Which companies formerly partnered with Oprah for health or diet products have faced FDA or consumer protection investigations?

1. The headline case: pharmaceutical ads tied to an Oprah special

The clearest, documented example in current reporting is the FDA’s September 2025 action targeting pharmaceutical advertising that referenced a 2024 prime‑time special featuring Oprah; the agency sent letters to Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk saying their segments presented benefits of GLP‑1 drugs while minimizing or omitting serious risks listed on labels ^[1][2]. Reuters reports both companies received letters over the Oprah broadcast, and BioSpace details the FDA’s view that the special functioned as an advertisement in which company spokespeople downplayed boxed‑warning risks ^[2][1].

2. What regulators said and why it matters

According to the FDA letters summarized in media reporting, Lilly’s representatives were accused of omitting or downplaying boxed warnings and other serious safety risks for Zepbound and Mounjaro, and Novo received a similar letter regarding Wegovy and Ozempic; regulators flagged that the TV special presented benefits without adequate discussion of known severe adverse effects ^[1][2]. The FDA’s concern—reported by BioSpace and Reuters—is that a high‑profile media event can operate as a de facto ad and therefore must not mislead viewers about safety ^[1][2].

3. Oprah’s role and commercial partnerships: what the sources say

Reporting notes Oprah hosted a prime‑time special in 2024 and later engaged in partnerships with pharmaceutical companies—BioSpace and Reuters link the 2024 Oprah broadcast to the FDA letters sent to Lilly and Novo ^[1][2]. The Sydney Morning Herald reporting indicates Oprah had a paid partnership with Lilly for a speaking tour in 2025, showing continuing commercial ties between Oprah and at least one GLP‑1 manufacturer ^[3]. Available sources do not provide internal communication from Oprah or the show’s producers about editorial control or contractual details (not found in current reporting).

4. Broader enforcement context — FDA tightening on drug promotion

The letters to Lilly and Novo were part of a wider FDA crackdown on drug advertising and promotional claims in 2025; outlets such as PBS and industry pages describe a larger campaign that also targeted companies and telehealth marketers for weight‑loss product promotions and “dupes” outside official approvals ^[4][1]. This situates the Oprah‑linked letters not as isolated actions but as part of elevated scrutiny of how GLP‑1s and related products are marketed ^[4][1].

5. What the reporting does not establish

Available sources do not say the FDA opened a consumer‑protection probe specifically into Oprah herself, nor do they report civil‑fraud actions or consumer‑protection lawsuits naming Oprah as a defendant; the cited materials focus on company letters and FDA claims about marketing practices ^[1][2]. The sources also do not list other named former Oprah partners who faced FDA or consumer‑protection investigations beyond the Lilly/Novo matters referenced here (not found in current reporting).

6. Competing perspectives and implicit agendas

Industry coverage (BioSpace, Franetic) frames the FDA action as a crackdown to protect consumers from misleading ads and emphasizes regulatory enforcement; some outlets note concerns that enforcement may chill communications or be viewed as politicized depending on who leads the agency ^[1][5][6]. Reporting that Oprah accepted paid partnerships (Sydney Morning Herald) shows a commercial motive for celebrity‑industry collaborations; the FDA’s letters imply a consumer‑protection agenda that can conflict with marketing goals ^[3][1]. Readers should note outlets vary in emphasis—regulatory protection versus industry burden—and sources here do not present a legal finding of fraud, only FDA warning letters and public criticism ^[2][1].

7. Bottom line for readers

Based on the provided reporting, companies that partnered with Oprah on GLP‑1‑related programming—Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk—were the focus of FDA warning letters about advertising and risk disclosure; no other former Oprah partners are named in these sources as subject to FDA or consumer‑protection investigations ^[1][2]. Limitations: available sources are limited to 2024–2025 coverage and do not include internal contracts, enforcement outcomes after the letters, or any subsequent consumer‑protection lawsuits (not found in current reporting).