The Full Story: 5 Shocking Facts About Julie Chen's Career-Defining Plastic Surgery

Julie Chen Moonves’s admission of undergoing plastic surgery remains one of the most candid and controversial celebrity confessions in recent television history. As of December 12, 2025, the story, which first broke in 2013, continues to spark vital conversations about beauty standards, career pressures in media, and Asian-American identity.

The procedure in question—a double eyelid surgery—was not a simple cosmetic choice but a career-altering decision made under intense professional pressure. This deep dive explores the full timeline, the cultural controversy, and the other lesser-known procedures the longtime host of *Big Brother* has since admitted to.

Julie Chen Moonves: A Complete Biography and Career Profile

Julie Suzanne Chen Moonves is a powerhouse American television personality, news anchor, journalist, and producer, best known for her decades-long association with CBS.

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• Full Name: Julie Suzanne Chen Moonves (née Chen)
• Born: January 6, 1970
• Hometown: Queens, New York, U.S.
• Education: University of Southern California (USC), where she graduated with a degree in broadcast journalism.
• Key Career Roles:
  • News Anchor/Journalist: Worked for CBS Morning News and *The Early Show*.
  • Reality TV Host: Has hosted the U.S. version of the reality competition series *Big Brother* since its debut in 2000, earning her the nickname "Chenbot."
  • Talk Show Host: Was a co-host on the daytime talk show *The Talk* from 2010 until 2018.
• Family: She is married to former CBS CEO Leslie Moonves.

The Career-Altering Double Eyelid Surgery (Blepharoplasty)

The most famous and scrutinized procedure in Julie Chen's history is her double eyelid surgery, medically known as Asian blepharoplasty. This cosmetic eyelid surgery was performed early in her career, long before her rise to national fame on *Big Brother* and *The Talk*.

The Shocking Reason Behind the Procedure

In 2013, Chen made a tearful confession on *The Talk*, revealing the intense professional pressure that led to her decision.

The News Director’s Ultimatum: While working as a local news reporter in Dayton, Ohio, a news director famously told her that she would never make it to the anchor desk because of her "Asian eyes."

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The director reportedly stated, "Your eyes are too small, and you look disinterested and bored." He also claimed that her eyes made her look "Chinese."

The Agent's Advice: Her agent at the time echoed this sentiment, suggesting that a double-lid procedure would help her career.

Chen's experience highlights a difficult reality faced by some Asian-American professionals in media, where features perceived as "too ethnic" were seen as a barrier to mainstream success.

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What is Asian Blepharoplasty?

Asian blepharoplasty is a surgical procedure that creates a crease in the upper eyelid, giving the appearance of a "double eyelid." Many people of East Asian descent naturally have a "monolid" (a single eyelid without a crease). The surgery is one of the most common cosmetic procedures in Asia and among Asian-Americans.

The Long-Term Impact and Clarifications on the Controversy

Chen’s revelation immediately ignited a firestorm of debate, with critics arguing that the surgery perpetuated anti-Asian beauty standards and that she was trying to look "less Asian."

Addressing the "Less Asian" Criticism

Julie Chen has consistently clarified her intentions, stating that her decision was not about trying to look "less Asian" but about improving her professional prospects based on the feedback she received.

She explained that the goal was simply to make her eyes look "bigger" and "more expressive" on camera, as the monolid look was being misinterpreted as "bored" or "disinterested" by news executives.

Despite the controversy, Chen has expressed that she is "so glad" she got the surgery, attributing her subsequent career success, including her long tenure on *Big Brother*, to the change in her appearance.

The Lesser-Known Procedure: A Lower Facelift

While the eye surgery is the central focus, Julie Chen later revealed that she also underwent another procedure: a lower facelift.

This procedure is typically less invasive than a full facelift and focuses on tightening the skin and underlying tissues in the lower part of the face, including the jawline and neck area.

She joked that she wanted a "revenge facelift" during interviews for her audiobook, suggesting a desire to maintain a youthful appearance and perhaps a playful jab at her critics or the industry's ageism.

The Evolving Conversation on Cosmetic Enhancements

Julie Chen's transparency about her plastic surgery procedures—the blepharoplasty and the lower facelift—has cemented her story as a key case study in the intersection of celebrity, cosmetic surgery, and cultural identity.

Her experience sparked necessary dialogue about the unrealistic and often racially biased beauty standards enforced in the entertainment industry. For many in the Asian-American community, her story is a complex mix of professional ambition and the painful reality of having to alter one's appearance to fit a predominantly white standard of beauty.

The procedures, particularly the double eyelid surgery, have undeniably become a defining, albeit controversial, chapter in the Julie Chen Moonves career narrative. Her openness about her aesthetic choices continues to resonate, forcing a deeper look at the price of fame and the pressure to achieve a certain look on television.