Renee Zellweger on impact of having her face criticised: ‘I feel less fear’

The actress faced unprecedented levels of speculation about her appearance in 2014

(Getty Images)

Like almost every other high-profile woman, Renee Zellweger’s appearance is regularly scrutinised and analysed by gleeful tabloids eagerly hunting for any signs of ageing.

The rush to publicly dissect the minute details of a person's face is an unpleasant trend that places even more pressure to maintain unrealistic, youthful appearances regardless of their age - an expectation largely reserved for women.

But when the Bridget Jones actress appeared on a red carpet to attend the Elle Women in Hollywood Awards in 2014, she faced a level of speculation about her face and suggestions of plastic surgery that no-one could have predicted.

Zellweger at the Elle Women in Hollywood Awards

Her name quickly began trending on Twitter alongside reports marvelling at how “unrecognisable” she looked.

Zellweger responded to the claims with dignity at the time. “My friends say that I look peaceful," she told People. "I am healthy.”

The 46-year-old told Entertainment Weekly the furore had one positive lasting effect on her outlook 14 months later. “What good comes from knowing that something like that happened? Less fear.”

“All that I know about is what friends and associates would send in texts and emails. They were sending support, which means that I must have needed it, and I prefer it that way. So when people come up to me to ask ‘How did that feel?’ I don’t know, and I like it like that. I don’t know. I know it sounds pretty unlikely that a person might be able to make herself, I guess, keep clear of those words or of that experience, but I have and it takes effort.”