Mario Anzuoni/Reuters
Oprah Winfrey is leaving the board of WeightWatchers, the company announced Wednesday, after she acknowledged using weight-loss drugs.
The talk show star bought a 10 percent stake in the business for a reported $43 million in 2015 but won’t seek re-election at an upcoming shareholder meeting in May, WeightWatchers said in a statement. News of her impending departure saw the company’s share price fall by over a quarter, the latest blow to a business dealing with heavy losses and increasing competition from a new era of commercial weight-loss treatments.
Winfrey said she would continue to work to advise and collaborate with WeightWatchers CEO Sima Sistani “in elevating the conversation around recognizing obesity as a chronic condition, working to reduce stigma, and advocating for health equity.”