TV Star and His Mom Promote ‘Controversial’ Weight-Loss Drug

Eric Stonestreet, beloved for his Emmy-winning role as the flamboyant and funny Cam on Modern Family, is taking on a more serious role—advocating for health. And he’s not doing it alone. In a move that’s both deeply personal and headline-grabbing, Stonestreet has teamed up with his mother, Jamey, to publicly endorse the diabetes and weight-loss drug Mounjaro.

The mother-son duo appears in a new sponsored Instagram campaign for Mounjaro, a GLP-1 medication manufactured by Eli Lilly that’s part of the same buzzy drug class as Ozempic and Wegovy. The video opens with both Stonestreets offering glowing testimonials about how the drug has changed their lives. Then, in a surreal twist, the clip cuts to them wearing rhinestone-studded sunglasses and pounding on a drum set like rockstars. All while a narrator breezes through a laundry list of potential side effects—nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea among them.

But this isn’t just a quirky celebrity endorsement. For Eric, 53, this is personal.

“I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2009, right when Modern Family was taking off,” Stonestreet said in an interview with People. “It was this surreal mix of triumph and dread—my dream job and a serious diagnosis, all in the same breath.”

Like many Americans, Stonestreet admits he downplayed the seriousness of the disease. He kept it secret, even from those closest to him.

“For years, I hid my meds from my fiancée,” he said, referring to Lindsay Schweitzer, a pediatric nurse he’s been with since 2017. “I didn’t want her opening the fridge and seeing my injectables. I was embarrassed.”

But life, love, and the reality of parenting her twin 13-year-old sons gave him a wake-up call. When Mounjaro hit the market in 2022, he decided it was time to face his health head-on.

“There’s a responsibility that comes with having people who count on you,” Stonestreet said. “Once I started on Mounjaro, I felt like I owed it to myself—and to the people who made this medication—to make it work. That meant making better choices, eating better, moving more.”

The results? Stonestreet says he’s lost a “substantial” amount of weight for the first time in years—and his mother, Jamey, has also seen major improvements in managing her diabetes.

For progressives concerned with expanding healthcare access, the Stonestreets’ story underscores a larger conversation: the rising popularity—and rising costs—of GLP-1 drugs. While Mounjaro has offered real results for patients like Eric and Jamey, it comes with a price tag that places it out of reach for many without comprehensive insurance.

“There’s no denying that these medications can be transformative,” said Dr. Lena Price, an endocrinologist in New York. “But we need to be talking more seriously about equity. The people who need these drugs the most are often the ones who can least afford them.”

Public figures like Stonestreet could help shift that conversation—especially as more celebrities go public about using GLP-1s. Kathy Bates, Meghan Trainor, and Rebel Wilson have all spoken out about their own journeys with similar drugs.

Still, not everyone is sold on celebrities jumping into pharma advertising. Critics worry about the glamorization of weight loss and the blurring of lines between personal advocacy and corporate marketing.

“I’m not here to sell anyone a miracle,” Stonestreet told People. “But I am here to say: if you’re struggling, don’t be ashamed. Talk to your doctor. Start the conversation. That’s how I turned my health around—with support, honesty, and finally, some action.”

In a country where more than 38 million people live with diabetes—and where weight stigma and healthcare disparities persist—Stonestreet’s message lands at a crucial time. And this time, he’s doing it not in a sitcom, but in real life. With his mom by his side.