What is the Jell-O diet? Kathy Hilton says she got duped by AI scam featuring Oprah and Dr. Oz

Nbcwashington · May 03, 2026 · 594 words · By Aryelle Siclait; TODAY

Consumer Protection AI Deepfakes and Scams Celebrity Endorsements

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/national-international/jell-o-diet-kathy-hilt…

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9 claims extracted and verified against multiple sources including cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia.

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info Single Source 2

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“Kathy Hilton revealed she tried the Jell-O diet — which she thought was endorsed by Oprah Winfrey, Michelle Obama, Kelly Clarkson and Dr. Mehmet Oz”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent web search results confirm Kathy Hilton revealed she fell for a Jell-O diet scam she believed was endorsed by Oprah Winfrey, Dr. Oz, Kelly Clarkson, and Michelle Obama.

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web search NEUTRAL — Kathy Hilton revealed she was convinced to follow a Jell-O diet she thought Oprah Winfrey and other celebrities had endorsed. Turns out, the ad was rendered by AI and left Hilton feeling unwell.
https://www.today.com/health/diet-fitness/kathy-hilton-jell-…

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web search NEUTRAL — But the “Jell-O diet” was not just fake — it also caused some GI issues. Kathy Hilton in a black jacket with patches attends the premiere of "Michael." 3. “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star Kathy…
https://nypost.com/2026/05/04/health/kathy-hilton-fell-for-a…

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web search NEUTRAL — Kathy Hilton revealed she fell for a fake AI ad promoting a Jell-O diet endorsed by celebrities like Oprah Winfrey and Dr. Oz. The diet caused health issues for Hilton, including severe bloating, befo…
https://www.aol.com/articles/kathy-hilton-admits-she-tricked…

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“Hilton explained during part two of the Season 15 reunion of "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" that she fell for the deepfake videos.”

CORROBORATED

Web search results specifically state that during the Season 15 reunion of 'The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills', Kathy Hilton admitted she was duped by fake AI/deepfake videos.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The fifteenth season of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, an American reality television series, aired on Bravo from December 4, 2025, to May 7, 2026, and was primarily filmed in Beverly Hills, C…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Real_Housewives_of_Beverly…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Kathleen Elizabeth Hilton (née Avanzino; born March 13, 1959) is an American socialite, fashion designer, actress, and television personality. She is the mother of socialite Paris Hilton and fashion d…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathy_Hilton

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (abbreviated as RHOBH) is an American reality television series which has been broadcast on Bravo since October 14, 2010. Developed as the sixth installment of The…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Real_Housewives_of_Beverly…

+ 3 more evidence sources

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“According to Snopes.com, the scam has been spreading through social media ads and posts using primarily Winfrey and Oz's likenesses.”

CORROBORATED

Web search results confirm that Snopes reported on the 'pink gelatin' weight loss trick and noted that people like Dr. Oz and Oprah were named in the ads despite not endorsing it.

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web search NEUTRAL — In 2002, the site had become known well enough that a television pilot by writer-director Michael Levine called Snopes: Urban Legends was completed with American actor Jim Davidson as host; however, i…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snopes

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web search NEUTRAL — What is Snopes? Snopes / snoʊps / NOUN and sometimes VERB We are the internet’s go-to source for discerning what is true and what is total nonsense.
https://www.snopes.com/

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web search NEUTRAL — Snopes Join our fight against online misinformation. $5.00 per month Join Snopes · 7h
https://www.msn.com/en-us/channel/source/Snopes/sr-cid-f72ab…

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“The outlet [Snopes.com] added that it found no evidence that any celebrities were related to the Jell-O diet weight-loss claims.”

CORROBORATED

Web search results from Snopes-related content explicitly state that there is no evidence that the named celebrities endorsed the specific gelatin-based weight loss trick.

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web search NEUTRAL — Some of the people named in the ads are publicly associated with health, dieting or weight loss, which may help explain why the rumor seemed believable. But that does not mean they endorsed this speci…
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/weight-loss-gelatin-scam/

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web search NEUTRAL — What Actually Works for Weight Loss. No Jell-O required. Research consistently points to the same fundamentals for sustainable weight management — nutrient-dense, low-calorie foods like fruits and veg…
https://www.rvtalk.net/kathy-hilton-tried-a-celebrity-diet-a…

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web search NEUTRAL — Jell-O (stylized in all caps) is an American brand offering a variety of powdered gelatin dessert (fruit-flavored gels/jellies), pudding, and no-bake cream pie mixes. The original gelatin dessert (gen…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jell-O

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“Winfrey's team confirmed to TODAY.com in a statement that she is not involved in promoting the diet.”

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While the general fact that Oprah does not endorse the diet is corroborated, the specific detail about a statement given to TODAY.com is not explicitly detailed in the provided evidence snippets, though it aligns with the general consensus.

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web search NEUTRAL — Oprah Gail Winfrey (/ ˈoʊprə /; born Orpah Gail Winfrey; [a] January 29, 1954) is an American talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and media proprietor.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oprah_Winfrey

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web search NEUTRAL — The place for everything in Oprah's world. Get health, beauty, recipes, money, decorating and relationship advice to live your best life on Oprah.com. The Oprah Show, O magazine, Oprah Radio, Angel Ne…
https://www.oprah.com/index.html?lang=en

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web search NEUTRAL — Oprah Daily is dedicated to helping people live their best lives, delivering you the latest in beauty, wellness, culture, news, and more.
https://www.oprahdaily.com/

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“Winfrey’s face has also been used to promote weight-loss gummies and a viral pink salt drink.”

CORROBORATED

Web search results confirm that an 'Oprah Pink Salt Trick Recipe' is a fake trend and that her likeness has been used in unauthorized weight-loss promotions.

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web search NEUTRAL — Oprah Daily is dedicated to helping people live their best lives, delivering you the latest in beauty, wellness, culture, news, and more.
https://www.oprahdaily.com/

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“The Better Business Bureau received more than 170 complaints about the latter [pink salt drink], with claims that Winfrey's likeness convinced them to buy it.”

SINGLE SOURCE

While evidence confirms the existence of the pink salt scam, the specific number of complaints (170) to the Better Business Bureau is not mentioned in the provided evidence snippets.

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web search NEUTRAL — Himalayan salt doesn't come from the Himalayas. It's mined deep inside the mountains of Pakistan at the Khewra Salt Mine.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h23rF0xrhTE

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web search NEUTRAL — Does Oprah’s pink salt recipe really exist? No there’s no official recipe published by Oprah Winfrey. The drink trending as the “Oprah Pink Salt Trick Recipe” or “oprah’s pink salt recipe” is just wat…
https://www.bestmealstocook.com/oprah-pink-salt-trick-recipe…

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web search NEUTRAL — What problems is Better Business Bureau solving and how is that benefiting you? We are using BBB daily to solve our customer's concerns and grievances; the key benefit of using BBB is it provides us a…
https://www.g2.com/products/better-business-bureau/reviews

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“Even TODAY’s Al Roker’s face was used to sell a hypertension product in 2025.”

CORROBORATED

Web search results explicitly confirm that Al Roker's image was used in a deepfake video promoting a hypertension solution.

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web search NEUTRAL — Albert Lincoln Roker Jr. is an American weather presenter, journalist, television personality, and author. He is the weather anchor on NBC's Today, and occasionally co-hosts 3rd Hour Today. He has a l…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Roker

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web search NEUTRAL — TODAY's Al Roker got a message from a friend with a link to a video of himself promoting a solution to hypertension, or high blood pressure. The problem is that Al doesn't have hypertension — and the …
https://www.today.com/news/al-roker-deepfake-scam-rcna198136

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web search NEUTRAL — Al Roker is an integrity-driven family man using his very public platform, stealth media mogul status, and stellar reputation to elevate unknown stories, celebrate marginalized perspectives, and to su…
https://www.forbes.com/sites/xianhorn/2023/09/06/al-roker-am…

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“He [Al Roker] never promoted this product, nor does he have hypertension.”

CORROBORATED

Web search results explicitly state that Al Roker does not have hypertension and did not promote the product in the fake video.

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.

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What is the Jell-O diet? Kathy Hilton says she got duped by AI scam featuring Oprah and Dr. Oz

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