Who is the black lady in the Jardiance commercial cast?
_Unpacking the actress behind the viral “Jardiance lady” commercial and the controversy surrounding it_
(By Carmichael Phillip)
Meet the original “Jardiance lady” – Deanna Colón
The widely-recognised face of the early iteration of the Jardiance commercials is Deanna Colón (sometimes spelled “Coln” in some media). She is a singer-songwriter and vocal coach whose performance in the ad—singing and dancing about diabetes medicine—caught a lot of attention.
Colón’s background includes appearances on shows like America’s Got Talent and other stage-oriented work.
Her role in the Jardiance ad launched her into a kind of pop-culture meme-status—while also drawing both praise and criticism for the tone of the commercial and her performance.
Casting change: Enter Rachel Strutt
In early 2024, the Jardiance campaign appears to have shifted to a new actress, Rachel Strutt. Media sources suggest that the brand replaced Colón with Strutt around January 2024.
One article points out: “Deanna Colón’s replacement, Rachel Strutt, was introduced in January, possibly due to a polarized online reaction to the original ad.”
This change sparked its own wave of commentary, as audiences compared the two actors and debated the ad’s tone and effectiveness.
Why the ad drew attention – beyond the cast
It’s not just about who’s in the commercial — the ad itself became a talking point for several reasons:
The jingle: The original commercial featuring Deanna Colón had a catchy, sing-along style jingle that repeated phrases like “A1C” and “the big difference is Jardiance”. This musical approach to a serious medication garnered both amusement and criticism.
Representation and targeting: A report by World of DTC Marketing noted that “the decision to air a Jardiance commercial starring a Black woman during a Detroit Lions game warrants closer examination.” The article raised questions about context, demographics, representation and whether the execution was sensitive.
Public reaction: The Reddit forum r/CommercialsIHate and other online spaces highlighted the actor’s physique, the jingle, and the ad’s over-repetition. While many criticisms targeted the commercial itself, others pointed out the unfairness of attacking the actor personally.
What we do know about Deanna Colón’s background
Here’s a summary of what credible sources say:
Deanna Colón is a singer, songwriter and vocal coach.
The commercial which brought her most public attention aired around April 2023 (per one media article) as part of the Jardiance campaign.
After feeling the heat of criticism online, she publicly addressed the change in the ad’s cast. For example, she posted:
“Guess what, onward and upward, but you be nice to this new lady. Don’t you send her any hate crap.”
Her involvement in the commercial resulted in increased visibility—both positive and negative—but she embraced the opportunity.
YouTube
What we don’t know (or what remains unclear)
While it’s established that Deanna Colón starred in the earlier commercial, the brand’s timeline of exactly when she stopped and Rachel Strutt began is somewhat ambiguous in public records.
The cast credits for the most recent versions of the commercial (2024-2025 variant) don’t always clearly attribute which actor is currently featured. Some articles imply Strutt but not every spot lists her by name.
Given the multiple versions of the ad (with different melodies, settings, and versions in different media markets), the specific “black lady” you saw might depend on the variant in your region. If you saw a recent spot with a black female leadsinger, it likely was Colón—but if you saw one in early 2024 + it might be the replacement.
While much of the online conversation labels the lead as “the Jardiance lady”, the official credit lines from the pharmaceutical company do not always highlight actor names prominently — so verifying via the production credits may be required for final confirmation.
Why this matters for viewers and health messaging
Understanding who the actor is behind such a widely-seen commercial matters for several reasons:
Representation: Seeing a Black female singer-actress front a national healthcare ad influences how audiences perceive inclusivity and marketing decisions, especially when the underlying disease (type 2 diabetes) disproportionately affects certain communities.
Credibility and equity: When a person becomes the “face” of a prescription drug ad, their portrayal can affect how seriously viewers take the message. The tone (singing, dancing) and choice of actor factor into perceptions of credibility.
Public discourse: The online reaction to the commercial (for better or worse) shows how marketing, public health messages and entertainment intersect—and how audiences respond when a serious topic (diabetes medication) is delivered via an upbeat, musical ad.
Actor impact: For the actor herself—Deanna Colón in this case—the attention (both positive and negative) has real-life implications. It affects her public persona, future opportunities, and career trajectory.
Conclusion: So who is she?
If you’re asking “Who is the black lady in the Jardiance commercial?” the answer is: the original widely-visible version is starring Deanna Colón, a singer-songwriter and vocal coach whose performance in the commercial made it instantly recognisable. While she was replaced by Rachel Strutt beginning early 2024, most public discussion around the “Jardiance lady” refers to Colón’s version of the ad.
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