Barbra Streisand Apologizes for Melissa McCarthy Ozempic Reply

Melissa McCarthy doesn’t begrudge Barbra Streisand or her Ozempic remark.

Singer, actress, living legend, and dog-cloner Barbra Streisand was born in 1942.

Just days after celebrating her 82nd birthday, she left a very public Instagram comment under Melissa McCarthy’s post. It was, many pointed out, clearly an accident.

Intentional or not, the comment was controversial, even mentioning Ozempic. Was it insulting? Not to Melissa.

Barbra Streisand in February of 2024.
Barbra Streisand accepts the SAG Lifetime Achievement Award onstage during the 30th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall on February 24, 2024. (Photo Credit: Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images)

Melissa McCarthy shared new photos

On her Instagram page, Melissa McCarthy shared a photo of herself and director Adam Shankman. She was all dressed up and, as always, looked gorgeous.

Some observed that she appeared more slender than they recalled. One of those people, it seems, was Barbra Streisand.

Historically, Melissa McCarthy has schooled body-shaming weirdos very effectively. This was not a usual situation, however.

Melissa McCarthy on April 30, 2024.
Melissa McCarthy attends the Los Angeles premiere of Netflix’s “UNFROSTED” at The Egyptian Theatre Hollywood on April 30, 2024. (Photo Credit: Amy Sussman/Getty Images)

In the replies to Melissa McCarthy’s photo, Barbra Streisand’s comment read much more like a personal DM than a public message that thousands of fans would inevitably see.

“Give him my regards,” Streisand wrote. Clearly, she was referring to Shankman.

“Did you take Ozempic?” she then asked.

A dark mode mobile screenshot of Barbra Streisand's Instagram comment.
In an Instagram comment from late April of 2024, Barbra Streisand asks Melissa McCarthy if she “took Ozempic.” (Image Credit: Instagram)

Obviously, people took notice

Ozempic is a controversial drug, largely because it is an essential diabetes medication. The use of semaglutide for luxury weight loss among the rich has caused documented shortages in North America and Australia.

Though Streisand’s tone was not accusatory, “Ozempic allegations” are alarmingly commonplace whenever a celebrity has lost weight. And sometimes, the Ozempic rumors turn out to be true.

Some also interpreted Streisand’s comment to be a body-shaming one. Commenting on someone’s body-shape or weight, even as a “compliment,” often carries negative connotations.

A screenshot of Barbra Streisand's white-on-black text explaining an Instagram comment that she made in error.
On Twitter, Barbra Streisand unleashed a new iteration of the Streisand Effect when she explained her controversial Instagram comment in late April of 2024. (Image Credit: Twitter)

Barbra Streisand explained

“I went on Instagram to see the photos we’d posted of the beautiful flowers I’d received for my birthday!” Streisand described in a text post that she shared to Twitter. Her birthday was April 24.

“Below them was a photo of my friend, Melissa McCarthy, who I sang with on my Encore album,” she recalled. “She looked fantastic!”

Streisand explained: “I just wanted to pay her a compliment. I forgot the world is reading!”

Melissa McCarthy isn’t even a little bit angry

McCarthy herself quickly took to Instagram to remind everyone that she’s both a friend and a fan of Streisand. In other words, she doesn’t want anyone condemning the living legend on her behalf.

Additionally, Melissa McCarthy told TMZ that “I think Barbra is a treasure and I love her.” She brushed off questions about whether Streisand had somehow crossed the line.

In fact, longtime fans know that Streisand often leaves offhand comments like this on McCarthy’s Instagram page. She’s in her eighties, and she doesn’t use Instagram quite like younger generations. This comment just happened to draw more attention than others.

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