Lifestyle

'IT WAS ROUGH'

Reality Star Reveals the Cruel Nickname That Haunted Her Before GLP-1s

The TLC star says taking popular medication has reduced the symptoms of her chronic health condition.

Roosa RahkonenReporter, The Looker

PublishedJul 9, 2026, 5:35 PM EDT

UpdatedJul 9, 2026, 5:38 PM EDT

Updated Jul 9, 2026, 5:38 PM EDTPublished Jul 9, 2026, 5:35 PM EDT

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A reality star revealed she started GLP-1 medication after fans gave her a cruel nickname.

Baylen Dupree-Dooley is the 23-year-old star of TLC’s reality show Baylen Out Loud. She gained a social media following of over 16 million fans after she began documenting her life with Tourette’s syndrome and her involuntary tics.

Dupree-Dooley detailed her weight-loss journey—and the bullying she experienced before embarking on it—in Tuesday’s episode of Dumb Blonde, the podcast hosted by Jelly Roll’s ex-wife, Bunnie Xo.

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“The medication that I take for my bipolar [disorder] makes me excessively gain weight,” Dupree-Dooley revealed.

She recalled gaining between 20 and 30 pounds within the first three months of using the medication.

“It was rough, especially since you have the entire internet and everyone commenting, and everyone saying something, and everyone calling me ‘Whaylen,’” Dupree-Dooleye said.

She added, ”I’ve never heard that one before.”

Dupree-Dooley said she was navigating through “body problems” and insecurities around the time her neurologist prescribed her a GLP-1 medication about a year ago.

GLP-1s are an increasingly popular group of drugs sold under brand names such as Ozempic, Mounjaro, and Wegovy. They are typically prescribed for Type-II diabetes and weight management.

After starting to take a GLP-1, Dupree-Dooley was happy to notice an “insane” difference with her endometriosis, which she was diagnosed with in eighth grade.

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“I’m obviously not doing it for a trend. I’m not doing it to fit in. I’m not trying to do it to be skinny. I’m doing it because, well, I actually need it,” she said.

Endometriosis is a condition in which uterine-like tissue grows outside of the uterus, which can cause or contribute to extremely painful cramps, heavy bleeding, infertility, inflammation, and scarring.

Research suggests GLP-1 receptor agonists may have anti-inflammatory properties that could be used therapeutically in patients with endometriosis.

Bunnie related to Dupree-Dooley’s experience with online commenters.

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“As I was going through [in vitro fertilization], it put weight on me, and people would be like, ‘Oh, she’s bigger than her husband now,’” Bunnie said, adding, “And you’re literally trying to make a baby with your body.”

Bunnie said she found help by “microdosing” Eli Lilly’s GLP-1, Tirzepatide, sold under the names Mounjaro and Zepbound.

“It’s like pain management,” she said, saying that after IVF her stomach would “pooch out.”

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“It looked like I was three months pregnant, and it would not go away. The only thing that took it away was micro-dosing the GLP-1,” Bunnie said. “I think that more people need to know about that because it’s not just for weight loss.”

Roosa RahkonenReporter, The Looker

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