Macy Gray, 56, reveals brutal Ozempic side effect that kept her 'up all night' - as she admits to taking weight-loss drug over fears she'd look 'fat on TV'

Macy Gray has candidly revealed she was in so much pain after taking Ozempic that she was left constipated and unable to sleep.

The I Try singer, 56, admitted that she turned to the popular drug that's used for weight loss in a last-ditch attempt to shift the pounds quickly after 'gaining a lot' over the past couple of years.

Getting honest about her body image, Macy also disclosed that she's secretly a 'vain person' and that she had feared looking 'fat on TV' ahead of filming MTV reality show The Surreal Life.

In episode two of The Surreal Life, Macy, real name Natalie McIntyre, complained she had been in so much discomfort as a result of the injection that she was 'up all night.'

Speaking to costars Kim Zolciak and Johnny Weir about her uncomfortable ordeal, she said: 'Oh boy, my stomach hurts. I've just been really constipated.

'I took Ozempic. I can't go to the bathroom, and I was up all night.'

Former Real Housewives of Atlanta star Kim, 46 then quipped: 'Ozempic does that.'

'Last night it hurt,' Macy shared, prompting Kim to warn, 'You have to be careful, you know.'

Macy added: 'I go on tour after this, so I was trying to lose weight really fast.'

Speaking in her confessional, Macy explained that she sought out Ozempic to shift some weight ahead of her tour across the country.

She said: 'Quietly, I'm kind of a vain person. I've gained a lot of weight over the past couple years, and this is right about the time when everybody starts talking about this Ozempic.

'So, I thought, okay, I'm not taking it off the right way, let me see if I can get one of these Ozempic.

'I was actually trying to take it off [the weight] before the show because I didn't want to be super fat on TV, but here we are.'

The Surreal Life viewers were left shocked by Macy's side effects and viewed them as a 'cautionary tale.'

On X, one said: 'Damn, Ozempic f***ing Macy up.'

Another posted: 'Let Macy Gray be a cautionary tale to not take Ozempic.'

A third wrote: 'I definitely would not have taken Macy Gray as the Ozempic type.'

'I can't with the Ozempic. Especially if affects you using the bathroom like that,' a fourth said.

Many celebrities have admitted to using drugs like Ozempic to lose weight, including Oprah Winfrey, Elon Musk, Sharon Osbourne, Chelsea Handler and Robbie Williams.

In June 2023, comedian Amy Schumer admitted taking it the year prior but stopped due to the side effects.

'I was one of those people who felt so sick,' she said.

Ozempic contains the active ingredient semaglutide, and while classed as a diabetes medication, has been used by some people to lose weight.

The drug works by mimicking a hormone the body uses to tell us the stomach is full, and we should stop eating, helping suppress appetite and slowing overall digestion.

However, this can also trigger what is known medically as the gastrocolic reflex.

This essentially means the stomach sends a signal to the brain that because a large amount of food has been consumed room needs to be made further down the line.

As a consequence, the colon and the rectum are instructed to empty their contents.

But if the digestive process hasn't been completed fully, which is more likely when the signal is artificial in the case of drugs like semaglutide, this can lead to explosive diarrhea.