How Celebrities Explain Away Plastic Surgery Rumors

Plastic surgery rumors have followed Kim Kardashian for years. (Photo: Getty Images)

Not a week goes by that people don’t speculate about a celebrity who looks like she (or he) has had some work done. But most stars bat away these rumors with excuses, saying their diets or skin care regimens are the reasons they look so different.

Most recently, people have been buzzing about Bethenny Frankel’s face, which has clearly changed. While the Real Housewives of New York star has admitted to having a breast augmentation, she has denied having had any plastic surgery on her face. However, as the curiosity of what Frankel did to her face grew, she finally came clean to the Daily Mail on May 16 that she had Botox injections in her jaw. She claims her once broad jawline was caused by repeatedly grinding and clenching her teeth, known as bruxism.

“I do look different,” the 45-year-old Skinnygirl mogul admitted to the Daily Mail. “I’ve had Botox in my jaw. You can see that my jaw has completely changed. About three years ago, my dermatologist said to me, ‘Why don’t we try injecting your jaw because it’s so tense.”

Bethenny Frankel now sports a slimmer jaw (left), compared to how she used to look. (Photo: Getty Images)

Lately, Olivia Munn’s appearance has fueled rumors that the 35-year-old actress went under the knife. Hollywood Life reported that the star’s face shape, eye shape, and skin tone appear to be different than they were just a few years ago. Addressing the rumors, Munn recently revealed a lengthy explanation on Instagram of how she was able to naturally transform her look without any cosmetic surgery. She explained how she lost 12 pounds working out for an hour a few times a week, which slimmed down her face. Munn also noted that she changed how she styles her brows — making them more horizontal, rather than noticeably arched — which “instantly brightened” her eyes. She also explained that she’s a big fan of Proactiv Mark Fading Pads, which lightened her signature freckles.

Olivia Munn has denied accusations that she had plastic surgery to change her face. (Photo: Getty Images)

Of course, Kim Kardashian has been the subject of plastic surgery gossip for years. Back in 2013, Kim went on a Twitter “rant,” according to the Huffington Post, dispelling talk that she had surgical help to bounce back after having her daughter, North West. “I am very frustrated today seeing reports that I got surgery to lose my baby weight! This is FALSE. I worked so hard to train myself to eat right and healthy, I work out so hard and this was such a challenge for me, but I did it!!! I’m so proud of my accomplishment and NO ONE will take this away from me with fake reports! Say what u want about me but I work hard and am the most disciplined person u will ever meet!”

But that didn’t put a stop to the chatter that the 35-year-old star was getting Botox injections and fillers even while pregnant with her second child, Saint West, back in 2015. According to People, Kim tried to put the rumors to rest with an Instagram post that has since been removed: “No I don’t do fillers or Botox when pregnant like some tabloids are reporting,” she wrote. “You would have to be really sick to endanger your child like that! Anyone who has been pregnant or gained weight knows your face totally changes! My nose gets bigger, cheeks fuller and my lips swell up.”

But the rumors keep on coming. In early 2016, London plastic surgeon Kishan Raichura told Mirror that he believes Kim has had work done on her lips and cheeks — namely dermal fillers to create a fuller pout and a “more sculpted look” in her cheeks.

There’s no question that some celebrities are genetically blessed. But when it’s obvious that they’ve had work done, why do stars try so hard to make excuses? New York City dermatologic surgeon Dendy Engelman says it keeps up the illusion of their natural beauty. “Just like non-celebs, celebrities want to look their best and appear to be growing older gracefully,” Engelman tells Yahoo Beauty. “When others know that celebrities have had ‘work done,’ the fear is that it takes away from their natural beauty.”

Engelman adds: “People love to speculate about who has had what procedures done. This is why it is critical to go to someone who allows for slight, subtle enhancements to one’s looks without giving away their ‘secret.’ Once drastic changes occur over a short period of time, it is obvious when a celebrity isn’t telling the truth.”

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