Tennis legend Serena Williams found herself back in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons after a highly controversial TV ad aired during the 2026 Super Bowl, setting off a firestorm online.
Yesterday, on Super Bowl Sunday, February 8, the 23-time Grand Slam champion drew intense criticism after starring in and promoting a weight-loss medication, which she claimed to have personally used.
Highlights
- Serena Williams sparked major backlash after starring in a Super Bowl ad for a GLP-1 weight-loss medication, with critics slamming the athlete for undermining body positivity.
- Viewers called the commercial “disgusting,” “shameful,” and “wildly inappropriate” for such a massive, family-oriented televised event.
- The ad also fueled wild theories involving her husband, Alexis Ohanian, with critics claiming her endorsement was tied to his role in the advertised product.
However, online sleuths were quick to notice that certain details didn’t add up, with some viewers calling the campaign “disgusting” and even “dystopian.”
“Why is she doing that with all the money in the bank; how sad is that for a famous woman,” expressed one displeased user.
Serena Williams was brutally blasted by fans after starring in and promoting a controversial weight-loss medication during the Super Bowl
Image credits: TheStewartofNY/GC Images
During last night’s highly anticipated annual event, the Seattle Seahawks defeated the New England Patriots at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
The game was a major cultural moment, highlighted by Bad Bunny’s historic halftime show, which featured guest appearances by Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin and drew an estimated 130 million viewers.
Image credits: ro.co
Reportedly, the 2026 commercial slate was also notably different from previous years, dominated by three major themes - Artificial Intelligence, GLP-1 weight-loss dr*gs, and nostalgia.
One such commercial, which aired during the matchup between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots, featured Serena Williams in a tennis outfit for the telehealth provider Ro.
Dancing to a high-energy soundtrack on a vibrant blue stage, Serena revealed she lost 34 pounds (approximately 15 kg) over the course of a year using GLP-1.
Image credits: Ro
She also highlighted clinical benefits she experienced after losing the weight, including reduced knee joint stress and stabilized blood sugar, as part of the “Healthier on Ro” campaign.
The ad further demystified the treatment process by showing Williams injecting the medication with a pen, using the Ro mobile app to order weight-loss medication, and announcing a new oral pill version of the dr*g.
“Shamelessly now promoting weight loss dr*gs?” questioned one user, while another added, “So weird that it’s legal to advertise dr*gs like it’s kind of a vitamin”
Image credits: serenawilliams
The commercial appeared aimed at positioning the treatment as a tool for overall health and risk reduction, rather than just a cosmetic fix.
But the internet was quick to call out the advertisement, arguing that an elite athlete promoting weight-loss dr*gs sends a negative message to impressionable viewers and undermines body positivity.
One enraged user wrote on X, “Serena Williams injects herself with a GLP-1 weight loss dr*g as millions watch the Super Bowl… I miss the days when the Super Bowl sold beer & trucks. Pushing Big Pharma weight loss injections while impressionable children watch feels wrong.”
Image credits: Ro
Another netizen added, “It’s nauseating to see an ad like this being aired during the Super Bowl.”
“Serena Williams pushing weight loss dr*gs...disgusting,” said a third disappointed fan, while another wrote, “Parading weight loss prescription dr*gs in shows watched by young children is so wrong in many levels.”
“Like, why would Serena Williams, one of the most athletic female athletes of all time, promote such a product. She should be out showing, teaching people how to become fit, the natural, safe way."
Image credits: Amy Sussman/Getty Images / Michael Kovac/Getty Images
Many also speculated that Serena may have done the Ro ad to support her husband, Alexis Ohanian.
Alexis is an investor and board member at Ro, and citing this, one skeptical user said, “I don’t have any problem with using GLP-1’s but I hate when commercials are misleading… Her husband is an investor in Ro.”
Williams was seen injecting herself with a pen-like GLP-1 in the controversial advertisement, while also promoting a new pill version of the medication
“She is pitching this dr*g because her husband is an investor in Ro. She might not need the money, but rich people always want more. It is discouraging because it was her powerful, athletic body that made her one of the most accomplished female athletes.”
Others accused Williams of “lying,” writing online, “She didn’t even take the dr*g she’s advertising lol so how are people supposed to know if it works? She used something else. It’s misleading in so many ways.”
Last year, in an August interview with People, the former tennis champion defended her choice to lose weight using medication despite being a world-renowned athlete.
Image credits: serenawilliams
She explained that despite living a highly disciplined lifestyle, she struggled to lose postpartum weight naturally after her second pregnancy in 2023.
Serena shared, “I never was able to get to the weight I needed to be no matter what I did, no matter how much I trained. It was crazy because I'd never been in a place like that in my life where I worked so hard, ate so healthy and could never get down to where I needed to be at.”
She continued, “I had never taken shortcuts in my career and always worked really hard. I know what it takes to be the best. So it was very frustrating to do all the same things and never be able to change that number on the scale or the way my body looked.”
After consulting with medical professionals and finishing breastfeeding her youngest daughter, Adira, in 2024, Williams began using weight-loss medication, which helped her lose 31 pounds.
The 44-year-old sparked accusations of “lying” and wild theories, with some drawing a connection between the ad and her husband, Alexis Ohanian
Image credits: Ro
She told the outlet, “I was really excited about that weight loss. I feel great. I feel really good and healthy. I feel light physically and light mentally.”
“So I think that it’s important for everyone to hear my story. And I feel like there's a lot of people that can relate.”
A sympathetic fan echoed Serena’s explanation, writing, “She has been considered one of the finest athletes in the world. Would have had dieticians, chefs, personal trainers, etc., and still couldn't lose weight? Then genetics plays a big part in weight.”
However, others didn’t buy the explanation, with many expressing, “Shame and embarrassment. She'll be tripping when she looks like poor Sharon Osborne or her daughter Kelly!!”
“This is pharma advertising wearing celebrity skin. Normalize the product, hide the tradeoffs, sell it as a lifestyle.”
“Her own company getting rich, I mean richer, [selling] her own version of the dr*g. Totally opposite of what an athlete should stand for,” wrote one netizen
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