Melissa McCarthy recently responded to Barbra Streisand, who asked the actress if she was taking Ozempic in an Instagram comment earlier this week, which she later deleted.
On Tuesday, April 30, 2024, in response to a TMZ photographer who asked her if Streisand was "out of line," McCarthy said:
"I think Barbra is a treasure — and I love her."
It all began on Monday, May 30, when the 53-year-old McCarthy shared a picture of herself and director Adam Shankman attending the Center Theatre Group gala at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles on her IG account. In response, Streisand took to her comment section, writing —
"Give him my regards did you take Ozempic?"
While Barbra Streisand quickly deleted her comment following criticism from fans, the Comments By Celebs Instagram account later shared a screenshot of the original comment.
According to Healthline, Ozempic (generic name: semaglutide) is a Type II diabetes drug taken as an injection under the skin. However, it has recently become popular due to the dramatic weight loss it helps to achieve.
"I just wanted to pay her a compliment" — Barbra Streisand weighed in on her critics
Despite Streisand deleting her comment, she continued to face backlash from fans. One of them even wrote —
"Major boomer aunt with wine and an ipad energy"
Addressing the situation, the Woman in Love singer took to her Instagram to explain herself. She wrote —
"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!"
Barbra Streisand and Melissa McCarthy first met each other when the former asked the actress to sing a duet of Anything You Can Do with her for her album Encore in 2016.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly last year, McCarthy recalled their first meeting not being what she expected. The 53-year-old admitted she was "really nervous" at first, but "(Barbra Streisand) had leggings on and lunch meat in her hand," leaving the actress surprised. Calling the EGOT winner "really funny," McCarthy added —
"She's so who she is... When someone who you think you should be curtseying to keeps eating lunch meat, it really kind of levels the playing field. It was really charming. I was like, 'You're really pounding lunch meat.' She's like, 'Yeah.'"
McCarthy recently made an appearance at the RuPaul Season 16 watch party, where she donned a full-body sparkling jumpsuit with a pink cape.
Back in 2014, she told PEOPLE she lost 70 pounds in four months by doing an all-liquid diet, but added —
"I’d never do that again. I felt starved and crazy half the time"
In 2023, when the actress appeared on the cover of PEOPLE's 2023 Beautiful Issue, she told the publication, "I'm okay with who I am." She explained:
"At some point, I was like, 'They're not all going to like you.' You have to learn that the hard way, but it's a good (lesson)."
Meanwhile, Melissa McCarthy rocked a pastel green tulle dress with a matching blazer to the Center Theatre Group gala to honor British choreographer, Sir Matthew Bourne.