Health
Jelly Roll’s wife says weight-loss drug sent her into ‘worst suicidal depression’
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This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
Bunnie XO, the wife of country singer Jelly Roll, is discussing how a weight-loss medication may have led to her experiencing a “dark” depression.
During an episode of her podcast “Dumb Blonde,” Bunnie, whose real name is Alyssa DeFord, revealed that she had been taking a new drug by Lilly called retatrutide (reta), which is currently in late-stage trials and not approved by the FDA.
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Bunnie, 45, confirmed that she received her dose from a “reputable wellness center” in Nashville, and felt sick within the first week. Within two weeks, she noticed she looked and felt slimmer. In the fourth week, she increased her dose by one unit, which is when she noticed the “mental numbness.”
“I literally got sent into the worst suicidal depression that I’ve had since 2020,” she said. “I’m talking like it scared me so bad. I didn’t think I was going to make it through the two weeks. Like I was praying to God.”
Bunnie XO, the wife of country singer Jelly Roll, is discussing how a weight-loss medication may have led to her experiencing a “dark” depression. (Christopher Polk/Penske Media via Getty Images)
The podcaster shared how she had “no emotion” and couldn’t listen to music that would typically “bring me joy.”
“You could see like my eyes were black,” she said. “I just drove in silence because I just couldn’t handle anything. It was either overstimulating or it was to the point where it just stole my joy. I had no joy, like nothing to live for. It was so dark.”
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After 20 days off the drug, Bunnie reported that her joy is “finally” returning, calling the experience a “battle.”
“My story is not what’s going to happen to you,” she shared with her listeners. “There’s so many people who are taking reta and love it and all that. But something happened with me.”
“My story is not what’s going to happen to you,” Bunnie XO shared with her listeners. “There’s so many people who are taking Reta and love it and all that. But something happened with me.” (Taylor Hill/WireImage)
Indiana-based drug-maker Lilly confirmed in a statement to Fox News Digital that retatrutide is an “investigational molecule that is legally available only to participants in Lilly’s clinical trials.”
“No one should consider taking anything claiming to be retatrutide outside of a Lilly-sponsored clinical trial,” the spokesperson wrote. “This was not a Lilly product, and the company continues to warn the public about the potential dangers of fake medicines.”
“This was not a Lilly product and the company continues to warn the public about the potential dangers of fake medicines.”
Fox News senior medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel reacted in an interview with Fox News Digital, warning that retatrutide should not be taken while it has still not received FDA approval unless it is part of a clinical trial.
“This drug is new — known as a triple agonist (GLP-1, GIP and glucagon receptor agonist),” he said. “[It] has been linked potentially to depression and suicidal thoughts, as have the GLP-1 drugs, where some studies have shown increased psychiatric risks, so there is a potential link here.”
What is retatrutide?
The drug has received the nickname “GLP-3” because it targets the three hormones, which experts suggest could lead to more substantial weight loss.
Lilly announced results from its phase 3 trial TRIUMPH-4 in December, which tested retatrutide’s effect on weight loss and other health conditions.
“GLP-3s” are positioned to “approach bariatric surgery level outcomes,” although it doesn’t come without risks, one expert said. (iStock)
Participants with obesity and knee arthritis who took a 12-mg dose of retatrutide saw an average weight loss of 71.8 lbs (28.7%) at 68 weeks.
“We believe retatrutide could become an important option for patients with significant weight loss needs and certain complications, including knee osteoarthritis,” a Lilly spokesperson said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
Seven additional phase 3 trials for retatrutide are expected to wrap up in 2026. The drug could see FDA approval in 2027, according to GoodRx.
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Despite limited data availability on the drug, the medication could also be applied to treat other conditions like type 2 diabetes, kidney disease, cardiovascular risk reduction and metabolic dysfunction, according to GoodRx and other experts.
Siegel confirmed that retatrutide’s side effects can be similar to other GLP-1s, including gastrointestinal symptoms and other rare reactions like pancreatitis, gallstones and heart arrhythmia.
Retatrutide could lead to more substantial weight loss for some patients, according to experts. (iStock)
Philip Rabito, M.D., a specialist in endocrinology, weight loss and wellness in New York City, shared in a previous interview with Fox News Digital that this new class of weight-loss drugs is positioned to “approach bariatric surgery level outcomes” — although it doesn’t come without risks.
“The novel glucagon‑agonist component introduces less‑understood long‑term safety considerations, so it is imperative that patients are followed closely by healthcare professionals experienced with this class of medicines, with cautious, stepwise use, despite the impressive efficacy,” he cautioned.
The mental health connection
The potential link between mental health symptoms and weight-loss drugs is most likely due to the impact on the brain’s reward system, according to Siegel.
“Dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine affect mood and appetite, reduce cravings and can have a positive effect on mood, but also can be negative,” he said. “Somewhat unpredictable.”
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Dr. Peter Balazs, a hormone and weight-loss specialist in New York and New Jersey, noted that any presentation of significant depressive symptoms, particularly those including “psychotic features and suicidal ideation,” requires a full clinical evaluation.
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“It is essential to understand the patient’s complete medical and psychiatric history, including other medical conditions, precise weight change dynamics, concomitant medications and psychosocial stressors,” he said. “Major depressive episodes are multifactorial — attributing them to a single agent without this context is premature.”
Patients should be screened for mental health complications before taking weight-loss medication, experts suggest. (iStock)
Any individual experiencing these symptoms should “seek immediate professional help,” Balazs said.
“We are still learning about the psychiatric effects of these medications, even the ones that have already been approved,” he added.
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Bunnie’s age would typically place her in the perimenopausal stage, which can include “significant fluctuations” in reproductive hormones like estrogen, Balazs noted.
“Estrogen has well-documented neuroprotective and mood-stabilizing effects,” he said. “Its decline can render the brain more vulnerable to stress and dysregulation, potentially precipitating or exacerbating depressive episodes.”
Hormonal changes can impact mood when on a GLP-1 drug, according to experts. (iStock)
Obesity can also cause hormone shifts and inflammation that can interfere with normal brain function, sometimes affecting mood and emotional balance, the expert noted.
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Balazs stressed that experts should be “vigilant” in monitoring symptoms of people taking these medications.
“Until a protocol is established, patients outside clinical trials should not inject these medications,” he cautioned. “Dose and dose-related responses can change the whole experience.”
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A new review suggests that the type of fat you eat may affect your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Saturated fats rich in palmitic acid – the most common saturated fatty acid in U.S. foods – appear to make it harder for the body to respond to insulin.
Meanwhile, monounsaturated fats rich in oleic acid — such as those found in olive oil — may help protect against insulin resistance, the review concluded.
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“Palmitic acid is found in meats, dairy products, cocoa butter and in the form of palm oil in foods, including margarine, cereal, sweets, baked goods and fast foods,” Tanya Freirich, a registered dietitian nutritionist in Charlotte, North Carolina, told Fox News Digital. She was not involved in the review.
“Oleic acid, on the other hand, is in higher concentration in foods like olive oil, canola oil, nuts, sunflower seeds, eggs, olive, avocados and also in meats (beef, chicken, pork), milk, cheese and pasta.”
Saturated fats rich in palmitic acid – the most common saturated fatty acid in U.S. foods – appear to make it harder for the body to respond to insulin. (iStock)
The review, which was published in the journal Trends in Endocrinology & Metabolism, was led by researchers from the University of Barcelona and the CIBER Area for Diabetes and Associated Metabolic Diseases (CIBERDEM) in Spain.
The findings suggest that fat quality may be more important than total fat quantity when it comes to metabolic health and diabetes risk.
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This appears to support the idea that diets rich in monounsaturated fats, such as the Mediterranean diet, may contribute to lower rates of type 2 diabetes.
“Palmitic acid promotes several molecular processes that impair insulin action,” study investigator Dr. Manuel Vázquez-Carrera, from the Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Therapeutic Chemistry at the University of Barcelona, told Fox News Digital.
“Palmitic acid is found in meats, dairy products, cocoa butter and in the form of palm oil in foods, including margarine, cereal, sweets, baked goods and fast foods,” a nutritionist said. (iStock)
Too much palmitic acid can cause harmful fat byproducts to build up in the body, which can impair the body’s ability to respond to insulin, he warned. This makes it harder to control blood sugar and increases the risk of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.
“It also promotes inflammation, oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction and cellular stress responses, which contribute to insulin resistance and β-cell dysfunction,” Vázquez-Carrera added.
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By contrast, oleic acid – a hallmark of the Mediterranean diet – does not have these harmful effects, according to the researcher.
“In fact, oleic acid can counteract many of the detrimental effects triggered by palmitic acid, by promoting the storage of fatty acids in relatively inert triglycerides, preserving mitochondrial function and reducing inflammation,” he said.
“All sources of fat in our diet contain a mix of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids.”
Freirich confirmed that the review is consistent with previous research supporting the use of olive oil in the diet for metabolic benefits.
“Also confirming previous research, the consumption of saturated fats is associated with some negative metabolic changes,” she told Fox News Digital.
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Given the complexity of foods and diets, there is an overlap between foods that contain both types of fatty acids, the nutritionist noted.
“Palmitic acid and oleic acid can both be found in olive oil, baked goods and fast foods, in differing amounts,” she said. “All sources of fat in our diet contain a mix of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids.”
Study limitations
Vázquez-Carrera noted that these findings come from a review of numerous experimental, clinical and epidemiological studies rather than a single clinical trial.
“One important limitation is that much of the mechanistic evidence comes from cell culture and animal studies,” he said.
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“Although these studies provide valuable insights into how specific fatty acids affect insulin signaling, further human intervention studies are needed to confirm the extent to which these mechanisms operate in everyday dietary settings.”
In addition, many of the human studies in the review relied on self-reported dietary intake, which can introduce inaccuracies.
Type 2 diabetes develops over many years, with genetics, lifestyle and environmental factors all playing a role, the researcher noted. (iStock)
“Another challenge is that people consume foods containing complex mixtures of fatty acids and bioactive compounds rather than isolated fatty acids,” Vázquez-Carrera added. “Therefore, it remains difficult to fully disentangle the specific contribution of individual fatty acids in free-living populations.”
Nutritional recommendations
The review’s findings appear to support current dietary recommendations that emphasize replacing part of the saturated fat intake with unsaturated fats, according to Vázquez-Carrera.
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“This means favoring dietary patterns rich in foods such as extra-virgin olive oil, nuts, seeds, legumes, vegetables, fruits and fish, while limiting excessive consumption of foods rich in saturated fats, especially highly processed foods,” he advised.
The review does not suggest that a single nutrient alone determines diabetes risk, the researcher pointed out.
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“Rather, maintaining a healthy body weight, engaging in regular physical activity and following an overall healthy dietary pattern, such as the Mediterranean diet, remain fundamental strategies for preventing insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.”
Type 2 diabetes develops over many years, with genetics, lifestyle and environmental factors all playing a role, Vázquez-Carrera noted.
Improving the quality of dietary fat intake could prove to be an effective strategy for reducing type 2 diabetes risk, the review suggests. (iStock)
“Future research should move beyond simply classifying fats as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ and instead focus on understanding how specific fatty acids, their dietary sources and their interactions within whole dietary patterns affect metabolic health,” he said.
Improving the quality of dietary fat intake could prove to be an effective strategy for reducing type 2 diabetes risk, according to the researcher.
TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ
“A simple takeaway for consumers is to swap out foods high in saturated fat more often with foods rich in heart-healthy fats, like olive oil, nuts and avocados, to better support blood sugar and metabolic health,” advised New Jersey-based registered dietitian Erin Palinski-Wade, who was also not involved in the review.
Anyone at a higher risk for type 2 diabetes should consult a healthcare provider for personalized guidance on nutrition, exercise and other preventive measures, experts say.
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