Kathy Bates, 76, Shocks Fans With 100-Lb Weight Loss — Her Transformation Is Turning Heads

‘Your Cheeks Are Sunk In’: ‘Matlock’ Star Kathy Bates, 76, Reveals 100-Lb Weight Loss, Causing a Stir

After elaborating on her statement regarding her retirement last month, the actress recently offered her honest thoughts on her weight loss struggle.

The 76-year-old Hollywood legend Kathy Bates is talking about the lifestyle adjustments she took after receiving a type 2 diabetes diagnosis. In an interview with People magazine, Bates discussed the benefits of weight loss, particularly in relation to her role in “Matlock.” Online, this generated a barrage of critical remarks.

The “Misery” star revealed in a teaser video for the interview, “I lost 100 pounds, and everything just fell into place so that I’m physically capable of doing this show.” I’m not required to sit down. I am able to perform a lot of things that I was previously unable to accomplish, including walking, breathing, and standing up all day.”

“It’s the intersection of these things, these opportunities,” she went on. I can, you know—Hope Hanafin, my amazing costume designer, has come out of retirement to work with us today.”

Bates continued by gushing over how Hanafin’s weight loss has allowed her to choose clothes from the store that fit the actress “perfectly.”

All they need to do is take the hem up, or even take it in, as it were. I exclaim, “Oh my God!” The “Titanic” star said, “This is really happening, and it’s just so exciting, and it’s emotional.”

Social media users quickly formed opinions after viewing this excerpt from her interview. “Diabetic patients need to take Ozempic! It’s being used as a nutritional supplement by you wealthy celebrities! “SICK,” an Instagram user said.

Another replied, “Being diabetic and unable to have access to this due to celebrity [sic] snapping it all up … is a hard pass for me.” “Why do all of the Ozempic athletes appear ten years older? Beauty is not correlated with age. “Just curious,” someone else said.

A reader wrote, “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].”

However, one onlooker exclaimed, “Congratulations. But quit losing. You have sunk-in cheeks. There were also some encouraging remarks.

“Congratulations! While one admirer defended, “Why can’t people just be happy for someone if they are happy?” another applauded, “You are beautiful no matter what.” Because you used Olympic [sic] to help you lose weight, why must everyone be critical of your happiness?

Bates disclosed in the interview that she used Ozempic to lose the final 20 pounds, even though she had already reduced 80 pounds over the previous seven years with diet and lifestyle modifications. The actress clarified, nevertheless, that she put a lot of effort into losing the first weight.

She also discussed how she was forced to take her health seriously after receiving a type 2 diabetes diagnosis and learning about her family’s history of the condition.

My family had a history of diabetes, and I had witnessed my father’s struggles. One of his legs had been severed. It scared me, and one of my sisters is taking it very seriously. “I was really scared,” Bates said.

Following her niece’s instruction to pay attention to her body’s signals when eating, Bates described how she “pushed the plate away” when her body was telling her that she was full with a “involuntary sigh.”

Bates no longer eats “terribly” and doesn’t eat after 8 p.m., though she still occasionally indulges in treats.

When asked how she intends to keep up her new physique, the celebrity acknowledged that it would be difficult to come up with a training regimen now that “Matlock” has finished its first season and she won’t be “on set running back and forth.”

She did, however, add that she might give Pilates a try and that she has a treadmill at home. “The question, ‘Don’t you want a trainer?’ is asked frequently. No, I don’t at all. I don’t want anyone watching me. I just think it’s crucial to continue this. “I don’t want to slip,” the celebrity revealed.

In addition to giving her energy and vitality, Kathy Bates claimed that losing weight had also lessened the symptoms of her lymphedema.

After being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2012, she underwent a double mastectomy and was later diagnosed with lymphedema, a disorder that causes swelling due to lymph fluid buildup in the body.

“I’ve benefited greatly from it. The National Commission on Lymphatic Disease collaborator, who shares her story in the hopes of inspiring others, remarked, “I’m fortunate that I don’t have to wear my compression sleeves every day.”

Weeks before to her interview, Bates had explained why she believed “Matlock” would be her “last dance.”

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly and People on the 2024 Emmy Awards red carpet, she clarified, “I had one foot out the door until I read the script for ‘Matlock.'” After reading “Matlock,” I said, “Ooooooooo, shut the door.” We’re going to continue. I hope it lasts for many years. It’s that amazing.

When viewers viewed a video of the ensemble promoting the then-upcoming program, they were as enthused about “Matlock” as Bates was. But in the midst of the excitement, some internet users had harsh reactions to her look.

Bates joined her co-stars for a lighthearted peek about the show while wearing a dapper navy blue suit. They emphasized their banter with the phrase, “More twists coming your way.”

Bates announced at the end of the clip that the series would debut on September 22. One X user expressed excitement in response to the news: “Matlock is coming back? In addition, Kathy Bates is an excellent actress. pretending to be Matlock’s daughter. “Kathy Bates is Matlock,” said another. I’m really interested.

But Bates’ weight reduction also attracted notice, and some admirers voiced their worries. “I love Kathy so much, but after a certain age, honey, you can’t lose that much weight,” one reply said. You simply hang there with your skin.

She was difficult for others to identify. “Whoa. I failed to recognize her. 😮,” one onlooker wrote. “OMG, what happened to her?” and similar queries. Is this really her, even though I love her? “She was okay before????” also appeared.

Similar thoughts were expressed by another commenter: “I nearly didn’t recognize her. Her face appears really tiny. I will always love Kathy. Another person wondered, “Who is this woman?”

Her weight loss was another topic of conjecture. One individual stated, “Ozempic got Kathy Bates too,” One fan, however, retorted, “She’s one of those who ages beautifully.”

The new CBS show “Matlock” offers a new interpretation of the nine-season original classic legal drama from the 1980s and 1990s.

Bates plays the astute lawyer Madeline “Matty” Matlock in the series. As she makes her way into a prominent Chicago legal firm, her character has a secret goal.

“Matlock has an agenda that not everyone knows about,” the Oscar-winning actress said in reflection of her role. I enjoy playing a variety of notes.

Bates referred to it as a career milestone when asked if she expected to land a part like this in her seventies. She acknowledged that she never thought she would like a third act like this one and views it as an incredible privilege to have such a role at this point in her career.

“‘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 said.

Her character is a forgotten, underappreciated woman who deftly uses her age, which she perceives as a weakness, to her advantage. She prefers real relationships over technology and uses her extensive life experience and wisdom to connect with others on a deep level.

This personal touch is essential to her world navigation and problem solutions. Bates shared a funny story from the Paramount lot, where “Matlock” is filmed, in response to the question of if she has ever felt invisible.

She said she was frequently overlooked while driving about in her golf cart during studio tours. Bates explained that people would completely ignore her as she passed by, describing it as a recurring joke. She remembered asking herself at the time, “What’s going on? Are they unaware of my identity?

She would wave a little at first, then frantically flail her arms to attract attention. She might be invisible because she’s getting older or losing weight, Bates said, adding that she would probably be invisible if she weren’t so famous.

When asked how many “Matlock” seasons she would want to see, Bates said she would like to see roughly five. “It will depend on how long I can continue,” she said, smiling, adding, “We’ll see how long God gives me.”