Here's How Plastic Surgery Damaged Heidi Montag's Career
In 2006, Heidi Montag starred opposite Lauren Conrad on The Hills — a reality series which followed a group of young adults living in Los Angeles. Soon enough, fans were obsessed with Heidi and Lauren's sweet friendship, but things took a turn for the worse when Heidi met Spencer Pratt, her now-husband. Lauren quickly learned she didn't like Spencer, and as a result, their bond became weaker and weaker. In 2007, the two fought outside of a club, which was documented on the show, and from then on, their relationship was never the same.
Despite things not working out with Lauren, Heidi's career was on the up and up, but she decided to go under the knife in 2010, which resulted in her getting 10 procedures (yes, really!) done in one day. Fortunately, Spencer was by her side following the surgeries, but she eventually retreated from the spotlight, and her reality TV stint seemed to be done for good. "For the past three years I've thought about what to have done. I am absolutely beyond obsessed," she told People in 2010 about her new look. Ultimately, the Colorado native wanted to "feel better" and "feel perfect" about her body.
"And when I watched myself on The Hills, my ears would be sticking out like Dumbo!" she added. "I just wanted to feel more confident and look in the mirror and be like, "Whoa! That's me!" I was an ugly duckling before."
So, what happened to Heidi's career post-surgery? Let's find out.
Heidi Montag claims she 'died for a minute' during plastic surgery procedures
After Heidi Montag got 10 plastic surgery procedures done in one day — Botox, breast augmentation, liposuction, chin reduction, and more, per People — the reality TV star admitted she "died for a minute" after the operations. "With that much surgery, I had to have 24-hour nurse care and Spencer [Pratt] didn't want to leave my side," she told Paper magazine in 2018.
"I was at a recovery center and had Demerol to deal with the pain because it was so extreme," Heidi said to Paper. "My security guards called Spencer and told him, 'Heidi's heart stopped. She's not going to make it.' And I easily could've." Luckily, the MTV star — who shares son Gunner with Spencer — made it out alive.
Despite risking her life for procedures that weren't necessary, Heidi confessed, "A lot of positive things came out of [the surgery]." She added, "I had to look at myself in the mirror every day healing, and be like, 'What did I do to myself? How did I get here? What is going on?' I basically had to hit that rock-bottom moment in my life, to realize what was important to me."
Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt went broke after she went under the knife
Not only did Heidi Montag risk her life by going under the knife in 2010, but she and her husband, Spencer Pratt, went broke following the procedures. In fact, they spent almost $10 million on altering her image. "A majority of it's gone. There's agents, lawyers, managers, taxes, hair and makeup," she said on The View (via Radar Online) in 2014.
Spencer — who was making six figures an episode on The Hills, per Money — claimed he and Heidi "were more famous and [making] more money than Kim Kardashian" while filming The Hills from 2006 to 2010. The crystal enthusiast told Money in 2018 that "the money was just coming so fast," so it "led me to believe that, 'Oh, this is my life forever.'"
"It just kind of caught up with us, and it was a lot and it was really overwhelming," Heidi said. "I think we just needed to reevaluate and reground our lives and our values, and be like, 'What is the future we want for ourselves?' I think our real values are our families and our relationships and each other, and I think we just needed to step back and realize that."
Heidi Montag has 'long-term health complications' from plastic surgery
Ultimately, Heidi Montag wishes she hadn't made "such a life-changing decision" at such a young age because she now has "long-term health complications," she told Cosmopolitan in 2019. "I was just really self-involved at the time — like so many young people — but I was also on TV where every perceived flaw is amplified," she recalled. "I think I looked in the mirror a little too much. I wish I had waited."
However, Heidi is not "against plastic surgery," but she wants people to know "how devastating the recovery is." The reality star added, "I don't regret a lot of my enhancement, but plastic surgery isn't something that should be glorified. Take it seriously."
Luckily, Heidi was able to get back on her feet again — especially when she joined The Hills reboot, which premiered in 2019. These days, Heidi and Spencer try to live a normal life in Los Angeles with their son, Gunner. "I feel like I am stronger than I've ever been emotionally," she told Paper magazine in 2018. "At the end of the day, I'm his mom, and that's my main priority."
Now that Heidi is back in the spotlight, we have a good feeling her second act is just getting started.