As you know by now, Renee Zellweger had some major work done about a year ago. She emerged at an event this weekend looking much different than we’re used to, and so people naturally noticed. Renee commented on her changed appearance and she made it worse, in my opinion. Renee decried the “folks who come digging around for some nefarious truth” and she attributed her new look to aging and “living a different, happy, more fulfilling life.” Buried in a lot of BS, there was a hint that maybe she’d visited a dermatologist/surgeon. She said “I was depleted and made bad choices about how to conceal the exhaustion,” which to me sounds like she had something done and regrets it. That’s all she said about it, though.
Now celebrities have weighed in on Renee, and they’re saying “leave her alone” pretty much. Which… I mean that’s the response to a lot of a gossip stories. E! Online has more, and credit to them for this story idea:
Today show co-host Kathie Lee Gifford defended the actress Wednesday morning on-air. “Let her be and don’t be so mean spirited about her choices,” she explained. “I think she looks beautiful.”
The View co-host Nicole Wallace also thinks the chatter can open up a whole separate conversation on women and beauty. “I think the reality is that there is an unending pressure on women to look forever young,” she shared.
E! also posted some tweets from celebrities about Renee’s change and I’m cribbing a few of them here:
Personally I think Renee Zellwegger can do whatever the hell she wants – except for COLD MOUNTAIN 2.
— billy eichner (@billyeichner) October 21, 2014
Time to cut female stars like Renee Zellweger some slack > http://t.co/6YDBmwQ4wM
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) October 22, 2014
its sort of awful to see everyone have such horrible things to say about renee zellweger. i dont think she really needs our opinion world.
— IGGY AZALEA (@IGGYAZALEA) October 22, 2014
Why would Renee Zellweger change her face? Maybe because all people do is ridicule her face?
— Whitney Cummings (@WhitneyCummings) October 22, 2014
Of course Renee can do whatever she wants, and I think she looks beautiful now as she did before. In fact I did say that she looked beautiful in our last story, just nothing like herself. It’s human nature to notice when someone’s appearance changes so much they’re barely recognizable. There are a small minority of people (trolls) who are being nasty about it, but that’s not the larger conversation. If an acquaintance did this in my small town, you could bet that my friends and neighbors would be talking about it. And if that acquaintance told everyone she got an eye or face lift, it’s likely that the gossip would die down and we would be like “good for her.” Renee is famous and people have noticed that she doesn’t look like herself. I think that’s par for the course and I don’t find it sexist or mean spirited, but I gossip for a living. My standards differ from the average person.
There’s a bigger conversation about the pressure women feel about aging in our society, and how that leads many of us to have surgery and injectibles. It’s still a choice that people make, and it’s something that can be done subtly as well. I’m personally not ruling it out, but that doesn’t mean I don’t find it scary.
Photo credit: WENN.com
I think there’s a huge difference between saying “Wow, she looks so different, did she have work done?” and “OMG, look at her, what did she do to her faaaaace?”
When I saw these pics I was surprised at how different she is now but I wasn’t pointing and gawping either (and FWIW, I am sure she had her eyes done. And also: big deal, she had her eyes done. And got a tan.) I think celebs need to realize that people are going to talk about them, and there will always be trolls. Does that make it right? No, but they have to live with it…it’s a job hazard.
I actually don’t think she looks THAT different. She’s done Botox for years, even the “before” photos have her Botox face. So her face isn’t different at all. It’s her eyes that are missing that famous squint that was squintier because of the Botox. That said, I think the makeup is what did her in here. Her tan or foundation is splotchy, but the worst thing is that she has no eyebrow filler. If her brows were on point with good makeup, none of this would have been such a big deal. But yeah, I don’t get the big deal. This isn’t a Jennifer Grey thing.
I’m totally with you — she’s nowhere near Jennifer Grey levels of transformation. I actually thought she changed more dramatically years ago when she went overboard with the Botox. So true that the “before” photos are what I’d always considered an altered version of herself.
I think her face looks the same except for her eyes. And her brows look like mine would look if I didn’t tweeze or wax them — definitely a result of aging and not from a procedure.
Thank goodness she got rid of that 2010 hairstyle, though!
Chin implant and eyes is my thought, perhaps she is trying to grow her eyebrows out so she can get a different shape (mine looked patchy as heck when doing that). Surgery? it’s no big deal IMO. My grandmother had hers eyes done in her 50’s, my mum had hers done in her 40’s and I bet I’ll probably need to have it done around that age range also. Its 2014, surgeries are safe and accessible, I don’t think it’s shameful because there comes a point where makeup and non invasive treatments can’t disguise things we don’t particularly like. Both mum and nanna have had tummy tucks too now that I think of it, that’s one of the scarier surgeries IMO, and one I am defiantly too scared to do. right now I’m happy with spanx to deal with the excess skin I have from my twin pregnancy. I hope they never stop making shapewear hahaha
I really only see a chin implant for sure. She looks good. Not THAT dramatically different, IMHO.
Agreed – I also don’t think she looks THAT different. The eyes look a tad different, okay, and she looks tanned… but the biggest difference is that her eyebrows aren’t as groomed or filled in as they are in other pictures. And brows (or lack thereof) make a huge difference in a person’s appearance. I really don’t get all the ‘OMG she looks like a different person’ comments and criticism… she looks essentially the same to me. And I think she looks great!
I have really similar brows to her (light, patchy, short) and don’t really fill mine in either. But if I did and suddenly stopped I bet people would think I looked off too. She’s just going more natural right now, nothing wrong with that. Imagine her with groomed, filled in brows and it would totally change how her eyes look and she would look just like she always did. Just older and with a tan. I do think she got eyelid surgery but that could have been necessary considering her squint before, I bet that could have been messing with her vision. So whatever, I think this being entirely blown out of proportion.
I think she looks better now, but she’s got to lose that hairball. Can she cough him up?
I honestly think the biggest change is her eyebrows! they look lower to me, which happens naturally with aging. I disagree with LadyMTL that she had her eyes done. In all of the photos from 2009/10 she barely has a wrinkle around her eyes. I honestly think she might have had some fillers or botox, but she really looks like she’s just aged naturally to me.
Geez, she got her upper eyelids tucked, has a tan and she is older. She has not done any age-reversing surgeries unlike many. I don’t see fillers, too much botox, or face lift or trout pout, etc.
I think she looks great. And I like her new boyfriend, he has a killer voice and talent.
I really think it’s much more about the bronzer/ tan, she used to always have a snow white complexion. People can be stupid and mean. I hope she keeps working, she is a very good actress.
I think people notice a difference because her eyes were her distinctive feature.
She had her eyes done, Botox, fillers and she started tanning.
No facelift, too many wrinkles still. Honestly, she probably was sick of being called “Squinty.”
Think Progress has a great piece on why the criticism of Zellwegger is wrong. Women in Hollywood are basically damned if they let themselves go and damned if they get work done. They simply can’t win unless they belong to the rare set of women who manage to age and still look beautiful.
http://thinkprogress.org/culture/2014/10/21/3582641/how-should-you-laugh-at-renee-zellweger-today/
There are many female stars who get work done and still look like themselves (Jessica Lange, Sandra Bullock, Christie Brinkley, Angelina Jolie’s superior nose job). It’s only really problematic when they do something drastic and then try to pretend they didn’t have anything done, IMO.
I don’t understand why people feel a need to defend Renee’s drastic change. No one was really defendng Meg Ryan or Jennifer Grey. Kim. K gets ripped apart often for messing with her face. Megan Fox was another who was criticized for altering her looks. I think Renee is still attractive even though she looks different. To me she looks a bit like Nicolette Sheridan of Knots Landing fame.
Oh I agree. She did something drastic to her face and is upset that we all notice what is *very* noticeable. I’m just saying, trying to act like she didn’t do anything surgical makes it worse. I don’t think anyone thinks Christie Brinkley *actually* looks like that at 50-whatever, but she hasn’t altered her basic appearance and she doesn’t talk about it one way or another, so it’s just not a problem.
I think people mean that we shouldn’t criticize her, but the people/societey who made her do that. And she probably had to endure a lot before because of her small eyes. I thought she was beautiful they way she was and I’m upset that she gave in to plastic surgery, but she was actually kind of bullied and I guess she didn’t get roles anymore either.
V4Real
All valid points. Many celebs get ripped apart daily. Far worse than what Renee has been getting. Which boiled down is simple speculation. Not criticism.
And if these celebs are pointing fingers at the mean tweets they need to understand twitter is a haven for faceless and disconnected bullying. You’re an unknown and not held personally accountable for mean spirited behavior.
End of the day RZ has a job that heavily involves how she looks. So, when her appearance has changed even slightly is it cause for outrage when we take a moment and ask “What happened to her face?”
Jessica Lange does not fit in the category of women who’ve had work done and still look like themselves. Jessica Lange butchered her face. The effects of her surgery have settled and we are now used to her post-butchered face, but it is butchered. Google her before face and weep. Julie Christie and Jane Fonda are 2 older actresses who had good face lifts at an older age. Jessica Lange should have gone to their surgeon.
Exactly. The difference is between great, subtle work (Bullock, Tom Cruise, Julia Roberts, Brinkley, Michael Douglas (who has had repeated lifts), even Nicole Kidman when she lays off the Botox, etc.), which costs a fortune and requires restraint from both doctor and patient, and the hatchet jobs received by people like Zellweger, Meg Ryan, Jennifer Grey, Courteney Cox, Mickey Rourke, etc., which come from either a desire to do it on the cheap AND/OR forcing a compliant doctor to do things which should NOT be done (the Michael Jackson Syndrome), all in the name of seeming younger (which is not the end result).
Yeah, Zellweger can do whatever the hell she wants to her face, but in this case it sends a terrible message to women, which is “Better to be unrecognizable than to age gracefully.”
Well to be fair Jessica Lange does not look the same, not remotely, she had a bad face lift and messed up her career for awhile. As for Angelina, I think her nose job was way ott and I really think her plastic surgery is showing her age quicker. Like MIchelle Pfeiffer’s, as they age their noses look less like they fit for some reason to me – it’s just that they had them done before they got super famous so everyone is used to them looking like that. I think their noses look tiny and pinched and make their eyes look like anime, but that’s the look people seem to find beautiful in this era. I do think Angelina needed a tiny nose job but I think they went too far, my nose isn’t as bulbous as hers was but whenever I’ve thought of maybe having it done I’ve tried to think of a celeb with a round nose that had a good nose job and can’t think of any – big pointy noses, bumps that need shaving, yes. Round noses are tricky. Actually Scarjo, her nose job is the best I’ve seen probably for the rounder nose shape. I always think Mila Kunis would look like an identikit Angelina type if she had her nose done, which is why I love that she hasn’t (I don’t think!)
Jessica Lange looking like herself? Maybe 200 facelifts ago.
I understand the damned if you do damned if you dont. It sucks.
But, I dont really feel too badly for them. Live by the sword, die by the sword.
They all got into this industry aware of what makes its wheels turn.
I hear this so often with regards to celebrities. That they knew what they were getting into. But I’m sure the reality of the gossip and constant judgement is a lot harder to take once you’re in the thick of it, than what you may have imagined. The celebrities who are the most narcissistic seem to handle it fine, but the more sensitive ones are affected by it. Personally , I know I wouldn’t be able to handle the crap that comes with fame. That being said, it’s not like I feel badly for them .. I just think sometimes people need to lay off with the judgement. There is too much judgement. Everywhere.
I don’t have issue with a woman wanting to look her best. In 20 years this Era of cookie cutter cosmetic surgery will be a scar on humanity. Pun intended. I have issue with the aesthetics that turn unique into blah. Hopefully the next generation will either refrain or have better options.
homegrrrl, I agree with you. Invasive plastic surgery will be laughable in a few years. I believe there will definitely be better options than these generic faces.
It’s not so much that she had plastic surgery, but it’s that it’s OBVIOUS she had work done. In Western society in general, we expect women to not age and stay forever young (however she accomplish the impossible feat). A woman’s beauty must embody “sprezzatura” (effortlessness) or else….
I think you are in a damned if you do and damned if you don’t position as an aging woman in general, not just in Hollywood. Although course being in a career where your looks are so important as acting, modeling and other professions makes it a bit worse. We can have endless discussions about this subject. And perhaps more of that is needed in our society.
What Whitney Cummings said. Zellwegger before her disappearance, got so much grief for her mouth, her eyes, her weight and so she does something about it and people are even more upset. So I guess the lesson to be learned is nobody liked her old face and nobody likes her new one.
YES! Few people are saying that. For years people made fun of Renee’s face. It was always her and Sarah Jessica Parker who were subject of really nasty, bitchy taunts about their appearances. And now suddenly everyone is saying how sad it is that she looks different. It’s complete hypocrisy and only makes me feel worse for her.
And yet there was very little fanfare that I can recall when Sarah had the mole removed from her chin. She is still subject to nasty comments about her looks. Whenever I’ve seen her address these criticisms she’s always been very thoughtful. I’m sure it still hurts irregardless.
It’s always crazy to me when people say Renee Zellweger and Sarah Jessica Parker are unattractive because I personally think they are two of the most beautiful celebrities around – their looks are SO unique and not the Hollywood sterotype of blonde bombshell.
I always found Renee and SJParker beautiful.
I never got the criticism about their faces.
I still think both look beautiful, its just that Renee took away that squint, which was quite cute, but alas she can do as she pleases.
I felt bad for Meg Ryan too in a way. I think she panicked when film roles dried up for her as the quirky girl in movies, so she had some work done and it ruined her sweet natuural look.
I always thought she had a great look. It’s like Jennifer Grey. She had a great look too, but had the nose job and now she doesn’t look like herself. She’s pretty but she doesn’t have what she used to have. Same with Renee. She had a quirk to her I thought was really appealing and now it’s gone since she did her eyes.
Don’t get me wrong, I can understand why she did it if her vision was becoming impaired, but it did change the way she looks quite a bit.
I think I said this on the 1st Renee face thread.
She has spoken out and others have spoken out about her body and self esteem issues regarding it. That early to mid career she was told she would only ever be the cute friend and not the beautiful leading lady. To hear that is damaging and even worse when it impacts your career over your natural features. All this was big preBJD with her weight gain and almost overnight weight loss for BJD.
Her signature squint seperated her face from other hollywood blonde actresses. Now she blends in. And imo that’s not so great.
Her face isn’t terrible now. And i’m not the one who has to look that face in the mirror each day. If she can do that and is happy good for her. She’s still a really great actress imo.
This exactly.
Yes! That’s the first thing I thought of. “Squinty Zellwegger”, “sourpuss”, etc. She was always name called because of something that was her own natural look. That’s such a low form of “comedy” .. to pick on someone’s physical features. Bullying for sure. Not sure if she’ll ever admit it, but I bet it really affected her.
+1
Preach!
I agree completely.
Maybe I need glasses, because the only thing that looks different about her is the eyelid job, which she had done a while ago. I looked at her nose, lips and chin, and they have the exact same structure. I think she looks great. I don’t get it?
I agree. Honestly, she doesn’t look that different, and if she’s happy who cares. The amount of judgement I’ve read on Facebook about it makes me upset. The standards of beauty are set up so we can never win. I’m not going to hate someone for doing what they can to love themselves.
I agree that she doesn’t look *that* different. She’s had an eye job and some Botox. Her face is thinner, and girlfriend could use a good peel/resurfacing, and then some good sunscreen.
Honestly, she looks like every 40 something gal here in FL (except moi, of course).
She doesn’t look THAT different to me either, even though she obviously got her hooded eyes “fixed”. I see no change in any other of her facial features, except that maybe she lost more weight.
I said the same thing above before seeing your comment. I don’t get it.
She’s still pretty, it’s just a more generic pretty. Someone upthread said it’s not like Jennifer Grey, but I think it is exactly like Jennifer Grey, who is still a beautiful woman, but she lost her uniqueness when she had that nose job. Zellweger is pretty, she’s just not unique any longer. The squint was “her thing”, and it’s gone now. She doesn’t have a trademark anymore.
Agreed. I don’t see Botox or fillers. Her face is the exact same shape, and it appears to be able to move as well.
+1
I commented saying the same thing yesterday. I do think she had her eyes done but that didn’t make her ‘unrecognizable’ to me. *shrug*
I agree it was just the eyes but I truly didn’t recognize her. So if you’re no longer recognizable, or if people have to do a double take, than it’s a pretty big change no?
I have to agree – I don’t really see any difference except that she’s tan, not caked with makeup, and has bushy eyebrows. The rest looks exactly the same, but 5 years older. Good for her!
Agree.
I agree.
She doesn’t look THAT different in that side by side. Of course people talk about it. Didn’t we all talk about Kenny Rogers years ago? It’s cruel to say mean things, sure, but pointing out that someone looks unrecognizable is expected for celebs or people you know in real life.
She looks more different in some of the other photos – it depends on the camera angle and expression she’s making. I think if you are a public figure with a well-known appearance, and you change that appearance, you should expect people to notice the change, ask questions, and comment. Even more so if you have a very distinct feature like Jennifer Grey’s nose or Renee’s eyelids, and you change it.
She doesnt look different anywhere Except for her Eyes, which were gave her hertradmark look.
I once read under eye bags over the years come back even after work is done, is the same true of eyelid surgery?
She barely looks like Renee Zellweger, so of course there will be comments. Whatever people do to themselves is fine, but personally I don’t think I’ll go there because situations like this freak me out and I wouldn’t want that for myself. Joan Rivers did a lot to her face too, but at least she OWNED it. She didn’t lie. I like that. There are some people in the entertainment industry who avoid procedures and I like that, too.
There are 3 things, in my opinion, that enhance her change and causes her to look so different. 1) she doesn’t fill and shape her brows like she used to, 2) she is very tan now and 3) her face is always shiny, when she used to have a matte look to her foundation in the past. Her brows and shiny completion drive me up the wall and make her look bad. Looking different is what bothers me if the bad brow and makeup jobs.
It’s amazing what a difference eyebrows can make.
Not gonna lie, her brows are driving me nuts. And avoid the sun. Embrace the pale people.
Yes, her brows are her biggest offender in my opinion.
I wish more people would embrace the pale. Then maybe I wouldn’t get teased all the time for being so fair :S Seriously, people seem to think you should never criticize someone’s appearance or skin tone….unless their too white. Than it’s totally fine to say “Why don’t you get a tan?” Rude. Sorry, off-topic personal rant there.
Must admit, I got those eyebrows. I just find it to painful and, especially, boring to pluck them. My eyebrows not that thick anyway, they are just disorganized. But I do fill them in with a colour pencil.
Oops, I meant to say “her looking different does NOT bother me…”
The side by side photo illustrates what puzzles me. A face can thin out, but her face appears to have become longer (more oval). Baffling, unless that’s what a chin implant can do.
This! I couldn’t figure it out at first, either. The entire shape of he face has changed. She went from round to long/oval. Her hairline looks different, and there must be implants/fillers around the chin/jawline.
I think it’s natural to comment when someone looks unrecognizable to their former self. I think most people were commenting on that, rather than saying she looked terrible.
Renee previously had VERY droopy eyelids which could have become more pronounced in the years since her last film. She may have done the eyelid surgery because of how bad her lids had become. I have no problem with her new look…I just wish she had admitted to the surgery. The public doesn’t really believe healthy living causes eyelid loss.
I could not figure it out at first, because it seems like something other than the eyes. One comment I read today likened it to looking like her head had been placed in a vise. It’s not just the forehead area.
One site posted photos of her from high school, and I’m even more confused. She looks different in nearly every photo. Most people go from baby fat faced to slimmer face by our 20s. She did the opposite.
I don’t think most people are slamming her looks. Most comments I read point out simply how different /more generic she now looks.
The only thing on her face that has changed is her eyelids.
And her eyebrows are not done and she looks a tad older.
I dont get where people are seeing all this other stuff because side by side her face is exactly the same except for her eyes.
Honestly, I don’t care that she had work done – but I certainly don’t appreciate the response she had basically assuming her fan base & the public are that dumb to buy “healthy living”.
Exactly! Just like celebs who have secret stomach stapling surgery or binge out on coke and credit their weight loss to diet and exercise. That’s why Joan Rivers and others that admit to having work done are such a breathe of fresh air. I think the “new Renee” looks good. If she doesn’t want to tell the truth about the change in her appearance she should just say nothing.
This! I think the answer makes it a lot more awkward. I don’t agree with the nit-picking on celebrities (or anyone else), but it is indeed part of their job that people will notice their looks. She had a drastic change IMO. It’s normal that people will talk about it and I think it would be better either not to comment on it or to say the truth. Anyway, I hope she didn’t do any procedure because of public pressure since she was always gorgeous anyway.
Why can’t she both have plastic surgery and live more healthily than she used to? She didn’t deny getting work done, after all.
Yeah, honestly I kind of wish she’d just flat out said she had her eyes done for medical reasons or because she wanted to, or simply not comment on it at all. The “healthy living” thing is an odd reaction to the speculation.
That said, I think she looks fine, just different, and I don’t get why people are freaking out over it.
Slow day(s) on the interwebz. 🙂
This.
Basically, I don’t care what the reasons were for why celebrities get plastic surgery. If they want to explain their reasons or not, that’s their prerogative. But don’t go through a noticeable change/makeover and 1) deny anything different or 2) give some bullsh-t explanation. If you don’t want to make a big deal about it, don’t even comment about it. But don’t try to sell me that your nose is twice as small than it was 5 months ago because you’ve been drinking green tea in the morning.
So she gave her answer, but its not theanswer some want? I dont get the outrage.
She can say whatever she wants, she doesnt really owe the public a straight answer.
I dont get where people feel ownership of her voice. People can NOT belive her, but Renee can say whatever she wants.
Not being up front about surgery is not a crime, actresses do it all the time and no one holds it against them and it doesnt make them a bad person, not being completely upfront about something.
I think the tan is throwing everyone off. She doesn’t look THAT different. I think at most she got her eyes done and had a face lift. Her skin seems tighter, that’s about it. She DOES still look great, just different. Everyone’s been ripping on her face for freaking years. Natural she’s not good enough and enhances she’s not good. Give the girl a break.
Looking at the side by side picture there doesn’t seem to be a huge difference. She’s alot thinner and she over did it with the tanning.
I really don’t see that much difference apart from a tan and a new hairstyle. She may have had a facelift but when you compare the photos it still looks like her.
You know, freedom of speech and all that. But the fact that people even talk about it so much -mean and neutral comments included – probably isn’t making her feel better about herself.
I don’t think she looks “way” different. The skin above her eyes is gone, but I don’t see anything else besides a tan. And yes, people went over board.
Is there really a need to to defend her? No one was saying she looked bad just different.
That’s what puzzles me, too. I think she looks completely different, and I’ve said so, and I also think it’s unrealistic to expect people not to notice, but I don’t understand why noticing = criticism. I don’t care that she had whatever done. I loved her old face, and I don’t understand why she changed it, but it’s her face, not mine.
Yep, me too. Exactly. It’s her right, but we can SEE. To deny such a dramatic change is way too Emperor’s New Clothes, you know?
She looks pretty – she just looks very different now, to the point where I didn’t recognize her. She was pretty before and she’s pretty now. But to change the eyes can change the whole look of a person.
The hooded eyes were her trademark, now they’re gone.
She doesn’t look “beautiful” imo. She looks like an average soccer mom blonde now. And yeah, if you completely change your face the way she has, be ready to get a little attention for it, especially if your chosen profession is quite a public one.
Everything you said.
Of course she could change her face and have no one comment on it… If she were willing to not pursue a career in the limelight. You can’t have it both ways.
I think that some of the approaches to it were definitely mean-spirited. The Gawker article that just kept saying, “This is a picture of Renee Zellweger” was pretty obnoxious. It’s one thing to notice and even comment, it’s something else to make a person into a huge joke like that. Everyone made fun of her for being “squinty” before so I honestly am not surprised if she got tired of it.
Yeah, the Gawker article was obnoxious. But then…it’s Gawker.
I actually thought the Gawker article was fine. It’s a little snarky, but they didn’t say anything actually untoward – just implicated the obvious. I take greater umbrage with people who are making a big fuss about how she didn’t go the Joan Rivers route admit to getting work done. She didn’t lie and deny it and she doesn’t owe us an admission of whatever she’s had done because it’s her body and her business. She’s always been a kind and private person, and while I don’t see an issue with people discussing her new face, I do have an issue with people insulting her for the change and for her non-committal statement.
This was and is a beautiful woman. I really hope that she understands that. I’ve always applauded folks for going out and doing whatever makes them feel better as long as their own opinion of themselves stands to be strongest. “You can please some of the people all of the time, all of the people some of the time but you can’t please all of the people all of the time.”
Remember…Celebrities are getting paid millions and millions of dollars to “endure” this criticism.
when I saw her, I didn’t recognize her, but I didn’t think she looked ‘bad’…it was just different.
People are going on about how others shouldn’t make fun of her for looking different but…is that the general consensus? that she looks bad? Or we just all saying how she looks different?
because it looks like it could be two women who are cousins or sisters or something, when you take a before and after picture…but when I look at her features and compare them, they look very similar, like she didn’t have them nipped or tucked…so idk if it’s surgery per se…
she just looks different and I don’t see why noticing and commenting on a person looking different makes ‘us’ (the internet) mean or bad or wrong to do so…
I’m sure there are plenty of people who commented on the way she looks and were mean about it, but for the most part, the comment I’ve seen haven’t been negative, just that there is a huge difference that I (personally) can’t put my finger on besides her having tanner skin and maybe a few more visible wrinkles due to sun exposure? (which isn’t great cancer-wise, but she doesn’t look bad).
That’s what I said above. I thought it was more like “wow, she looks really different,” not “she looks awful.” But I don’t read any other sites so maybe it’s different “out there.”
I felt sorry for her, there was an absolute pile on and six ways til Sunday analysis. At the same time, when you have a recognizable and famous face, people will notice if the change is significant. To go from one extreme to the next, should people just pretend they don’t notice the change?
When actors gain and lose weight for roles, they want you to notice. If they look fantastic in designer clothing, they want you to notice. If they get a new hair style, they want you to notice.
I’m not saying that there should be cruelty in the commentary about changes, but according to actors, some things you should notice and other things you shouldn’t, that’s a tough road to navigate. The best way to be ignored is become an ordinary schlub, who doesn’t act, or become famous. That has its advantages, but disadvantages as well.
+1
I’m not sure a lot of people were being critical of her new look so much as just being shocked by it. I don’t know what she did (or didn’t do) but she looks different. But she’s still a beautiful women. It’s not like a Meg Ryan situation where you can’t look away from the train wreck that is now her face.
Anyway, I’m glad she’s in a happier place now (or at least claiming to be) and this dies down. If nothing else, it might help revive her career cause at least people are talking about her again.
Yeah, I don’t recall anyone, at least on here, saying that she looked ‘bad’.
ETA: And I’m still more transfixed with her BF.
Kiddo…agreed….who is looking at Renee when the real tragedy is standing next her! Does that dude really think that hair is a good look? WOW!
He could be a model for my JustYikes collection.
OH PLEASE hire him, Goodnames, PLEASE.
@MrsBPitt, I can’t get enough of him. He’s a bona fide enigma with steeze. He looks like fun and I’m still waiting for the official count from taterho on how many shoe-string fries can be worked into that nest (it’s not just stylish, it’s practical).
I think she looks good just not like herself. If not for that, I think people would be commenting on the ‘good work’ she had done. She doesn’t look super plumped or pulled or have huge lips–she just looks different. But I think it’s silly to act like she didn’t get any work done when it’s clear that she did.
Who else has seen Miss Potter? It was a better movie than I expected–but I spent the whole time totally distracted by her face. That was back when she first started messing with it, and it looked incredibly tight, shiny, red, and swollen–she could barely move it. And in a movie set in the early 1900s, the effect was so bizarre and out of place that it really took me out of the story, even though her performance was otherwise very good. So yeah, I think it’s understandable when people react to actors changing their faces. The industry is definitely sexist and shallow, and I have sympathy for all the crap actresses have to put up with, but people are going to notice, and it is going to affect your career.
Plus, as people have said, she doesn’t look BAD, just really different.
I actually think she often was so red and swollen because she suffers from a skin diseace called rosacea.
Looks like she aged and it’s no wonder!
I hated when bloggers called Renee *squinty*.
Renee was incredible in Cold Mountain. She was the only reason I could endure watching the movie.
Renee does not look better. Just different. All that pain and anguish for nothing.
I miss her old face. She still looks pretty. She is a pretty woman either way. It’s just that her uniqueness is gone.
But I also get why so many pretty women, and sometimes very young women, get work done. The fact is as women there is so much pressure to not age. We are supposed to look young forever.
But did her eyes make her look old? Or did she not like the shape? I don’t know. Other than that work, she seems to be aging naturally. I meant that as a compliment, not an insult.
I thought her eyes made her look cheery, like a permanent giggle! Eyes really are the window to the soul, aren’t they? Minor changes make such a difference, evidently.
When I first saw her “new” look I didn’t recognize her at all. But looking at the side by side photos I can see the same features! What is different? Just the eyelids? and brows?
My Mom had upper eyelid surgery a few years ago to get rid of the excess skin. I really didn’t notice the difference until she pointed it out – she just looked a bit younger and more alert.
I think it’s just her eyes she had done. Crazy how one procedure can change your whole face like that. Her eyes and that cute squint were her trademark. Her face (IMO) used to be smiley and cheery permanently and she’s got rid of it.
I can see why she did it, she’s taken a lot of crap for her eye shape in the past but now she’s just generic looking. I hope she’s happy with the changes.
I think its only her eyes shes had done too.
I think people be trippin trying to find other things when its obvious in the photos, its just her squint in her eyes that she had done. Everything else, on her face, except her brows look the same.
I remember when she was getting so skinny a few years ago and there was talk of eating disorders, depression and other mental illnesses, and drug addiction. Maybe other Hollywood folks know that some of that gossip was true, and which parts, and they just want to stick up for Renee because they’re afraid that all this talk about her face will put her in a bad place again? Her face may look different, but taking her in from head to toe, she looks better than she did the last time I saw her on a carpet. She looks healthier and happier. I hope she stays in love with that fabulous head of hair standing next to her and I hope she stays happy with herself. Hollywood is cruel and I sympathize with anyone who must put up with it to do the only job they’ve ever enjoyed or cared about.
“that fabulous head of hair standing next to her”..indeed, and you could be right on the other point, I just got stuck here.
What’s the huge deal about her face? Mouth is the same, nose the same, slight difference in the eyes. Newsflash, people age, & occasionally combat the process w/ a nip or tuck here & there. This should not shock anyone who follows celebrity lives.
+1
Crying “sexism” and “misogyny” seems to have become the new gold standard when a celebrity is offended, regardless of if the shoe fits.
Girlfriend DOES look different and it IS obvious. Like if I dye my hair blonde (it’s black), people are going to notice and comment and push their opinion of if it looks good on me or terrible whether I want to hear it or not and I just have to deal- like anyone else would.
I am with Whitney Cummings here!
I will always love renee for her movies when I was a kid. I think she is an excellent actress and should be working as much as Nicole Kidman does. Don’t really understand why she isn’t?
Seriously. I could never be a famous actress/entertainer/performer/what have you. My skin is not thick enough. I have a hard enough time with coworkers, mean moms, etc., to have all this broadcast all over the internet….ay yi yi. Is it just me or did we used to not be so hard on people that were famous?
I understand completely those in the entertainment industry undergoing plastic surgery to keep their looks as long as possible. It is practically a requirement of the job. But, whoever worked on Renee’s eyes didn’t do a good job, it is as simple as that. She should get a refund.
Exactly, the doctor took out too much skin and made her eyes too generic, when they should have left a bit of her tradmark over the eye.
I dont see the big deal? She looks relatively the same… she just has a tan and is SIX YEARS OLDER than the comparison photo. For a woman in her 40’s there’s always going to be some obvious differences. Im 33 and I cringe to think what people would say comparing me to a photo that’s at least 6 years ago.
I think the eyelids and her hair style as she use to wear fringe/bangs a lot. She still looks good and fresher, but she can’t say she’s aged and healthy lifestyle as I too have aged but if I went somewhere people would KNOW it’s me!!
She looks great, but she surprised everyone and that is going to generate gossip.
I am just of the opinion that I cannot believe there is a CNN article about it or that it is on the main page of Yahoo. I understand seeing the story here as it is a celeb gossip sight, but in the news and all over? I would be humiliated if I were her and I just do not understand why it is being talked about everywhere. I feel bad for her.
I think the overreaction was ridiculous. Any change in the eye are is more noticeable, but I think she still looks like herself. I looked at early photos of Renee and her eyes were more like they are now. She probably had problems with the eyelids like my mom had, and my mom had to get surgery too.
I think she had some work done (eyes) but I feel like the larger reason folks thinks she looks so different is that she doesn’t get papped a lot and is aging. So instead of seeing someone age slowly day by day we are seeing her year by year, and lets face it in your mid forties aging really starts to kick in. At 44 myself I am pretty sure someone who hasn’t seen me for a year or two would think I look a whole lot different today than I did then (sadly).
I agree. I am not sure about anything but the eyes. She still has quite a few wrinkles around her eyes, mouth and lines in her forehead. I don’t think she has done that much there. Still it is amazing how much your eyes change you.
She looks like a completely different person. A completely different human being! How could folks be expected to ignore that? Yes I am gawping and pointing. No apologies here. I am shocked to see a complete stranger claiming to be Renee What’s Her Face.
Am I the only one who sees a different nose? The bridge of her nose had an arch and now it doesn’t. To me that changes her look significantly. Her eyes seem to be more done in the inner corners and that’s giving her an almond eye instead of even across to the ends like before. She could have that fixed to give her a more similar look to before. Her porcelain skin was what I remember as being such a trademark beauty. She can fix these things if she wants.
As a skin cancer survivor due to my obsessive tanning in my youth, I’ve been sun free for many years and I have always found Renee’s porcelain skin to be so beautiful.
I hope that’s a spray on tan.
She looks better.
I will also say that my mother had similar eyelids, and eventually, they started drooping and hampering her ability to see peripherally and so insurance paid for the surgical fix.
I’ve always thought that Renee would eventually have the same issue, I can’t blame her for having it done even though it did change her look.
My mother had the same issue too and got the surgery. I already see that whine I am older I will need it too.
I may get flamed for this but me too, and I go and get the tiniest amount of botox above the outer corner of my each of my eyes and it lifts them just enough to keep my eyelids up for now. It won’t work forever, but for now, it’s enough. I’d rather hold off on surgery by any means possible until I have to, because it DOES change the way you look.
My aunt had to have her eyelids done for the same reason and I probably will have to also. I get botox too, mostly for migraines but a little thrown in for vanity’s sake.
No need to defend her since most of people didn’t attack her, just pointing out the difference. What’s wrong about it? Nobody’s saying she should look young forever, or like she did 4 years ago, or how much weight she lost/gained.
Having said that, I too would have just accepted it if she said she did some work. If it makes her feel better, good for her. That’s my stance. Not so much when someone radically change her face, then of course I’ll judge, since I’m human. Why not being honest about it? What’s the big deal? Everyone in Hollywood is doing it. Also if you do it wrong it shows and it’s gonna be even more obvious.
I’m sure there are a lot of reason for her new look, first she’s tanned, second her make up sucks, third she lost weight. Taking that into consideration, it still shows that she did something, besides her eyes. I’m betting on fillers and botox.
Just don’t be all Nicole Kidman (of course she comes up when talking about plastic surgery and not telling the truth) about it and own it, for god’s sake!
There was a multiblog discussion recently in France re: a discreet actress who everyone adores who has been getting little adjustments done for decades on the regular. Everyone pretty much agreed that the blind item must be about Charlotte Gainsbourg, who is universally beloved there, and while starting out as jolie-laide intriguing Birkin-Gainsbourg spawn, has been progressively younger-looking, smoother-skinned and more even-featured for years.
So in that case, people point out that the work has been done, but are envious of how seamlessly it’s been done.
I agree but I also see a chin implant, on top of being way too tan, bad makeup, an eyelift, and some botox. Yes, she looks different but we’ve all seen worse!
To me it’s the eyes that make her look different. Otherwise she still looks like the same Renee only five years older and with a tan. Nothing at all wrong with that and I look forward to seeing her on film again. It seems like she’s taken a long hiatus.
Of course other celebrities are going to tell everyone to hold back, they’re doing the same things to themselves. Maybe they’re doing it because they’re fishing for future compassion should their faces hit event horizon.
I just see more tan in the above side by side photo. I would like to see a smiling side by side. She has a great smile. She definitely has a much more natural look going which is great to see. She is beautiful and so talented. Is she in a new movie coming out?
Are we sure The Coops didn’t kill Renee off and this is some random lady Harvey Weinstein has hired to cover this all up?
If she lose the tan and tame the brows, she’ll be Renee Zellweger again. She probably had to tan to deflect the attention from her eye-job. But that made her even unrecognizable. After the backlash, it will all be in her favor. So just relax, Renee.
Since she responded, I’m not sure why she didn’t just say she had some work done for health reasons. She has some fillers and botox, but the thing that’s changed her face is the eye work, and it’s likely that was done at least in part because her eyelids were causing her problems. So just say that, and watch the story fade away.
The fake tan really doesn’t suit her though, she’d look so much better and a bit more like her old self without it.
Mean? Come on, the Emperor’s naked. If it’s mean to say, “Hey, I do not think that looks much like the person I formerly recognized as Renee Zellweger,” or “I wouldn’t recognize her as the same person if you hadn’t told me that was her,” I guess you can color me mean. Frankly, it’s stupid to think people aren’t going to comment when you pull the equivalent of an identity change with your cosmetic gymnastics.
It’s no criticism! she WAS so beautiful and she destroyed her face! Why she did it? she didn’t need it! I think everyone was/is surprised. No one said ‘she’s older or uglier’ now she has a weird face, is not her. Again, why she did it? Hopefully famous and not famous people could understand is better not to touch your face! Accept your age and own beauty! 😉
She hasnt done anything about ageing, she actually looks her age.
Its just eyework, which took away her trademark.
Its sad that so many were calling her squinty and lemon sucking face before.
I always found her gorgeous, in Chicago she made Catherine Zeta fade, when they were on screen together. IMO
In the first pic she looks like what’s-her-name from Gone Girl
She looks waxy and her eyes are obviously bigger but…other than that she just looks softer as in she stopped working out like a machine, and has probably been baking herself in the sun, just relaxing and chilling out finally.
There has to be a lot of stress involved in having to maintain a certain appearance and look as an actress, and to me it just looks like she stopped stressing about that.
The most amusing thing about this is watching everyone who initially policed her face so publicly on websites and social media the other day now twist themselves into pretzels of defensiveness over having initially policed her face.
/popcorn
She obviously didn’t get the right work done…. She needs a load of Botox to take out those crows feet and brow lines… Follow that up with some IPL to take down that sun damaged complexion…. Really people? There are greater issues at stake with what she HASN’T done!…..
To me, she looks as if she’s done less to her face than what she used to. That is, she may indeed have had the eyelid thing done, but otherwise, no peels, scrubs, lifts, or whatever, just more tanning and less makeup (compare her face now to someone like Nicole Kidman and her tightly stretched face). So she actually looks more “natural”. Different because of the eyelid and laissez-faire eyebrows, but otherwise, meh, not really that big of a change. I agree that people should lay off. And esp. since people and blogs criticized her looks…and now they’re STILL doing it. Maybe she looks less happy because she feels that kind of insecurity you feel when you change from wearing a lot of makeup everytime you go out to wearing none AND knowing that you’re going to be photographed and criticized no matter what. I’d look less than cheerful myself if I was anxious about that kind of thing, as she has described herself to be. So I hope this dies down.
The squinty look now belongs to Rosamund Pike
Blake Lively is also squinty a bit, it looks gorgeous. IMO
I think all of them are stunning women, Rosamund, Blake and Renee with squint and even after, still beautiful
And Eartha Kitt, was always so memorable because of those squinty somewhat cat like eyes.
I have deep set eyes too, maybe not quite as much overhang/squint as Renee pre-surgery or J.Law, even CZJ pre-surgery, so maybe I’m more defensive of their looks when I have read numerous nasty comments about them over the years. I find it weird, I’ve certainly never felt at a disadvantage because of my eye shape, deep set eyes can make you look younger in a weird way, and they do have a slightly more exotic look imho. I have very round Irish features and my eyes give my face little bit more character. Though with age it does look less cute, can be puffy looking if you’re not careful about overdoing alcohol and not getting enough sleep. If I have to get up at the crack of dawn I inevitably look like someone punched me in the face and require cold spoons on the eyes.
I hope Renee didn’t feel pressured to change her appearance, because the irony is she probably wouldn’t have had the career she did if she was an identikit pretty blonde – Bridget Jones was not supposed to be perfect or a girl we’d hate for her perfection, so Renee was perfect for the role. She won her Oscar for a part that no run of the mill/looks like everyone else in Hollywood beauty could have pulled off. She was beautiful, in her own unique way, and now she is less unique looking, which I think is why it has caused such a tidal wave reaction. I’ve seen numerous men post about how much better she looks now, which is kind of sad. I don’t think people are being mean, most of the things I’ve seen online have just been like “What? Why?” and the inevitable discussion of beauty standards. I think people who don’t see a difference are maybe not that big of fans of hers, I agree the tan and eyebrows are contributing to the effect but she’s definitely done something else besides her eyes. I would tend to agree chin implant and maybe cheek reduction, too. If you saw her walking down the street you would definitely have to do a double take and question if it was her, so maybe her life will be easier now in that respect anyway…
Look, the nature of Hollywood is attention seeking. You have ordinary people elevated to god like status because they’ve sought out the public eye, regardless of whether they will admit to that or not. It’s only natural that people will comment. I do agree that the anonymity of the internet has made people ruthless. But, when you have noticeable amounts of plastic surgery, you can not expect it will go unnoticed. When you live in public, everything you do is subject to comment. There are plenty of celebs that have successful careers yet still manage to avoid the tabloid drama.
Except for the upper eyelids, and the tan I don’t see any difference. Look at just her nose, cheeks, chin side by side. They are exactly the same, just a bit darker on the right picture. But as in Jennifer Grey, one aspect of a face can really make all the difference. One reason why I wouldn’t get a nose job, although I don’t like my nose. I just don’t want to see a stranger’s face in the mirror.
But where are her cheeks? They’ve gone from high and round to tight and thin – It’s not age or weight loss, not this dramatically, as she’s been super skinny and still had the very round cheeks. And it’s too dramatic imo to be age as not that long ago they looked the way they always have. I think her chin looks longer too but that may be just down to everything else shifting. I think she’s had some sort of mini lift along with the eyes.
A few years back we had the whole Renee Zellweger extreme sour lemon candy meme.
http://www.galleryoftheabsurd.com/2005/06/renee_celebrity.html
Apparently she’d noticed and did something about her look. Now the same people who mocked her, mock her solution. She really can’t win.
And still: I would be very pleased if I looked like her when I’m her age.
It seems like she messed with her lips and the result was that puffy pout. If you look at the picture from 2001, she has a much thinner upper lip.
She just looks like she got a tan…
Whoa… there are only 5 years between the 2 pictures above and she looks at least 15 years older now!
hmm i vote jennifer grey syndrome here. she looks totally fine, but she changed one of her most characteristic features and has lost individuality and a fair amount of her cuteness from before. too bad
I love her longer hair, the darker blonde color, and her less prominent eyebrows. I feel the tip of her nose has been enlarged. She looks great, but is so reminding me of Naomi Watts.