These Celebrities Looked Like Entirely Different People Before Fame
Several celebs have spoken out about how the pressures of Hollywood have led them to do drastic things to their physical appearances. We've heard of celebrities losing massive amounts of weight, getting a facelift, or getting injected with fillers and Botox. It's almost become a norm to see a high-profile star change their outside appearance with cosmetic surgery.
Just look at celebs like Mickey Rourke, Jennifer Grey, Michael Jackson, and Madonna before they reached success. They look like totally different people from their humble beginnings to when they gained fame and fortune. Reality star Kylie Jenner became famous for her large pout after feeling insecure about her small lips. In addition to her lip fillers, in an episode of "The Kardashians" in 2023, she revealed she got breast implants when she was just 19.
Celebs who have changed their appearance all have their reasons for doing so. Whether it was to get over their insecurities, wanting to make a change to lead a healthier lifestyle, or just because they wanted to, the stars below all pretty much gave a reason behind why they now looked so much different before fame.
Zac Efron had surgery on his jaw
In April 2021, Zac Efron participated in an Earth Day PSA to promote Bill Nye's "Earth Day Musical" special with Facebook Watch and left fans questioning whether the actor went under the knife. More specifically, those who viewed the PSA believed Efron underwent jaw surgery to make it more square. His appearance was such a hot topic that it was dubbed "Jaw-gate."
It wasn't until his interview with Men's Health in September 2022 that he finally addressed the plastic surgery speculations. Although "The Iron Claw" star admitted that his face did look different, he shared that it resulted from breaking his jaw after he "slipped and smacked his chin against the granite corner of a fountain" in his home in 2013. The publication stated that Efron "lost consciousness, and when he woke up, he recalls, his chin bone was hanging off his face." As a result, the masseter muscles in his face, which are used for chewing, had to work extra hard with the other muscles in his face to compensate for his injury. This also made his facial features change. "The masseter muscles just grew. They just got really, really big," Efron said.
In the same interview, Efron had no idea that his face change was such a big subject because he stays off social media as much as he can. "If I valued what other people thought of me to the extent that they may think I do, I definitely wouldn't be able to do this work," the actor said.
Did Cardi B have a facelift?
Rapper Cardi B has always been candid about her plastic surgery procedures. Even before she made it big following her single "Bodak Yellow," she admitted that she got her backside enhanced and breast implants so that she could make it as a dancer in New York City. Telling GQ she paid a mere $800 for butt injections, she shared, "It was the craziest pain ever. I felt like I was gonna pass out. I felt a little dizzy. And it leaks, for like, five days."
Following the birth of her daughter Kulture in 2018, whom she shares with rapper Offset, Cardi B revealed she underwent liposuction and had her breasts redone. She joked with ET when speaking about getting her boob job in 2019, "Yes, my daughter f***ed me up." That same year, Cardi B also got fillers in her nose, but later told Revolt in 2023 that it "made my nose longer, it made the tip of my nose longer, and it got wider." Because of this, the rapper admitted that she underwent rhinoplasty in 2020.
Cardi B also opened up about plastic surgery reversals. In 2022, she shared on Instagram Live (via Life & Style) that she got her butt injections removed and warned young women against the procedure. Despite criticism surrounding her procedures, Cardi B shared in her Revolt interview that she didn't get work done because she felt insecure about her looks but did share that she was done with getting work done for the time being. (7:10)
Iggy Azalea denied getting any work done on her derrière
Australian rapper Iggy Azalea made it big in the U.S. with her debut album "The New Classic," which gave listeners songs like "Work," "Black Widow" and "Fancy." Her newfound fame also had the star changing a few things about her appearance.
In an interview with Vogue in 2015, Azalea confirmed that she got breast implants when asked if she'd change any part of her body. Although she initially wanted to keep it a secret because of her younger fans, she shared, "I did change something: Four months ago, I got bigger boobs! I'd thought about it my entire life." That same year, the rapper revealed to Seventeen that she had a nose job. "I'm not denying it. Denying is lame," the rapper said. She added, "I don't think you should be ashamed if you made a change to yourself, which is why I've spoken about the changes I've made, like with my breasts."
Despite being extremely open about getting breast implants and rhinoplasty, what Azalea has continued to deny is getting butt implants. There's been speculation that the rapper had work done to make her backside bigger. Back in 2013, while appearing as a guest on "Sway in the Morning," Azalea put the rumors to rest when she shared, "It's my flesh, It's my butt."
Lil' Kim made waves over her new appearance
There is no denying that rapper Lil' Kim has changed her appearance over the years. Back in 2000, she spoke openly to Newsweek about getting breast implants and how her physical changes had a lot to do with her low self-esteem. "Guys always cheated on me with women who were European-looking. You know, the long-hair type. Really beautiful women that left me thinking, 'How can I compete with that?' Being a regular black girl wasn't good enough," she shared.
Since then, fans have noticed that Lil' Kim's face has changed drastically. Despite wearing blue contact lenses and platinum blonde wigs, her face began to look thinner around 2009. The rapper admitted to getting her nose done after being physically assaulted by an ex-partner but went back under the knife for a second time when she didn't like the way it looked. In 2016, she shocked fans when she shared a selfie on Instagram, where she appeared much paler. Many accused the rapper of skin bleaching, which she has vehemently denied. In the since-deleted Instagram post, when a commenter accused her of lightening her skin, she fired back, reportedly stating (via Essence), "Ok, but when the f*** did I bleach my skin you miserable moron?!"
Despite all the rumors surrounding her face, Lil' Kim has also been an artist who loves to change her look. In 2000, she said in an interview, "I'm a person who may get bored with my look sometimes. I love what God gave me, but sometimes I want to dress it up."
Heidi Montag had ten cosmetic procedures in one day
Heidi Montag became famous for starring on MTV's "The Hills" and being known as Lauren Conrad's ex-BFF, but she became even more famous for getting ten plastic surgery procedures in one day. In 2009, at just 23, Montag underwent multiple operations that included a brow lift, breast implants, a chin reduction, rhinoplasty, and having her ears pinned back, leaving her looking totally different. She told People then, "I think I look way better, and I'm way happier. Nobody ages perfectly, so I plan to keep using surgery to make me as perfect as I can be. Because, for me, the surgery is always so rewarding."
Montag, married to Spencer Pratt, has since changed her views about altering her appearance. In 2019, she told Cosmopolitan, "I was way too young to make such a life-changing decision." The reality star shared that the pressures of the spotlight and the harsh comments she received online made her want to change her body drastically. "I think I looked in the mirror a little too much," Montag said. "I wish I had waited and not made the decision so young because I have long-term health complications."
Khloe Kardashian had a nose job
Khloe Kardashian has been accused of filtering her selfies to the point of unrecognition. However, the Good American founder has fessed up to using image-altering tools like Facetune for her social media photos. She's a big fan of it, too. "Of course, I believe in airbrushing apps. Who doesn't want to airbrush a thing here or there?" Kardashian told People (via StyleCaster). She added, "Who doesn't want a good filter? Sometimes you're having a bad day."
Kardashian has come clean with her Photoshop skills, but she shocked fans when she revealed that she got a nose job in 2018. On the "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" Part 2 reunion in June 2021, she admitted having surgery after fans speculated that she had a facelift. "Everyone says, 'Oh my gosh, she's had her third face transplant.' But I've had one nose job," she shared to host Andy Cohen. She added, "I've done, sure, injections – not really Botox. I've responded horribly to Botox."
Letting the cat out of the bag, when Kardashian sat down with Robin Roberts in an ABC News Special in April 2022, she stated that getting a nose job was something she had always dreamed of. "I've always wanted my nose done, forever. But it's in the middle of your face and it's scary to think about. But I finally got the courage, and I did it, and I love it," she said.
Latto warns women against changing their natural look
Fans of rapper Latto might remember when she went by the name Miss Mulatto and was competing for a chance to work with a famous music producer on the Lifetime reality television series "The Rap Game." The rapper ultimately won the show's first season in 2016, but it wouldn't be until 2021 that she would find immense success after the release of her song "Big Energy." Since her time on the show until now, fans have noticed a few changes in Latto's physical appearance.
Unlike several celebrities, Latto hasn't hidden the fact that she has gotten work done on her body. In an interview with Cosmopolitan in 2020, the rapper admitted to getting a Brazilian butt lift or a BBL and liposuction. "I got 360 lipo. That's on my stomach, back, sides, and whole torso," Latto said, adding that she's also hired a trainer to maintain her figure.
On her Apple show "777," Latto had her sister, Brooklyn Nikole, as a guest and surprisingly told her listeners to think twice before getting cosmetic surgery. Despite being happy with her appearance, she shared, "I'm telling you to all the young girls listening, all the women listening right now. I'm telling you from someone who's been there, done it, find peace within your natural state." She added, "Because you're going to find a flaw and another flaw and another flaw and another flaw. Surgery, any of that stuff, is not a permanent fix."
Adele lost over 100 pounds
Adele sent fans into a frenzy when she appeared to have drastically slimmed down in a photo on Instagram in May 2020. In an interview with British Vogue, the songstress shared that she had shed over 100 pounds thanks to working out as much as three times a day. However, Adele kept her progress hidden from the world. "People have been talking about my body for 12 years. They used to talk about it before I lost weight," she said. Adele added, "I did it for myself and not anyone else. So why would I ever share it? I don't find it fascinating. It's my body."
With so many people now talking about her incredible weight loss, the singer even poked fun at herself while appearing as a "Saturday Night Live" host in October 2021. In her opening monologue, she joked, "I know I look really, really different since you last saw me. But actually, because of all the Covid restrictions ... I had to travel light, and I could only bring half of me, and this is the half I chose."
Despite her fantastic transformation, Adele still received hate from fans who believed she was pressured to lose weight. "There were some other people that felt very betrayed by me," she told BBC Sounds' "Desert Island Discs" podcast. However, she shared that working out "gave me somewhere to get rid of my energy, good or bad, and it made me feel like I was getting stronger mentally while getting stronger physically."
Tyra Banks admitted to changing one thing about her face
Tyra Banks is known for spreading messages of body positivity. The model regularly shares makeup-free selfies on Instagram and has encouraged people of all shapes and sizes to celebrate the skin that they're in. However, people were stunned to learn that Banks did get one major cosmetic procedure during the early stages of her modeling career.
As People reported in her memoir, "Perfect Is Boring," Banks revealed that she got a nose job. "I had bones in my nose that were growing and itching. I could breathe fine, but I added cosmetic surgery. I admit it! Fake hair, and I did my nose. I feel I have a responsibility to tell the truth," Banks wrote.
Although Banks advocates for people to embrace their natural beauty, she doesn't judge women who undergo procedures to alter their appearance. "Fix it or flaunt it – I think women should be able to do both. There is a boundary line, either you're super natural or you live at the plastic surgeon. It's okay to hop back and forth over that line. You want a hair weave? Fine. You want permanent eyebrows? Fine. We as women need to stop judging," she told People.
Rebel Wilson doesn't want to play the fat friend anymore
Actor Rebel Wilson declared 2020 her "Year of Health" and impressively lost over 70 pounds. Having documented her health journey with her Instagram followers that year, she shared in an Instagram Story (via Page Six) that she had hit her goal weight of 165 pounds by November. By the end of the year, Wilson had surpassed her goal weight.
However, her journey to getting healthy wasn't an easy one. While appearing as a guest on the "Call Her Daddy" podcast, Wilson revealed that she had to wait until she finished working on the "Pitch Perfect" movies to think about losing weight. Having become famous for starring as Fat Amy in the trilogy, with the last film released in 2017, she shared, "I couldn't lose a massive amount of weight because I was in the contracts for that movie. You can't lose not more than 10 pounds or gain more than 10 pounds." Wilson stated that she was often typecast to play "the fat, funny friend."
In a 2021 interview with BBC, Wilson stated that her team questioned her decision to lose weight because her roles were making an astounding amount of money. And, despite being confident in her body before losing weight, she ultimately decided it was the best thing she could do for her overall health. "I did not need a tub of ice cream every night," she said. "That was me numbing emotions with using food, which wasn't the healthiest thing."
Courteney Cox regretted getting so much filler
The pressures to look young and beautiful in Hollywood took a toll on "Friends" star Courteney Cox. As a result, the actor decided to get fillers in her face, not realizing she was overdoing it, and began looking like a different person. In an interview with People, she shared, "[I tried] to keep up with time in a way that was anything other than maintenance. I didn't realize it until one day I kind of stepped back and went, 'Oh s***. I don't look like myself.'"
In 2017, Cox decided to remove all the fillers in her face. "I'm as natural as I can be. I feel better because I look like myself. I think that I now look more like the person that I was. I hope I do," she told NewBeauty. "I don't know what the future holds, but I know I want to stay natural," she added.
And Cox has appeared to stay her natural self. While appearing as a guest on the "Gloss Angeles" podcast in 2023, she admitted that getting fillers was her biggest beauty regret. Speaking about her idea of beauty, she shared, "Less is more."
Simon Cowell's son couldn't recognize him after his over-excessive procedures
If you've watched Simon Cowell on "American Idol" or "America's Got Talent," you'll know that the judge's wardrobe choice has always remained the same. However, over the years, what has changed is Cowell's face, so much so that even Cowell reportedly put an end to his cosmetic procedures.
Cowell had admitted to overdoing it when using face fillers and Botox injections. His new look drew concern from people watching him on television. However, the reactions of his son, Eric, made Cowell end his excessive use of filler. He recalled to The Sun in 2022, "There was a stage where I might have gone a bit too far. I saw a picture of me from 'before' the other day and didn't recognize it as me first of all." He added, "Eric was in hysterics. Enough was enough. There is no filler in my face at all now. Zero."
Despite his promise to lay off the fillers and Botox, his Instagram followers believed he had done something to his appearance again after looking unrecognizable in a post celebrating One Direction's one billion streams on Spotify for their hit "What Makes You Beautiful" in August 2023. According to The Mirror, Cowell has denied ever having a facelift. Maybe it's just the new ultra-white smile that's throwing us all off.
Mama June had a dramatic transformation
June Shannon, aka Mama June, was first introduced to the world on the hit TLC series "Toddlers and Tiaras" alongside her pageant daughter Alana. From there, the famous duo landed their own reality show titled "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo" in 2012. By 2015, Mama June made it her mission to get into shape. She documented her weight loss journey, which included the help of surgery, on her own WE TV series, "Mama June: From Not to Hot," in 2017. Nearing the end of Season 1, fans were shocked to see the reality star had gone from 460 pounds to a size 4.
It was a dramatic weight loss transformation for Mama June. In an interview with People, she said, "I can promise you I'm never going back to that size. I'm happy where I'm at." She added, "It's kind of like I'm in my own disguise. A lot of people don't recognize who I am until I talk."
Mama June has since put on 100 pounds. In an interview with Daily Mail, she shared, "Eventually in your weight loss journey, you hit a sort of plateau and I've plateaued at 241. I don't drink soda, I don't drink tea, I don't snack like I used to, and all that. I don't move on the scale now, front or back." She added, "God pretty much wants me where I'm at right now."
Bella Hadid wished she had kept her natural nose
Bella Hadid has taken the modeling world by storm. She's walked for every designer under the sun, including Chanel, Dior, and Marc Jacobs. She's been on several magazine covers and is seen in advertisements for high fashion brands like Bulgari, Swarovski, and Versace.
Of course, like any other celebrity, there's speculation if Hadid has ever had any plastic surgery done, mainly because of her snatched appearance. In a Vogue interview in 2022, Hadid admitted to getting a nose job at just 14 but expressed regret. "I wish I had kept the nose of my ancestors. I think I would have grown into it," she shared. However, she set the record straight on rumors that she's gotten other work done, including an eye lift and fillers in her cheekbones. "People think I fully f***ed with my face because of one picture of me as a teenager looking puffy. I'm pretty sure you don't look the same now as you did at 13, right?" In addition, Hadid revealed that her trick for her famous snatched look is using face tape.
If you've never seen how the magic of face tape works, just check out this TikTok.