I apologize ahead of time for the bitchiness which I’m about to employ, but doesn’t it seem like Renee Zellweger has been “re-squinted”? That’s the only way I know how to say it. She had some obvious eye work done several years ago, and I don’t know if she had additional work recently to make herself look more like herself, or if her old face is just coming back through. Whatever is happening, I don’t mind it. I feel like I recognize her again after a long absence. Renee has been everywhere for the past month promoting Bridget Jones’s Baby, which comes out in America on Friday. I’m not going to see it opening weekend, but I might see it on the second weekend. I’ll be honest – the fact that Hugh Grant isn’t around is disappointing, and Patrick Dempsey does nothing for me, but I’ll go because of Bridget and Mark Darcy.
Anyway, Renee covers this week’s issue of People Magazine to promote the film and give her most interesting interview ever, or whatever absurd cover line People is using. The truth of the matter is that Renee still talks in word-salad circles about what she’s been doing the past five-to-six years. It’s her business and she doesn’t “owe” us an explanation for anything. But let’s not pretend that she’s being candid about anything. Some assorted quotes:
Why she stopped acting for six years: “My personal life had taken a back seat to fulfilling my professional obligations. I felt a responsibility not to let people down. And so I just kept going. And there wasn’t a reason not to. I didn’t have children or an established relationship that dictated I make different choices. And because of the choices I was making and the life that I was living, I had no time to develop that in my life.”
On the “bad choices” she made to explain/hide her exhaustion: Zellweger says she took “bad advice…when someone else’s suggestion about what might be a good idea feels like kindness.”
Her life now: But Zellweger, who’s been dating guitarist/singer Doyle Bramhall II, an old friend from Texas, since 2012, says she’s much happier with herself and her more balanced life now. She says she realized several years ago: “I don’t want to be this person 10 years from now. I’d like to become more of who I’m supposed to be.”
Zellweger says she took “bad advice…when someone else’s suggestion about what might be a good idea feels like kindness.” What is she even saying there? She took bad advice to “hide” her exhaustion, or she took bad advice to explain her exhaustion, or she took bad advice to explain her obvious plastic surgery with the “now I’m not exhausted” excuse? As I said, she doesn’t owe us an explanation for anything, but that’s how you say it. When someone is like, “Why did you look so different?” say “I don’t owe you an explanation. It’s none of your business.” Rude but effective. And we won’t have to keep on talking in circles about good ideas, kindness and bad advice.
Here are some photos of Renee in Madrid this week:
Photos courtesy of WENN, cover courtesy of People.
Squinting, in an old school Renee kind of way, to try and read between the lines of the “bad advice”. Nope, it’s not understandable.
If she doesn’t want to answer questions about her personal life a simple mind your damn business will do.. You can’t disappear the reappear with a new face, blame it on exhaustion and makeup then cry about bullying when questions are asked. She’s too old for that, you don’t need advice from anybody, grow a back bone and say I was living my life, now about this new movie…why make something so simple so hard
“resquinted” seems to be the only way to describe it. She looks much more like her old self.
Exactly, she looks like her old self. If only she would just say yes, no or none of your business.
I think perhaps she had extensive thread lift work which considerably shifted her forehead and temple area changing her eyes completely
I think she has had that reset and then redone in a more subtle way
she certainly had something dramatic done that has now been fixed and it isn’t just rest
Maybe it was just Botox.
ETA Annnnddd just hit the scroll down button and saw that Becky just below said the same thing.
Having seen pics from the London premiere and on Jonathan Ross the other night, she does look more recognisable, she looked great.
I’m starting to think maybe she had something like Botox done on her eyes and stopped.
GOOOOOORRRRLLL WTF Are you even saying!!!?!? SHUT*UP*PLEASE
Her hair is terrible, especially in photo 2. She must share a hair stylist with GOOP.
I agree. Is her hair naturally curly and has she been straightening it or something? It looks to me like the hair of someone who is malnourished and made me wonder if she had an eating disorder. She must have extensions on the magazine cover.
Sometimes there are legitimate reasons for plastic surgery (besides just cosmetic). Looking at Renee I can’t help but wonder if her pronounced squint/eye droop doesn’t cause her actual vision problems. If that is the case I am all in favor of her doing what’s best for her health. It may even be that she will need to repeat the procedure periodically if she has severe muscular weakness around her eyes.
That said, she would probably be better served to just be candid when questions come out. Of course, like everyone she is entitled to her medical privacy and doesn’t owe anyone an explanation. She’s kind of trapped herself in a no win situation.
She looks great. She was traveling, away on set nonstop for years. She stepped away and lived a normal life. I get it.
Goddamn she is so WEIRD. I cannot figure this woman out. what is she even saying?? what did she do with herself for 5 or 6 years when she completely dropped off the map? I really do not understand her, or her appeal.
She very clearly needs a brow lift. her eyelids are super heavy an interfering with the natral shape of her eyes, making them appear squintier than ever. I know, because I have this exact same problem. she has a flat brow and botox use on her forehead to deal with forehead wrinkles only makes her eyes drop down further.
boring, blah, beige.
She kind of looks like Nicole Kidman now.
Don’t really know, or care much. Sorry.
I like her, I really do, but she seems to be one of those people who want to control their own narrative and gets angry and resentful and doubles-down on the spin when they realize that people are going to think whatever they want anyway. It’s easier to just give a short-and-sweet answer with a kernel of truth, but that never occurs to people with this kind of complex.
“Where did you go for six years?” “I was lucky to be able to afford to take time off to hang with my friends and family, travel, read books, etc. until I found something that interested me, etc.”
“Did you have work done?” “I’ll never tell!” or some silly, teasing version.
We should form a PR consulting firm.
Hugh Grant alluded to the fact that she’s daffy. There have been other anecdotes through the years that she’s a hair shy of Anne Heche balled up in the corner of someone’s bedroom, talking about aliens.
I think she had Botox around her eyes. I have heavily lidded eyes like Renee and Jennifer Lawrence and the rest that have the “hooded” eye. I would love for my eyes to be a little more open and have asked my dermatologist about that option, before opting for surgery. Botox lasts about 6 months, surgery would last significantly longer. My dermatologist said very clearly, Botox is for everything above the eyes, and maybe crows’ feet. But below that, it’s fillers. She said you can do Botox around your eyes, but she won’t do it. Other doctors may.
I can’t imagine she had a surgery that was reversed. It looks now like she had something that would freeze / lift and it’s wearing off.
Regardless, she lives in the public eye. Not telling the truth is ridiculous; she’s photographed everywhere she goes. In my opinion, it lends to body shaming, to deny you tried something you didn’t like. If people want to alter their appearance, awesome. But if I get my eyes done surgically and show up one day without the my-eyes-just-disappear-when-I-smile problem, I’m not going to tell everyone I am just so rested. I will tell people what I did and why. Eff ’em if they don’t like it.
Does she always have to be so cryptic? I like her, but can’t she just say “I burned out” or whatever.
Blah blah. I’m already tired of her.
I have a slight soft spot for her. She is great as Bridget Jones. You’d never think an oddball Texan like her would not pull off a role like that, but she does it magnificently. I just saw Bridget Jones Baby and thought it was much better than the second installment. If you are a fan of the first Bridget Jones movie, you’ll probably like this one. I would continue seeing Zellweger play Bridget as long as she wants. Oh, and I was so happy that Hugh Grant was not in this film. He looks awful these days. I’d rather see Patrick Dempsey and I thought he did a good job in this role.
Zellweger’s real life personality is a bit off as some people here have pointed out. She seems to be an extremely private individual, which is fine – I am as well – but as a celebrity, it is probably very difficult for her to balance her desire to not have to deal with the public and wanting to be a working actress in Hollywood and promote her movies. I believe that she truly wanted to take a break from Hollywood and that her years away from the limelight were good for her personally. Her one and only marriage which only lasted 4 months is completely weird. I’m happy that she at least found some stability in a long term relationship with that guitarist.
I don’t think she had reverse plastic surgery. Whatever she did to her face settled or wore off – I’m guessing she had something noninvasive like Botox and decided to stop after all of the accusations and criticism of her new look. Her hair is usually a mess so this People magazine cover is the best she’s looked in ages. Her hair looks better than usual in the cover photo and her makeup looks nice and natural. Whatever airbrushing that was done also makes her face look fuller, younger, and more refreshed. I personally would love to see her gain ten pounds and wish she had gained a bit for the movie, but I understand the health risks involved since she is 47.