her WW stock to the NMAAHC, which will happen in March 2024.

Following the news that she had stepped down from WeightWatchers, Winfrey released a statement saying “I look forward to continuing to advise and collaborate with WeightWatchers and CEO Sima Sistani in elevating the conversation around recognizing obesity as a chronic condition, working to reduce stigma, and advocating for health equity.”

Oprah Winfrey is set to feature on the Jimmy Kimmel Live! show, hosted by Kimmel, who also presented the recent Academy Awards.