Oprah Winfrey has warned fans not to use her name or image on marketing materials for weight loss gummies.
Winfrey revealed in an Instagram video that she does not endorse diet gummies and that the brand has used her name and image without permission.
“I have nothing to do with diet gummies or diet pills. And I don’t want you all to be taken advantage of by people who abuse my name,” Winfrey said.
Whenever Oprah Winfrey puts down her favourite things, we add them to the cart as soon as possible. Whether it’s her favourite Carroll Kelsey satchel, the perfect pair of trousers, her favourite Barbara Sturm private wash or her favourite sneakers, the 68-year-old proudly supports the products she uses and loves. But in a recent Instagram video, the talk show host talked about certain weight loss gummies that claim to have received her coveted endorsement, but in reality have not.
Winfrey took to her Instagram account over the weekend to expose the health food company, which has been using her image and name in an attempt to sell the supplements without her permission. In the video, Winfrey speaks directly to the camera, explaining the situation to her followers.
“A woman comes up to me and says, ‘Can you get me some diet gummies?’ I said, ‘Ma’am, I don’t have anything to do with diet gummies.’” Let me tell you, you’re the fifth person to mention it this week, so I’m going to fix that,” Winfrey says to the camera.
She continues, “So that’s the problem I’m trying to solve. It has been brought to my attention many times that people have abused my name and even sent emails to people promoting diet gummies. I have nothing to do with diet gummies or diet pills. I don’t want you all to be taken advantage of by people who abuse my name. So please know that I don’t have Jelly Belly.”
Winfrey is concerned about more than just clearing her name. In the caption, the talk show host warned followers to be wary of leaking personal information to fraudulent supplement companies.
“Fraud alert! Please do not buy any weight loss gummies with my picture or name on them,” she wrote in the video. “There have been social media ads, emails and fake websites that have popped up and I want you to hear directly from me that I have nothing to do with them. Please do not be taken advantage of and do not give them your personal information.”