Celebrity
32 Stars Who Admitted to Plastic Surgery: Real Celeb Stories
1. Denise Richards got candid about her experience getting a facelift. “I wanted to put things back up, where they were before,” she told Allure, and added that while she’d gotten other procedures done before, surgery on her face felt “terrifying.”

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“Going through my divorce, my ex disclosed that I’d had a facelift,” she told Allure. “He had a photographer show up outside an appointment where I had some microneedling on my scars. So [my ex] told someone that I had a facelift, and said it was botched, which is really ridiculous.”
“I went back and forth about whether I was going to say anything about my facelift — um, he kind of let the cat out of the bag,” she added. “I think I could have gotten away with, ‘Oh, she looks so much better after her divorce.’ I think I probably would’ve been able to get away with it — or not, I don’t know.”
Denise even shared before-and-after photos online.
2. After losing weight with GLP-1, Jackée Harris decided to undergo a facelift. She said that she “got a little frantic” about her appearance, mainly her neck. “It’s like every time I looked in the mirror, I went, ‘Uh uh, I’m gonna have to do something.’ I’m not growing gracefully, and I accept it…But I don’t,” she said.

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She added that after the surgery, she feels more confident in her appearance. “I only look in the mirror about a thousand times, every half hour,” she joked. “I’m totally satisfied. My neck and my chin… I mean, it’s the bomb! I have no complaints. I still have some pain, but in six more months, I’ll be perfect in terms of the swelling. But it looks good and I’m still Jackée.”
3. Kylie Jenner revealed that she got breast implants and shared that she received “445 cc, moderate profile, half under the muscle, silicone.”

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4. Wendi McLendon-Covey took to Instagram to share news about her plastic surgery. She explained that she got a neck lift because she was “tired of looking like a melting candle.”

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5. Simone Biles spoke openly about her breast augmentation and lower blepharoplasty (to get rid of eye bags). For her implants, she explained that she wanted “to get the most natural look.” She detailed that as “310, high-profile, extra-filled, silicone.” And at first, she freaked out because she thought they were too big. “They were to my neck, and I did freak out, and I did talk to my doctor, and I was like, ‘Take them out. They need to be smaller, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah,’ because they look like aliens at first. Yeah, alien breasts,” she said. “But now they’re perfect.”

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She also shared that her recovery process was extremely grueling. She said, “Y’all lied. This shit hurts so bad. Everyone’s like, ‘Oh my god, after my surgery, I was up, and at the movies, at the mall, I went shopping.’ Hell no. Your girl could not move by herself. And I would say that — I don’t know, I’m just assuming — I’m a little bit more muscular than most girls that get them done, so going under the muscle and kind of doing all of that work really hurt my body.”
6. Brittany Snow shared that the only procedure she’s gotten is Botox. “I’ve never had any surgery. Not one. No nose job, (people have told me I needed one! But no) no eyelids, no facelift. Nothing. I lost baby weight in my face, minimal Botox and lasers. Just for the record,” she wrote in an Instagram comment.

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7. Jennifer Lawrence revealed that she gets Botox but has never had any filler. She also shared that she made an appointment for a breast augmentation after having her second baby. “Everything bounced back, pretty much, after the first [kid]. Second one, nothing bounced back,” she told The New Yorker.

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8. After years of being criticized for her supposed “work,” Khloé Kardashian set the record straight with the procedures she’s gotten. On Instagram, she wrote, “First off, I think these photos are about 15 years apart. But here’s a list of things that I have done. I’ve been very open in the past about what I have done so here we go. Nose job @drkanodia90210, laser Hair for the hairline and everywhere else 🤭 @sevlaseraesthetics, Botox and sculptra where my face tumor was removed in my cheek @7qspa, soft wave laser for skin tightening @softwavetherapy, filler in the past but not any over the last few years (I hear it never goes away, so I’m sure it’s still there but calmed down 🙏🏽) lost 80 pounds over the years (slow and steady) @coachjoe.paris, collagen baby Threads underneath my chin and neck @thethingswedo.co, Salmon sperm facials/regular facials, peptides, vitamins and daily skin care.”

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She added, “In 2025 there are many other things we can do before surgery but when it’s time, and if I choose to, I know some great doctors 😉💞.”
9. Harry Jowsey revealed he got Botox in his penis. On his podcast, he said, “They said it relaxes the muscle. It’s very smooth now, which is good.” He added that Botox can be used in other places too: “You can do it in your balls, yeah. Smoothes out the wrinkles.” But he opted not to get that treatment. He added, “My balls are doing their thing.”

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10. Katy Perry set the record straight on all the plastic surgery rumors. “I haven’t had any,” she said. “I’ve done lasers and got [filler] injections under my eyes for the hollowing — which I’d recommend for everyone who wants a solution for their dark circles — but all of my assets are real. People tend to think they are fake, but it doesn’t really matter.”

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11. Amanda Seyfried spoke candidly about the Botox injections she gets in her forehead. She explained that she has no other plans for plastic surgery, but she will get this one treatment “for the rest of [her] life.” She told Who What Wear, “I have a really good dermatologist who tells me that she’s never gonna do anything but put Botox in the same place for the rest of my life.”

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She also explained that for her role in The Testament of Ann Lee, she had to stop getting Botox while filming. “I couldn’t get Botox for a year,” she said. “That was a big assignment… When I first got [Botox], I was, like, ‘This is amazing,’ because I frown a lot. But then it all came back in a way that was absolutely necessary for all the work I was doing.”
12. Megan Fox shared all the cosmetic procedures she’s had done and said, “I’m just gonna go through all the things that I’ve done because I feel like there’s this stigma, and I’m not going to win. However, I’m hoping it sets some people free.” She confirmed that she got a breast augmentation during her early 20s and got her breasts redone recently. She explained, “I had my boobs done when I was 21 or 22. I had them redone after I was done breastfeeding my kids. I had to have them redone very recently because [with] the first set, I didn’t have enough body fat to disguise [them]. You could see the rippling of the implant, so I had to switch them out to this set.”

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Megan also said she’s gotten Botox, filler, and every laser treatment “you could possibly think.” She also got a nose job in her early 20s. “I had my nose done when I was in my early 20s. I’ve literally been accused of having six, seven, or eight rhinoplasty surgeries — which is impossible; your nose would get necrosis and fall off. I haven’t had a rhinoplasty since I was, I’m gonna say 23,” she said.
13. Ariana Grande acknowledged that she’s gotten a “ton of lip filler” and Botox over the years but stopped in 2018. She said, “Full transparency: had a ton of lip filler over the years and Botox. I stopped in 2018 ’cause I just felt so — too much. I just felt like hiding, you know? I didn’t expect to get emotional. For a long time, beauty was about hiding for me; now I feel like maybe it’s not. I wanna see my…cry lines and smile lines. I hope my smile lines get deeper and deeper and I laugh more and more. I just think aging can be such a beautiful thing.”

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She added that she isn’t opposed to getting more injections, or even a facelift, in the future. But she doesn’t believe that people should be judged for the choices they make about their own bodies.
14. Sofía Vergara said that people frequently accuse her of getting plastic surgery, but she has actually only had a few minor procedures. “I do micro-needling, little lasers for capillaries, because I have rosacea,” she said, adding that she gets “Botox in [her] eyes and in [her] neck regularly.” Though she said that if she had more downtime, she’d probably get more work done. “I wish I had downtime from work. I would do a lot more shit,” she said.

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15. John Stamos opened up about getting a nose job after being nicknamed “Big Nose Stamos” by other kids in his school. Once he landed his big break on General Hospital, he decided to get rhinoplasty. “Everyone who gets a nose job tries to find some excuse other than vanity, but let’s call it what it was — vanity,” he wrote in his memoir.

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He said that after the procedure, he ended up hating how it looked, and during his next filming hiatus, he went to see a different doctor and got another nose job. “I’m not all that happy with it. My nose looks kind of pushed up like Peter Pan or something. So on my next hiatus, I have it redone by Michael Jackson’s plastic surgeon,” he explained. “Who better to handle the delicate task of resculpting my nose than the man who created a whole new face for M.J.? I haven’t even been on the show for a year, and I’ve already graduated from the youthful newbie to the double-nose-job guy.”
16. SZA shared that she got breast implants but ended up getting them removed because she has a family history of breast cancer. “When I got my boobs done, my doctor took out some of my fibrosis, but..there was so much fibrosis, it was crazy,” she said. “And he took it out. And so, when I went back, a lot of the concerns were gone.”

Christopher Polk / Variety via Getty Images
The Mayo Clinic defines fibrocystic breasts as “composed of tissue that feels lumpy or ropelike in texture. Doctors call this nodular or glandular breast tissue.”
“I have markers in my breast, like metal markers in my breast, for these fibrosis, for these lumps or whatever,” she said. “I’m not supposed to be getting breast implants.” She said that after she got them put in, the implants “started hurting” her. “I got way too much scar tissue because my breasts are too dense, and I’m not supposed to have breast implants,” she said.
17. Lisa Kudrow shared that she underwent a “life-altering” nose job when she was a teenager. “I went from, in my mind, hideous to not hideous,” she said. “I did it the summer before going to a new high school. So there were plenty of people who wouldn’t know how hideous I looked before. That was a good, good, good change.”

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18. Priyanka Chopra Jonas opened up about getting a botched nose surgery that left her “devastated and hopeless.” In her memoir, she wrote, “Every time I looked in the mirror, a stranger looked back at me, and I didn’t think my sense of self or my self-esteem would ever recover from the blow.” She also remembered the media giving her the nickname “Plastic Chopra.”

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She recalled having a hard time breathing, so she ended up seeing a doctor who discovered a “polyp in [her] nasal cavity that would need to be surgically removed.” She explained, “While shaving off the polyp, the doctor also accidentally shaved the bridge of my nose, and the bridge collapsed. When it was time to remove the bandages and the condition of my nose was revealed, Mom and I were horrified. My original nose was gone. My face looked completely different. I wasn’t me anymore.”
She added, “While it took a few years of seeing a stranger gazing back at me every time I looked in the mirror, I’ve gotten accustomed to this face. Now when I look in the mirror, I am no longer surprised; I’ve made peace with this slightly different me. This is my face. This is my body. I might be flawed, but I am me.”
19. Kaley Cuoco shared that getting a nose job and a breast augmentation was the “best thing [she] ever did.” She said, “As much as you want to love your inner self … I’m sorry, you also want to look good,” she said. “I don’t think you should do it for a man or anyone else, but if it makes you feel confident, that’s amazing.”

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20. Tallulah Willis shared that she dissolved all of her facial filler after not seeing her “real bone structure” for six years. On Instagram, she said, “Hi! I was scared to mention but I recently got my filler dissolved – after being very emotionally and psychologically wrapped up in what I thought it gave me – I hadn’t seen my real bone structure in like 6 years. Still learning to dial back the futzing and the pokes and sit with myself as I am, which is hard when your brain tells you that yes! more is better!”

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21. Olivia Colman tried out Botox and said she loved the results. “I have done Botox, and I loved it,” she said. “I’ve done it when I know there is a big gap [between roles].”

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“I didn’t tell my husband, and then for about six months, he kept saying, ‘Hello, pretty!’ and then I told him, and he found it hilarious,” she added. “And then it wore off. It’s temporary. But I’ve always loved faces that aren’t symmetrical and teeth that aren’t flawless.”
22. Christy Carlson Romano got her breast implants when she was 18 years old. She said that she had body image issues, especially after seeing herself looking “flat-chested” in the movie Cadet Kelly. And it was actually her mom who made the suggestion for Christy to get implants. “She was like, ‘Christy, if you want to get breast implants, I just want to let you know that’s an option,'” she said. Christy added that she had a “positive experience” and has “never once” regretted getting the surgery done.

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23. Cardi B got illegal biopolymer butt injections during her early 20s and got them removed when she turned 30. She even warned her fans never to get the procedure done. During an Instagram Live, she said, “All I’m going to say is that if you’re young, if you’re 19, 20, 21, and sometimes you’re too skinny, and you be like, ‘OMG, I don’t have enough fat to put in my ass,’ so you result to ass shots, don’t!”

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24. Raven-Symoné shared that she got two breast reductions and liposuction when she was still a minor. “I had two breast reductions and lipo before I turned 18,” she said, claiming that her dad encouraged her to get her first breast reduction because of the body-shaming she faced. “There was paperwork involved,” Raven said. “My dad suggested strongly that I should get my breasts reduced.”

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“He was like, ‘So you don’t feel bad, is there anything that you want?’ I was like, ‘Yeah, if I get lipo, will people stop calling me fat?'” she shared. “So I got a twofer. It was just a mess, just being that young, and the pain of it all.”
25. Cheyenne Jackson opened up about receiving five hair transplant surgeries and shared that he got his first surgery at 28 years old after he started losing his hair in his early 20s. He wrote on Instagram, “I started losing my hair around 22. My older brother was balding, too, but was way braver & cooler & just shaved his off,” the actor explained. “It was really emotional for me to watch it fall out & I felt less attractive & truly less like myself as the days went on, so I saved up and got my first surgery at 28. I hid it from everyone. It was painful & expensive, but I started to feel better about myself.”

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“Over the years as my hair kept thinning, I kept secretly getting more procedures & would just pray that no one would find out,” he continued. “Why? Why did I care so much? What does that say about me? Being a vain actor in an industry that rewards beauty, I vowed to keep this my secret forever. I feel SO stupid saying that, but it’s my truth. As if someone finding out would somehow negate my talent, or make me less viable or valuable in the world.”
26. In 2019, Ayesha Curry opened up about the breast augmentation that she called “a rash decision” she made after giving birth to her second child. She shared that her motivation to get the procedure was “a bit of postpartum…[that] came in the form of me being depressed about my body.”

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The procedure was intended “to have them lifted,” but she ended up with “bigger boobs that [she] didn’t want” and got the implants removed. “They’re worse now than they were before,” she said at the time, adding that she “would never do anything like that again.”
27. Marc Jacobs opened up about the facelift he got back in 2021, saying that he got the surgery because he was at a point where injections and minor procedures were “not going to be effective.”

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He told Vogue, “What was really bothering me was my neck and how loose the skin was. I started to become very conservative with the Botox because I don’t like the way guys looked when they were, like, very Botoxed, and even with the filler, it seemed like it was just becoming too much. So I started doing thread lifts to hold up my jowls and the area of my face where the skin was sagging. But I found that those were only effective for a very short period of time. The fillers were too heavy, and the threads didn’t really hold anything up anymore. So Dr. Frank said, ‘I can continue doing stuff to your face, but it’s really not going to help much. It’s not going to be effective. You’re at that time where I think you should consider a surgery that requires cutting rather than, like, injecting.'”
28. In 2020, Chrissy Teigen shared via Instagram that she was getting her breast implants removed. “They’ve been great to me for many years, but I’m just over it,” Chrissy said in her caption. “I’d like to be able to zip a dress in my size, lay on my belly with pure comfort! No biggie! So don’t worry about me! All good. I’ll still have boobs, they’ll just be pure fat. Which is all a tit is in the first place. A dumb, miraculous bag of fat. ❤️”

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She later shared photos of her surgical scars on Instagram because some people didn’t believe her.
29. Back in 2017, Courteney Cox shared that she dissolved her facial fillers after scrutiny from the media and her loved ones. “The next thing you know, you’re layered and layered and layered,” she told New Beauty. “You have no idea because it’s gradual until you go, ‘Oh shit, this doesn’t look right.’ And it’s worse in pictures than in real life. I have one friend who was like, ‘Whoa, no more!’ I thought, I haven’t done anything in six months. I didn’t realize.”

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She opened up to the UK’s Sunday Times, explaining that she initially got the fillers because she was “chasing” the youthfulness she had in previous years, but regrets the decision. “There was a time when you go, ‘Oh, I’m changing. I’m looking older.’ And I tried to chase that [youthfulness] for years,” she added. “And I didn’t realize that, oh shit, I’m actually looking really strange with injections and doing stuff to my face that I would never do now.”
30. Blac Chyna got illegal silicone butt injections from someone who wasn’t a real doctor, and finally got them removed this year. In an Instagram video, she said, “I just want all the ladies out there to know: Do not get silicone shots. You can get sick, you can die, have complications, and all this other crazy stuff.”

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“Enough is enough. It all has to come out,” she said, explaining why she was also removing her facial fillers. “Back to the baseline. Honestly, I’m just tired of the look, and it’s just not flattering, it’s not what I look like. It totally changed my face.”
31. Joe Jonas opened up about getting Xeomin injectables, which are similar to Botox but are a pure form of botulinum toxin without any stabilizing proteins. He said, “There’s this stigma, especially with men, around getting injectables. I have many guy friends who have done it, and they’re shy to speak on it.”

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“Maybe just because it’s not something that we, or at least for myself, [I was] around much growing up,” he added. “There’s just this idea that this is something we don’t talk about. But I like the idea that we can break that and have a conversation where it’s not a big deal.”
32. Finally, Martha Stewart opened up about getting Botox and filler in her face. She admitted that she tried Botox injections in her upper face, but she didn’t like it “at all” and thought it made her look “unnatural.” She also gets filler in her cheeks and jawline, but her doctor does it “very conservatively” to make sure it looks “natural.”

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Martha’s doctor, dermatologist Dan Belkin, also explained to her, “We have Botox-like products…that can soften some muscle, and on you, what I do with the Botox is I try to reduce downward pull on the face. So I do a little bit in the jawline and on the neck so that we can reduce the banding on the neck and reduce the downward pull on the face to keep those muscles a little weaker so the muscles of the cheek can pull up a little more.”
Celebrity
Lisa Kudrow Exposes Brutal Friends Behind the Scenes Secrets
Fans are reeling after Lisa Kudrow shared shocking revelations regarding the “mean behavior” that occurred off-camera during the filming of the hit sitcom Friends.

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As most pop culture fans are aware, Lisa Kudrow and her legendary co-stars—Courteney Cox, Jennifer Aniston, Matthew Perry, Matt LeBlanc, and David Schwimmer—became household names in the ‘90s. They led the iconic NBC sitcom for 10 seasons, spanning from 1994 until 2004.

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The series was a massive commercial triumph; reports indicate the lead six stars began with a salary of $22,500 per episode in Season 1. By the time the third season rolled around, that figure had climbed to a substantial $100,000.

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By Season 9, the ensemble famously negotiated a record-breaking $1 million per episode—at the time, the highest deal ever secured for a sitcom. Most seasons featured 24 to 25 episodes, making the cast incredibly wealthy.

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Even though Friends remains a cultural phenomenon, Lisa is now exposing the darker side of the production. She recently spoke out about the mistreatment actors faced from the writing staff—specifically targeting the experiences of herself, Jennifer, and Courteney.

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In a candid interview with the Times, Lisa noted that the Friends writers’ room consisted of about 12 to 15 people, the majority of whom were men. She told the outlet: “There was definitely mean stuff going on behind the scenes.”

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“Don’t forget, we were recording in front of a live audience of 400, and if you messed up one of these writers’ lines or it didn’t get the perfect response, they could be like: ‘Can’t the bitch fucking read? She’s not even trying. She fucked up my line,’” Lisa recalled. “And we know that back in the room the guys would be up late discussing their sexual fantasies about Jennifer and Courteney. It was intense.”

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The interview also touched upon a past legal battle where writers’ assistant Amaani Lyle filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against the production. Lyle, whose role involved transcribing brainstorming sessions, was stunned by the graphic nature of the discussions regarding Jennifer and Courteney, which allegedly included crude gestures and sexual comments.

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While Amaani ultimately lost her legal case, Lisa reflected on the environment: “Oh, it could be brutal, but these guys — and it was mostly men in there — were sitting up until 3 a.m. trying to write the show, so my attitude was: ‘Say what you like about me behind my back because then it doesn’t matter.’”

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These insights have come as a shock to long-term fans who are voicing their horror online. Reacting to the interview on Reddit, one user commented: “What the fuck. And this is when Jennifer and Courtney were relatively quite powerful in the industry and you certainly didn’t want to piss them off. You know if those writers made disparaging comments about lead actors they would be fired.”

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“Good on her for speaking out about it now, can’t imagine how difficult it must’ve been for the actors to do their jobs in an environment like this,” another fan noted. Another person contributed: “Sorry to hear that, but happy that’s she’s spilling the beans, no more protecting of shitty men 🤝”

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Finally, one user simply summed up the collective frustration by stating: “men are disgusting.”
Celebrity
Millie Bobby Brown Enola Holmes 3 Nails Spark Period Drama Row
You are likely already aware of the “iPhone face” phenomenon—that modern aesthetic where an actor’s features feel far too contemporary to be convincing in a historical setting.

© Warner Bros. /Courtesy Everett Collection
There are numerous examples of this trend from the last few years. It is fair to argue that “iPhone face”—or “Instagram face”—is becoming a recurring problem as the popularity of cosmetic fillers, Botox, and bright dental veneers continues to rise among Hollywood’s elite.

Nick Wall / © Netflix / courtesy Everett Collection
Now, we have a new evolution of the trend: “iPhone hands,” brought to you by Millie Bobby Brown.

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This week, Netflix unveiled official first-look images from Enola Holmes 3, which is slated for a July release. The photos feature Millie returning as the lead character—the mystery-solving teenage sister of the legendary Sherlock Holmes, portrayed by Henry Cavill.

John Wilson / John Wilson/Netflix ©2026
The franchise is famously set during the Victorian era. Keeping that historical context in mind, eagle-eyed fans were quick to identify some glaring inaccuracies regarding the mid-to-late-1800s costume and makeup styling.

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While there is plenty of online chatter regarding whether Millie has undergone cosmetic facial enhancements, the internet’s attention shifted downward. Fans were immediately distracted by her flawless, polished fingernails, which stand out prominently in the latest promotional stills.

John Wilson / John Wilson/Netflix ©2026
As someone who has been a regular at the nail salon twice a month for over a decade, I can spot a professional manicure from a mile away. Judging by these images, it appears Millie is rocking an almond shape with a gel finish, and likely some acrylic extensions. (If I suggested the color looks exactly like OPI’s “Bubble Bath,” would I be overanalyzing? Perhaps.)

John Wilson / John Wilson/Netflix ©2026
Regardless of the specific brand, the aesthetic is undeniably modern. Considering UV lamps and LED gel technology didn’t exist in the 1800s, fans are baffled as to how she was permitted to walk onto a period-accurate film set with such a contemporary look.

John Wilson / John Wilson/Netflix ©2026
A viral post on X, which racked up over 222,000 likes and 5.6 million views, joked: “pulling up to 1885 with a fresh gel set.” Within the replies, another user noted: “You’d think these movie executives would pay more attention to details knowing social media exists…”

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The critique was even sharper on Reddit, where users labeled the “fake nails” as “ridiculous” given the cinematic context. “Are the acrylic stiletto nails historically accurate?” one commenter questioned. “What the fuck are we doing here, girl?”

John Wilson / John Wilson/Netflix ©2025
“How was this approved?” another person asked. “Fake nails in the Victorian era?!”

John Wilson / John Wilson/Netflix ©2026
To be fair, this isn’t the first instance where a fresh acrylic set has crashed a Netflix period piece. We haven’t forgotten about Penelope Featherington’s modern glam in Bridgerton.
Celebrity
Aaron Tveit on Chess Broadway: His Hardest Vocal Role Ever
Aaron Tveit has played some of theater’s most iconic leading men, but his portrayal of Freddie Trumper in the Chess revival might be his most electrifying performance to date.

Aaron Tveit / Via Polk & Co.
If you’ve made a trip to the Imperial Theatre, you’ve witnessed Tveit’s expert command of the stage. From the cocky swagger of “One Night in Bangkok” to the raw, unraveling vulnerability of “Pity the Child,” Freddie is an incredibly layered character. Not only does the chess grandmaster walk a fine line between two contrasting personalities, but he is also one of the most vocally challenging roles in modern musical theater.
It was a true honor to interview Aaron about stepping into this demanding production and what the music of Chess means to him.
Note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
You have an incredible resume. How does the role of Freddie stand out to you compared to your past Broadway shows?
Aaron: Thank you. I’ve been very fortunate to have a varied career. I’ve never really been a performer who does just one thing. Especially in theater, I always look for complicated characters.
I think Freddie is one of the most complex characters I’ve played yet. He is dealing with severe mental health issues, and I really wanted to touch on that as authentically as possible. I had many deep conversations about that with Michael Mayer, the director, and Danny Strong, the writer. It has been a lot of work and a lot of fun to dive into those layers.
On top of the acting, the singing is easily the hardest I’ve ever done. Those two factors combined have made the Chess Broadway score quite a mountain to climb, but I’m always seeking out those challenges.
It’s been really rewarding to be four or five months into the run and still be learning things about the show and the role every day. I’ve been a huge fan of the music for a very long time, and it’s still not quite sinking in that I’m part of this revival that fans have waited so long for.

Matthew Murphy / Via Polk & Co.
Freddie has these two sides: the swaggering public champion and this deeply wounded person. How did you approach balancing those character traits?
Aaron: That’s a great question. It all started with his mental health. If he’s struggling with manic-depressive disorder or undiagnosed bipolar disorder, the performance is all about those extreme highs and lows.
That gave me a lot of creative license. When he’s manic and excited in the public eye, he gets to be this “rock star” in his own mind. I think there’s also a lot of deep-rooted narcissism inside of him that feeds those qualities. The double-edged sword is that when the spotlight fades, he falls really hard to the other side.
During my time in Sweeney Todd, the associate choreographer, Chelsey Arce, and I started using different colors in the script to represent Sweeney’s rage. For Chess, I used that same technique, assigning a different color to Freddie in each scene based on where he sits on that manic-depressive spectrum.

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On the swagger side of things, “One Night in Bangkok” is such a highlight. It’s a very complicated scene, especially how you jump into the pants—how much rehearsal goes into that number?
Aaron: I’m so fortunate that I’m literally lifted by five of the guys in the ensemble, while two of the women hold my pants at a very specific spot for me to get in. Honestly, I’m doing the least amount of work in that moment—it’s the ensemble that makes the magic happen every night. I’m very lucky to be supported through that, both figuratively and literally.
That number is iconic. Even people who don’t know the full plot of the musical have heard that song, so there’s a big responsibility that comes with it.
We had this idea to find Freddie as he’s off his meds and self-medicating in Bangkok. We looked at what it would be like to prop him up and get him ready for his job as an on-camera analyst. We had so much fun with the ensemble and Lorin Latarro, the choreographer, finding our own unique way to stage it. It was a massive mountain to climb.

Matthew Murphy / Via Polk & Co.
On the “wounded” side of Freddie, “Pity the Child” is an incredibly vocally challenging and emotional song. When you’re performing it, are you thinking technically, or are you fully in the moment?
Aaron: That’s a great question. It really depends on the day. My hope is always that I’ve done enough technical work during the rehearsal process so that the singing becomes second nature. I try to navigate the vocal hurdles before I even step into the room. If you’re constantly worried about the high notes, you can’t focus on the emotional scene work.
That being said, we do eight shows a week, and it’s grueling. There are nights—like this past weekend when the weather changed and my allergies went insane—where you have to think technically. You’re trying to figure out where to place the sound while still staying in character. It’s a “split-brain” experience.
With “Pity the Child” specifically, I’ve known the song for years, but I didn’t fully understand the weight of it until this production. It’s the first time Freddie is forced to look inside himself. Discovering that with the audience every night is fascinating. It’s the hardest song I’ve ever sung, but also one of the most rewarding.

Matthew Murphy / Via Polk & Co.
You’ve mentioned this is your most vocally challenging role. How do you maintain your vocal health while doing eight shows a week?
Aaron: Vocal health is everything in a long run. If you’re doing a limited engagement, you can push through, but for a long run, you have to be disciplined.
I grew up studying classical music, so I have a very solid foundation. I’ve worked with the same voice teacher in New York for 20 years. I need to know I can do the show healthily before I even start. I also find that stressing about your voice actually makes things worse.
On a daily basis, I keep my baseline health high. It sounds simple, but it’s about sleep, eating right, staying hydrated, and steaming. Avoiding too many late nights out is just part of the job.

Gary Gershoff / Via Getty Images
The cast recording is out now. What was different about recording the Chess album in the studio versus performing the show live?
Aaron: Recording the Chess cast album was incredible. Our live sound at the Imperial is great, but the studio offers a different sonic experience. You get immediate feedback in your headphones, which allows you to access different colors in your voice that might be harder to hear on stage over a live orchestra.
For “Pity the Child,” we only did two takes. Most of what you hear on the album is that second take. They turned the lights down, and it was just me and the music. It was an out-of-body experience where I felt like I was floating above myself, just grateful to be recording such legendary music.

Chess / Via open.spotify.com
You have incredible co-stars, like Lea Michele and Nicholas Christopher. What’s your chemistry like off-stage?
Aaron: It’s wonderful. The cast clicked immediately. Lea and I have known each other for years, but this is our first time working together. Nick and I were in Sweeney Todd recently, but we didn’t have a full rehearsal process together like we did for this.
We all love this show so much and approach the work with the same level of intensity. Plus, between the three of us, there are five kids under the age of five! We all look at each other and know when someone has had a rough night with the kids, and we pick each other up. Bryce Pinkham is also a total blast to work with. We’re very lucky to have this group.

Bruce Glikas / Via WireImage
Finally, what do you hope audiences take away from seeing your performance as Freddie in Chess?
Aaron: It’s twofold. First, I just want to share this incredible music that has been beloved for 40 years.
Secondly, the most rewarding part has been hearing from audience members who struggle with bipolar disorder or mental health issues. They’ve told me they felt seen by this story. I had a similar experience with Next to Normal. Mental health still carries a stigma, and if Chess can help people walk away with more empathy and an open mind, that’s the biggest reward for me.

Matthew Murphy / Via Polk & Co.
Thank you, Aaron, for a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at Chess on Broadway.
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