
In 1989, Walt Disney Animation released what would become one of the studio’s most iconic films, The Little Mermaid. The classic Hans Christian Anderson tale told the story of a young mermaid, Ariel, who wanted nothing more than to become a part of the human world. Her father bans her from venturing to the surface, so she makes a deal with an evil sea witch. The Disney version is not as dark as the original tale, so Ariel gets her happily ever after.
More than 30 years after the original film was released, Disney produced the live-action remake. However, unlike the original film, the live-action remake was fraught with controversy. While the animated version of Ariel had pale skin and flaming red hair, the remake starred Halle Bailey, a young and very talented black actress.
In the live-action remake, the sea witch Ursula was played by comedy sweetheart Melissa McCarthy. McCarthy has been a huge part of Hollywood for more than three decades and, over the years, has gone through a very public battle with her weight.
On April 29, McCarthy posted a photo on Instagram with film director Adam Shankman. McCarthy looked stunning in a pale green dress and matching jacket, which showed off her noticeable weight loss. However, the post did not go viral for that reason.
Instead, it went viral when singing legend Barbra Streisand commented on the photo and straight-up asked McCarthy if she had been taking Ozempic. Ozempic is a drug that has skyrocketed in popularity because of how much weight it can help people lose.
View this post on Instagram
Related: Melissa McCarthy Was Shocked She Got Ursula Role Instead of Lizzo
For years, Ozempic has been used to help treat people who have diabetes, but recently, a number of celebrities have admitted to using the drug to slim down, including Sharon Osbourne and Oprah Winfrey.
Social media users were stunned, but ever the gracious lady, McCarthy took the Ozempic use question with a grain of salt and brushed it off with her signature humor. She posted a video on Instagram and said that she considered it a win because Barbra Streisand remembered who she was.
View this post on Instagram
In a now-gone Instagram story, Streisand apologized for her comment. She said that she saw the photo of McCarthy, thought she looked “fantastic”, and wanted to compliment the actress. She didn’t think about how many people would see the comment, and did not mean to offend.
“I went on Instagram to see the photos we’d posted of the beautiful flowers I’d received for my birthday! Below them was a photo of my friend Melissa McCarthy who I sang with on my Encore album. She looked fantastic! I just wanted to pay her a compliment. I forgot the world is reading!”
Related: ‘Little Mermaid’ Makeup Artist Behind Melissa McCarthy’s Ursula Under Fire, Responds to Criticism
The actress and the legendary singer first met back in 2016 when McCarthy performed a duet of “Anything You Can Do” with Streisand for Streisand’s album, Encore: Movie Partners Sing Broadway.
Do you think actors and singers should be open about whether they are using weight loss medication?