I was so terrified of being fat-shamed at size 12 I turned to Mounjaro but one side effect was hell, says Caprice
HER incredible figure has been the envy of women across the world for decades.
But now supermodel-turned-filmmaker Caprice Bourret has revealed she was so scared of being trolled after gaining 20lbs that she turned to weight loss drug Mounjaro.
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The 53-year-old – who was concerned about possible health issues – put on weight after easing up on her strict health regime and started indulging in sweet treats like cake and chocolate, as well her favourite tipple – red wine.
Her relaxed regime in Spring 2024 saw her jump from a size 8 to 12, bringing with it a string of worrying ailments including “heart palpitations”, difficulty walking upstairs, joint pain, severe inflammation and being unable to fit into her designer clothes.
As much as she tried, she just couldn’t shift the weight, which she blames on menopause and a refusal to go on Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT).
“My health was deteriorating and I was feeling really bad about myself,” Caprice, who is also an actress and filmmaker, explains while chatting to us in her gleaming white kitchen as she tucks into a pot of cottage cheese.
“Even small things like walking up the stairs left me huffing and puffing.
“I would get out of bed and my back and joints were inflamed and stiff because of the additional weight.
“I started to get sick more often, so I knew my immunity was being compromised.
“I tried to lose the weight, but I couldn’t because I wasn’t taking HRT and I’m going through the menopause.
“My normal weight is about 138lbs, but I shot up to 160. That was the same weight as when I was pregnant.
“Then I started having these weird heart palpitations. Who has that at 53? I was too young for what was going on.”
Having made her fortune through her good looks and appearing on more than 350 magazine covers, from Vogue to Playboy, Caprice was suddenly terrified of “being judged for not looking how I did in my twenties.”
She continues: “Maybe it was me being hard on myself. Maybe I thought everyone was going to judge me because I was judging myself.
“I guess people might have been more supportive and said ‘you look great’. But I manifested this craziness in my head.
“I used to put on clothes and everything looked amazing, but then nothing fit. Honestly, I thought I’d be judged.”
Dozens of celebrities have confessed to using the jabs including Oprah Winfrey, James Corden, Sharon Osbourne, and tennis player Serena Williams.
But it’s not just showbiz royalty who rely on the drugs to shed the pounds – 1.5million Brits are also hooked.
Most people will find it hard to be sympathetic to super slim Caprice – but she explains that even her doctor was worried and suggested she try the fat busting drug.
I used to put on clothes and everything looked amazing, but then nothing fit. Honestly, I thought I’d be ridiculed
Caprice
At first she was hesitant – always preferring to tackle health issues with natural methods.
But she admits that the reported health benefits of taking Mounjaro – which include reducing inflammation, improving liver health, protecting kidneys, and potentially enhancing cognitive and mental well-being – were attractive.
‘It was awful’
“My BMI was super high,” she says, “and the doctor said: ‘You need help here, you need to lose this weight. You’re borderline clinically obese.’
“But I wasn’t sure. Even when I had bronchitis I had a whole bag of vitamin C and zinc intravenously to get rid of it.
“I like to go down the natural way first but I obviously couldn’t do it this time. It was strange because you’d look at me, and even though I was a size 12 – which is totally normal – I was struggling.”
Regular check-ups ensued, with the doctor prescribing half of .25, “a microdose of a microdose.”
But after a few days Caprice was struck with severe nausea.
“It was awful,” she says, “I got sick to my stomach. I got dizzy and lightheaded but I kept persisting because I needed to lose the weight.
“I continued for two months, mainly because there was all this research about the benefits for cardiovascular health.”
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After two months she lost five pounds but the side effects continued. Battling nausea and not being able to properly enjoy food anymore, she decided to stop taking Mounjaro.
“I’d had enough,” she insists. “I couldn’t take it anymore. I also love craving food and that’s another thing with these drugs, you don’t get the cravings. I really missed that.”
Taking matters into her own hands, she decided to cut out carbs and processed sugar.
“The first month eliminating carbs and sugar was hell,” she explains, “an absolute horror. You are begging for that pasta but I stuck to it.
“Then I started exercising again. I know we go to the office and we get stuck behind the computer and think, tomorrow I’ll do it. But try to make it a part of your life.”
Now she still enjoys three meals a day but has made her portions smaller.
“Sometimes I’ll cheat,” she says, “and have some white rice or a baked potato but that’s okay.
“I only have dark chocolate and lots of honey. I also eat lots of fruit. I love pomegranate, it’s great for your gut health, as is watermelon which is super alkaline.
“At the end of the day we keep our body alkaline and we keep disease away.”
As we talk she pulls out dozens of supplements, swallowing them one by one. Then she shows me Shilajit – a black tar like paste formed from the decomposition of plant and animal matter over centuries in high-altitude regions like the Himalayas.
I couldn’t take it anymore. I also love craving food and that’s another thing with these drugs, you don’t get the cravings. I really missed that
Caprice
She puts some of the paste onto a knife and tells me to lick it off. Intrigued, I follow orders then quickly gag, as it is probably one of the most revolting things I’ve ever tasted.
But she beams. “Well done,” she says, “it’s vile. But it’s full of goodness.”
She also has filtered Kanyon water and she suggests I drink a glass of celery juice every morning if I want to get clear skin.
Talking about her weight loss, she continues: “Since losing the weight I’ve no ache in my joints. The energy levels I have are the same as when I was in my twenties.
“I sleep through the night. Everything has changed.”
Everything you need to know about fat jabs
Weight loss jabs are all the rage as studies and patient stories reveal they help people shed flab at almost unbelievable rates, as well as appearing to reduce the risk of serious diseases.
Wegovy – a modified version of type 2 diabetes drug Ozempic – and Mounjaro are the leading weight loss injections used in the UK.
Wegovy, real name semaglutide, has been used on the NHS for years while Mounjaro (tirzepatide) is a newer and more powerful addition to the market.
Mounjaro accounts for most private prescriptions for weight loss and is set to join Wegovy as an NHS staple this year.
How do they work?
The jabs work by suppressing your appetite, making you eat less so your body burns fat for energy instead and you lose weight.
They do this my mimicking a hormone called GLP-1, which signals to the brain when the stomach is full, so the drugs are officially called GLP-1 receptor agonists.
They slow down digestion and increase insulin production, lowering blood sugar, which is why they were first developed to treat type 2 diabetes in which patients’ sugar levels are too high.
Can I get them?
NHS prescriptions of weight loss drugs, mainly Wegovy and an older version called Saxenda (chemical name liraglutide), are controlled through specialist weight loss clinics.
Typically a patient will have to have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher, classifying them as medically obese, and also have a weight-related health condition such as high blood pressure.
GPs generally do not prescribe the drugs for weight loss.
Private prescribers offer the jabs, most commonly Mounjaro, to anyone who is obese (BMI of 30+) or overweight (BMI 25-30) with a weight-related health risk.
Private pharmacies have been rapped for handing them out too easily and video calls or face-to-face appointments are now mandatory to check a patient is being truthful about their size and health.
Are there any risks?
Yes – side effects are common but most are relatively mild.
Around half of people taking the drug experience gut issues, including sickness, bloating, acid reflux, constipation and diarrhoea.
Dr Sarah Jarvis, GP and clinical consultant at patient.info, said: “One of the more uncommon side effects is severe acute pancreatitis, which is extremely painful and happens to one in 500 people.”
Other uncommon side effects include altered taste, kidney problems, allergic reactions, gallbladder problems and hypoglycemia.
Evidence has so far been inconclusive about whether the injections are damaging to patients’ mental health.
Figures obtained by The Sun show that, up to January 2025, 85 patient deaths in the UK were suspected to be linked to the medicines.
Thankfully Mounjaro didn’t damage her sex life. Caprice has been married to businessman Ty Comfort since 2019. They have 12-year-old sons Jett and Jax together.
“That’s been pretty healthy,” she says, smiling, “I have to be honest. My husband is so amazing. Even when I was 20 pounds over, he was like ‘you look great Cap’.
‘Change your lifestyle’
“I actually didn’t tell him I was going on the jabs. But I told him when I finally stopped because I couldn’t stand the sickness.
“When I started to lose weight quite fast by cutting out the carbs and exercising, I’d been away for two weeks shooting a movie.
“I came back and he said: ‘What happened to my wife?’ That’s when I told him. He said: ‘No, Cap, I didn’t mind the curves, I liked the curves.’”
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She won’t be telling her kids about Mounjaro or weight loss because “they already have so much pressure from social media. I don’t want to get it in their heads at all.”
She says everyone in showbusiness is on a weight loss drug. And she recently reached out to one celebrity pal who’d lost too much weight.
She explains: “When you take Mounjaro for a long time your skin changes and loosens. I’ve seen it with my friends. You think you are going to avoid it but you don’t.
“I called up some of my friends, worried, but they are so happy to be that skinny that they don’t see it.
“I think ‘wow, look what it’s done to you.’ It’s complete body dysmorphia.”
She says many of her friends go on the jabs but when they come off they put the weight back on.
“Ultimately, is that going to be healthy?” she wonders. “People are on Ozempic because it’s easy and they are getting a result – but is it at a cost?
“You are losing weight because you are starving your body. Let’s be clear on this. Also a lot of people have been losing their hair. I’ve heard of some women having to wear wigs because of Ozempic.”
At that point she makes me touch her hair, which is extremely thick and silky.
“This is what you get from doing it naturally,” she says. “Yes, it’s more difficult and then you change your lifestyle. I want people to be educated on healthy options and think twice about doing this jab. Ultimately the healthy route is longevity.”
Caprice admits her whole life has centred on her image – and she is not ashamed of being vain.
“I am vain but I don’t care,” she says. “I come from a world of vanity, it’s instilled in me, and it makes me feel good when I look good but it makes me feel good when I feel good more than anything. Health is my number one priority.
“That I swear to you is coming from my heart.”
Are you eligible for fat jabs on the NHS?
TO be eligible for NHS weight loss injections, you typically need a high BMI (Body Mass Index) and a number of weight-related health conditions.
A BMI of 40 or more is usually required, or a BMI of 37.5 or more for certain ethnic groups.
For individuals from South Asian, Chinese, other Asian, Middle Eastern, Black African, or African-Caribbean ethnic backgrounds, a lower BMI of 37.5 or higher may be considered due to increased health risks at lower BMI levels within these groups.
Additionally, you must have at least three or four of the following conditions:
These injections are generally provided with a structured weight management programme that includes lifestyle support.
If you’re looking to access weight loss injections on the NHS, discuss your options with your GP.
