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ricki lake smiling at camera on red carpet© Getty Images

Ricki Lake looks slimmer than ever in jaw-dropping new appearance after 40lbs weight loss

The Hairspray actress once weighed 260lbs

Jenni McKnight
US Lifestyle Editor
June 12, 2025
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Ricki Lake reached her goal weight of 130lbs in January, and she has been serving up confidence-boosting looks ever since.

The 56-year-old looked incredible on Wednesday, rocking an all-black outfit that highlighted her 40lbs weight loss.

Ricki was photographed heading inside the Bravo Clubhouse in Manhattan's SoHo neighborhood wearing a body-skimming maxi dress and leather jacket.

The actress was all smiles as she waved at photographers, looking effortlessly cool in her chic ensemble, which she teamed with a pair of towering platform heels.

ricki lake in all black outfit waving her arm© GC Images
Ricki now weighs 130lbs after losing 40lbs

Ricki styled her short blonde hair in bouncy waves and added a pop of color with a pair of large, purple earrings shaped like flowers.

Her skin looked radiant, and she displayed a smooth visage that contributed to her seemingly ageless appearance.

Weight loss

ricki lake in all black outfit in nyc© GC Images
Ricki looked slimmer than ever in her all-black outfit

Ricki has been transparent about her journey, sharing that both she and her husband, Ross Burningham, embarked on a health-focused path in October 2023. At the time, she said she had "made a commitment to myself to get healthier."

"Hi friends. I've been wanting to share with you what I've been up to these last 4 months. On October 26th, 2023 I made a commitment to myself to get healthier," she wrote in a heartfelt Instagram post.

Ricki has surpassed her initial weight loss goals "without relying on a pharmaceutical" like Ozempic, an anti-diabetic medication known for suppressing appetite, which has been linked to many celebrities' transformations.

ricki lake in black outfit© GC Images
Ricki's complexion looked radiant

"I did not go on any drug because I wasn't prediabetic," she explained to Us Weekly.

"There's nothing wrong with those drugs. They're actually game changers for so many people. But for me, I did not want to be reliant on a drug if I could help it."

Ricki's weight loss is the result of a strict keto diet, intermittent fasting, and a disciplined workout routine including Pilates classes and two-mile daily hikes while wearing a weighted vest.

Ricki Lake wowed at the 74th Annual ACE Eddie Awards held at Royce Hall at UCLA© Getty Images
Ricki embarked on her weight loss journey in 2023

"I wore a glucose monitor," she continued. "I wore my Oura ring [which tracks health data]. I prioritized sleep and overall, a low-stress lifestyle. And it worked. It continues to work."

Ricki has been feeling more confident in her skin while on her weight loss journey, and in April 2024, she shared a current photo of herself in a red swimsuit – the very same one she posed on the cover of US Weekly for in 2007.

View post on Instagram
 

The photos were placed side by side, and she wrote: "Then and now. 2007-2024. I held onto this #NormaKamali one- piece for all these years wondering if I would ever be able to wear it again.

At the time, the headline of the article read: "Half my size. From size 24 to 4 without surgery." Ricki went from weighing 250lbs to 123lbs. 

Ricki Lake in 1988, the year she starred in Hairspray© Getty Images
Ricki weighed 260lbs at her heaviest

Ricki has had a complicated relationship with body image and diet culture, and at her heaviest, she was 260lbs. 

"I'm conflicted because I am proud of myself," she reflected on her podcast Raised By Ricki.

"When I lose that weight, it is something I want the world to know, I did this. It's a lot of work and a lot of willpower, so I want to talk about it, but I know that it’s not the best thing to be celebrating."

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