Queen Latifah Champions Mental Wellness: Inside Her 2019 Cigna Campaign with Nick Jonas and Ted Danson

In 2019, Queen Latifah joined forces with Nick Jonas and Ted Danson to help America tackle one of its most pressing yet often overlooked health issues—emotional well-being. Through a campaign spearheaded by Cigna, the trio helped launch a national conversation about mental health, encouraging people to prioritize not only physical checkups but also emotional check-ins.

The initiative, titled “Cigna Brings Together Queen Latifah, Nick Jonas and Ted Danson to Encourage Everyone to Take Control of Both Their Physical and Emotional Health,” launched on January 3, 2019, and was part of Cigna’s broader “whole person” approach to health care. This philosophy recognizes the critical link between mental and physical health, urging Americans to address both with equal importance.

For Queen Latifah, the message was personal. “It was important for me to partner with Cigna because they are looking at not just the body, but whole person wellness,” she said in the campaign. Known not just for her entertainment career but also for her advocacy, Latifah brought authenticity and compassion to the effort, helping to destigmatize mental health conversations—especially within communities of color.

The campaign used humor and relatability to break down barriers. Nick Jonas talked about self-care moments like singing to puppies, while Ted Danson added levity with anecdotes like accidentally autographing a medical history form. But beneath the light-hearted tone lay a serious mission: to encourage Americans to schedule annual checkups and speak openly about stress, anxiety, and loneliness.

And the campaign’s timing was critical. A Cigna study had just revealed the alarming health risks of loneliness, equating its effects to smoking 15 cigarettes a day. The initiative was rooted in hard data: stress and untreated emotional strain were contributing to chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease.

The campaign built on Cigna’s earlier success with its “Go. Know. Take Control.” initiative, which had already led to an 18% increase in annual check-ups among members. By leveraging the influence of public figures, the 2019 campaign reached new audiences and helped normalize talking about emotional health in everyday settings.

Cigna’s outreach was extensive. Its Health Improvement Tour (HIT) visited 139 cities in 2018 alone, providing more than 14,000 free screenings. The 2019 push, supported by McCann Worldgroup and promoted across television, digital, and social media, was an evolution of that momentum.

Today, the legacy of that campaign endures. As of 2025, The Cigna Group Foundation continues to prioritize mental health, recently committing $9 million over three years to tackle youth mental health through initiatives like Camp Erin and caregiver support programs. Their research-backed approach shows that integrating mental, physical, and pharmaceutical care not only improves lives but also reduces costs—saving an average of $193 per member per year.

Ultimately, the 2019 campaign wasn’t just a one-time PR push—it helped redefine how healthcare providers, public figures, and everyday Americans talk about wellness. Queen Latifah, along with Jonas and Danson, reminded us that it’s okay to talk about stress, to seek support, and to recognize that caring for the mind is just as vital as caring for the body.