Gayle King Can't Escape The GLP-1 Rumors & Her 'Ozempic Face' Doesn't Help

By Kelsey Goldbach
A close-up image of Gayle King smiling and posing with her hand out Marc Piasecki/Getty

"CBS Mornings" co-host Gayle King has been candid about her weight-loss journey for years. From WeightWatchers to soup fasts and plenty of cardio, King has documented her all-too-relatable journey of trying to reach and maintain a weight that made her happy. However, recent photos of the TV news legend looking particularly slim, especially in the face, have stirred up speculation, with folks wondering if her newest weight-loss strategy involves a GLP-1. Suddenly slimmer, more hollow, and somewhat sunken-in facial features have been dubbed "Ozempic face," though it's only one of the diabetes drug's risks, and folks online think King may be experiencing it. To get a clearer view, we asked an expert for his opinion.

Gayle King smiling in 2022 and 2026Stephane Cardinale – Corbis & Mike Coppola/Getty

Dr. Brandon Richland, a board-certified plastic surgeon at Richland MD and Richland Aesthetics, exclusively tells Glam that while there's a chance that the difference in King's appearance could be a side effect of Ozempic, there's also the possibility that it's not. "When I look at the recent transformation of Gayle King, there is no denying her face has a more sculpted, slender appearance in 2026 [pictured right above] than it did in 2022 [pictured left above]. While 'Ozempic face' is the trendy term right now, as a surgeon, I see this as a natural byproduct of significant weight loss at an age where skin elasticity naturally decreases," Dr. Richland says.

Whether Gayle King has used a GLP-1 remains unknown

Oprah Winfrey and Gayle King sit side by side at a fashion show Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Getty

Gayle King hasn't confirmed nor denied the use of a GLP-1 like Ozempic despite her markedly different new look, though we know how popular GLP-1 weight-loss medications like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro have been in Hollywood the past few years. Just look to her longtime friend Oprah Winfrey, whose face has totally transformed since using Ozempic.

In 2016, King spoke with CBS News about rejoining WeightWatchers for the third time alongside Winfrey, who left the WeightWatchers board in 2024 after publicly stating that she was starting an unnamed weight-loss medication. Eight years later, also in 2024, King told TMZ that she was still using the program. In addition to WeightWatchers, King works out on the treadmill, does strength training, and makes sure to eat healthy. However, King said that she wouldn't endorse any one weight-loss method. "There isn't a one size fits all, and everybody has to figure it out," the news anchor told TMZ.

"Looking at Gayle's current photos, she shows clear signs of volume loss, particularly in the midface and cheeks. However, she has been very vocal about her journey with WeightWatchers and her commitment to fitness. What the public calls 'Ozempic face' in her case could easily be due to fitness and weight loss, the result of leaning out and revealing the underlying bone structure that was previously masked by subcutaneous fat," Dr. Brandon Richland explains exclusively to Glam. So, despite her close friend Winfrey embracing the benefits of weight-loss medications, there's a chance that King hasn't jumped on the GLP-1 train yet — at least publicly. For a deeper dive into those who have, read up on these celebs who look totally different after using weight-loss medications like Ozempic.