The 25-year-old daughter of Kyle Richards, Sophia Umansky defends her decision to take weight-loss medication and opens up about side effects, body image, and family support.
Sophia Umansky isn’t backing down — and she’s making one thing clear: honesty is non-negotiable.
While attending the Los Angeles premiere of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Season 2 on May 9, the 25-year-old daughter of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills stars Kyle Richards and Mauricio Umansky spoke with PEOPLE about why she went public with her use of Mounjaro, a diabetes medication commonly prescribed off-label for weight loss.
“If you’re honest about things, people can’t judge you or hate on you — because you already said it yourself,” Sophia shared. “I’m the one who told everyone. I’m owning it.”
In a TikTok posted April 30, Sophia revealed she had been taking Mounjaro, a brand name for tirzepatide, which suppresses appetite and supports blood sugar regulation. She also revealed that she’d been experiencing significant hair loss — a side effect she suspects is more related to rapid weight loss and insufficient nutrition than the medication itself.
“I think I was cute before, and I think I’m cute now,” she said, addressing criticism and assumptions about body dysmorphia. “People get work done all the time. They get filler, Botox — all kinds of things. If I want to feel a little cuter, why not?”
As for the backlash she’s received, Sophia is firm in her stance. “People saying I don’t need to be on it — they’re not doctors. Everyone needs to calm down and live their own lives.”
Sophia also clarified that her mother, Kyle Richards, wasn’t the one who encouraged her to take the medication. “She was definitely trying to steer me away from it,” she said. “But once I talked to doctors and she saw that it was what I wanted, she was supportive.”
The Buying Beverly Hills star added that she’s treating her hair loss with collagen supplements, Grüns vitamins, and OMI hair peptides. “I’m lucky I have so much hair because at this rate, I’d be bald in a week,” she joked on TikTok while showing clumps of hair around her bathroom.
Sophia’s candid approach to her wellness journey has struck a chord online — sparking discussions around body image, health, and the evolving use of weight-loss medication.
For her part, she’s standing tall: “Honesty will get you far in life. Lying isn’t fun — and it’s not good.”