Kathy Bates | Source: Getty Images
The actress recently shared candid reflections about her weight loss journey after clarifying the comment she made about retiring last month.
Hollywood icon Kathy Bates, 76, is
opening up
about the lifestyle changes she made after being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Speaking to People magazine, Bates shared how losing weight has helped her, especially with her role in “Matlock.” This sparked a flurry of negative comments online.
User comment about Kathy Bates, posted on October 10, 2024 | Source: Instagram/people
In a teaser video post of the interview, the “Misery” star
disclosed
, “I lost 100 lbs. and it all just coincided beautifully so that physically I’m capable of doing this show. I don’t have to sit down. I can stand up all day long, and walk, and move, and breathe, and do so many things that I couldn’t do before.”
Kathy Bates speaking about her weight loss journey, posted on October 10, 2024 | Source: Instagram/people
She
continued
, “It’s the confluence of these things, these opportunities. I can, you know — my wonderful costume designer is here today, Hope Hanafin, she came out of retirement to work with us.”
Bates went on to gush over the fact that her weight loss has enabled Hanafin to pick clothing items off the rack that fit the actress “perfectly.”
“They just have to take the hem up […] or even take it in, you know. And I’m like, ‘Oh my God! This is really happening,’ you know, and it’s just so exciting, and it’s emotional,”
expressed
the “Titanic” talent.
Kathy Bates | Source: Instagram/people
Upon seeing this snippet of her interview, social media users wasted no time in passing judgment.
“Ozempic is a drug needed for diabetics! You rich celebrities using it as a dietary supplement! SICK”
criticized
an Instagrammer.
Another
echoed
,
“Being diabetic and unable to have access to this due to celebrity [sic] snapping it all up … is a hard pass for me.” “Why does everyone on Ozempic look 10 years older? Age does not equate [sic] beauty. Just asking,”
added
someone else.
A commenter
reflected
,
“As an actor, it really doesn’t matter if you’re thin, or fat, but as a human being with longevity of life, it does so good for you [sic].”
Kathy Bates at the CBS fall schedule celebration in Los Angeles, California on May 2, 2024 | Source: Getty Images
On the other hand, an observer
urged
,
“Congrats. But stop losing. Your cheeks are sunk in.”
Along with this were a few positive comments.
“Congratulations! You are beautiful no matter what,”
praised
a fan while another
defended
,
“Why can’t people just be happy for someone if they are happy. Why does everyone have to hate on your happiness just because you used ozempic [sic] to help you lose weight.”
Kathy Bates speaking at an event, posted on June 26, 2024 | Source: Tiktok/@tv_line
During
the interview
, Bates revealed that while she lost 80 lbs over the last seven years through diet and lifestyle changes, she shed the remaining 20 lbs via Ozempic. However, the actress clarified that she worked hard to lose the initial weight.
Kathy Bates speaking during the “Matlock” Q&A event at the TCA Summer Press Tour in Pasadena, California on July 13, 2024 | Source: Getty Images
She also spoke about how her diabetes type 2 diagnosis and her family’s history with the ailment compelled her to get serious about her health.
“[Diabetes] runs in my family, and I’d seen what my father had gone through. He had had a leg amputated. One of my sisters is dealing with it very seriously, and it terrified me. It scared me straight,”
admitted
Bates.
Kathy Bates with her sister Mary Bates at the 11th Annual American Comedy Awards in Los Angeles, California on February 9, 1997 | Source: Getty Images
Taking advice from her niece about listening to her body when she’s eating, Bates shared how she “pushed the plate away” when her body indicated she was full with an “involuntary sigh.”
While she still enjoys the occasional treat here and there, Bates has stopped eating “terribly” and does not consume food after 8 pm.
Regarding how she plans on maintaining her new figure, the star admitted that coming up with a workout routine may prove to be challenging now that “Matlock” has wrapped its first season, and she won’t be “on set running back and forth.”
Kathy Bates in a scene from “Matlock” taped in 2023 | Source: Getty Images
However, she did mention that she has a treadmill at her home and she might try out Pilates. “People always ask, ‘Don’t you want a trainer?’ No, I really don’t. I don’t want anybody over my shoulder. It’s just very important to me to keep this going. I don’t want to slip,”
divulged
the star.
Kathy Bates at the TCA Summer Press Tour in Pasadena, California on July 13, 2024 | Source: Getty Images
Aside from her weight loss providing her with vigor and vitality,
Kathy Bates
also said it has helped ease her lymphedema symptoms.
She was diagnosed with lymphedema (a condition that causes swelling due to lymph fluid buildup in the body) after undergoing a double mastectomy following her breast cancer diagnosis in 2012.
Kathy Bates at the 18th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles, California on January 29, 2012 | Source: Getty Images
“It’s been a tremendous benefit for me. I’m lucky that I don’t have to wear my compression sleeves every day,”
swooned
the National Commission on Lymphatic Disease collaborator, who hopes to inspire people by sharing her journey.
Kathy Bates | Source: Getty Images
Bates’ interview comes weeks after she clarified her intention behind
saying
“Matlock” would be her “last dance.”
While standing on the red carpet of the 2024 Emmy Awards speaking to Entertainment Weekly and People, she
explained
, “What I meant was, I had one foot out the door until I read the script for ‘Matlock.’ And then I read ‘Matlock’ and I said, ‘Ooooooookay, close the door. We’re gonna do some more.’ I want it to run for years. It’s that great.”
Kathy Bates at the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, California on September 15, 2024 | Source: Getty Images
Viewers were just as excited as Bates for “Matlock” when they saw a video of the cast hyping up the then-upcoming show. However, amid the anticipation, some
netizens reacted strongly to her appearance
.
Fan comment, posted on August 11, 2024 | Source: X/jayher17
Bates, looking poised in a navy blue suit, joined her co-stars for a playful teaser about the show. Their
banter
was underscored by the words, “More twists coming your way.”
The clip ended with Bates revealing that the series was set to premiere on September 22. Reacting to the news, one person on X
enthused
,
“Matlock is returning? Kathy Bates is a great actress too. Playing Matlock’s daughter.”
Another
chimed in with
,
“Kathy Bates is Matlock. I’m very intrigued.”
Kathy Bates | Source: Tiktok/@tv_line
However, Bates’ weight loss also caught people’s attention, with some fans having expressed concern. One comment
read,
“Love Kathy to death but honey you can’t lose that much weight after a certain age. Your skin just hangs there.”
User comment, posted on June 26, 2024 | Source: Tiktok/@tv_line
Others had trouble identifying her.
“Wow. I didn’t recognize her.😮,”
wrote
one spectator.
Questions like
,
“OMG, what happened to her? I love her but is this even her? She was fine before????”
popped up as well.
Another commenter
echoed
similar sentiments,
“I almost didn’t recognize her… her face looks so thin. I love Kathy always have!”
Meanwhile, someone else
pondered
,
“Who is this woman.”
Kathy Bates | Source: Tiktok/@tv_line
There were also speculations made about her weight loss.
“Ozempic got Kathy Bates too,”
said
one person. However, a fan
countered
,
” She’s one of those who ages beautifully.”
The new
CBS series “Matlock
” provides a fresh take on the original classic legal drama from the ’80s and ’90s, which ran for nine seasons.
In the series, Bates stars as the clever attorney Madeline “Matty” Matlock. Her character has a hidden agenda as she maneuvers her way into a prestigious Chicago law firm.
Reflecting on her role, the Oscar-winning actress
shared
, “Matlock has an agenda that not everyone knows about. I love playing all those different notes.”
When asked if she anticipated landing a role like this in her seventies, Bates described it as a career milestone. She considers it an extraordinary gift to have such a role at this stage in her career and admitted she never imagined she’d enjoy a third act quite like this one.
Kathy Bates attends the ceremony honoring Dr. Phil McGraw with a Star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame held in Hollywood, California on February 21, 2020 | Source: Getty Images
“‘I’ve never thought at my age I’d be playing such a wonderful role and for [sic] network, which so many people are going to see,” she
noted
.
Her character is a woman who seems forgotten and overlooked, but cleverly turns her perceived disadvantage — her age — into an asset. She uses her deep knowledge of life experience and wisdom to truly connect with people, preferring genuine interactions over technology.
Kathy Bates attends the 2020 National Board Of Review Gala in New York City on January 8, 2020 | Source: Getty Images
This personal touch plays a crucial role in solving cases and navigating her world. When asked if she has ever felt invisible, Bates recounted a humorous incident from the Paramount lot, where “Matlock” is filmed.
Kathy Bates arrives for the 77th annual Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, California on January 5, 2020 | Source: Getty Images
She mentioned that during studio tours, she often went unnoticed while riding around in her golf cart. Bates described it as a running joke, explaining that she would pass by, and people would ignore her completely. At the time, she
recalled
thinking to herself, “What’s going on? Don’t they know who I am?”
Kathy Bates at the 13th Annual CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute in New York City on December 8, 2019 | Source: Getty Images
Initially, she would give a small wave, but then she waved her arms frantically to get noticed. Bates joked that her invisibility might be due to aging or losing weight, adding that if she weren’t so well-known, she would likely be invisible.
Kathy Bates spotted out in Los Angeles, California on February 21, 2020 | Source: Getty Images
Regarding her ideal number of “Matlock” seasons, Bates expressed a desire to do about five. She remarked that it would depend on how long she is able to continue,
adding
with a smile, “We’ll see how long God gives me.”