Jennifer Hudson Severs Ties With Weight Watchers After 80-Pound Slimdown
Jennifer Hudson is cutting loose… from Weight Watchers.
The 32-year-old singer has been a spokesperson for the weight-loss company since 2010, shedding a total of 80 pounds in the process. But her days of representing the brand are officially over.
"I have chosen to step away from my role as ambassador and I am excited for the year to come, with many new projects and lots of new music," the "Dreamgirls" star said in a statement. "My experience with Weight Watchers has truly been life changing. I am grateful for what I have learned throughout the process and will always take it with me."
[Related: See Jennifer Hudson's Assistant Freak Out When She Gives Him a House]
Hudson, who went from a size 16 to a 6 while working with the company, hinted that a split was coming early Friday when she tweeted — then deleted — this cryptic message: "Sometimes you have to step back and let your work speak for you, and when that doesn't work you walk away knowing you did your best…It's been fun and a pleasure good luck to you all. @WeightWatchers."
If the split was dramatic, a rep for the company didn't let on in their statement, which said: "We're confident Jennifer will remain a Lifetime Member. Jennifer's healthy lifestyle and successful weight loss has inspired so many — from her friends and family to our members and staff, as well as people around the world — and we know that inspiration lives on."
Hudson partnered with the company soon after giving birth to her only son, David, in August 2009. She credited her new diet — as well as regular exercise — for helping her shed 80 pounds by 2011.
That same year, Hudson talked to Oprah about her new body, saying that she was called "the big girl" when she appeared as a contestant on "American Idol" in 2004. And for her acclaimed role in 2006's "Dreamgirls," for which she won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar, she had to gain more than 20 pounds.
[Related: Oscar Winner Jennifer Hudson Admits She Didn’t Know What the Oscars Were]
While Weight Watchers is now down a celeb spokesperson, they aren't completely without a famous face representing the company. Jessica Simpson has been working with them since 2012, even partnering with Hudson for an ad, and has starred in all of their commercials so far this year. She recently said she reached her goal weight and has been showing off her slimmed-down body in new series of TV spots.
