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Zac Efron found himself in a Khloé Kardashianesque internet frenzy last year with people convinced he had a “new face.” As cosmetic surgery rumors ran wild, the actor had no idea- until his mom called him to ask.
Efron was just trying to promote an Earth Day special from Bill Nye when the speculation began. Screenshots of his face started going viral, with people making guesses about all the work he has gotten done. But according to a recent interview with Men’s Health it all goes back to 2013 when he shattered his jaw at his home.
The brutal chin hit came after Efron ran through the house with socks on. He slipped and smacked his chin against the granite corner of his fountain. The impact made him lose consciousness, and when he woke up his chin bone was “falling off his face.” Efron could only drinking liquid foods for 6 weeks and lost 10-12 pounds.
The High School Musical star, told the outlet when he was injured, the muscles on the inside of his face and jaw had to compensate. As a result, his masseter muscles, used for chewing “just grew“ as they worked ”in symphony” with the rest of his muscles.
The 34-year-old was working with a specialist and doing physical therapy to mediate it, but when he was in Australia, he took some time off from it. “They just got really, really big,” he said.
Efron said he had no idea people were speculating about his face until his mom called him and asked if he had gotten plastic surgery. Like many celebs, he really only uses social media to promote projects and generally avoids it.
Which has been something that has helped him navigate fame at a young age. “If I valued what other people thought of me to the extent that they may think I do, I definitely wouldn’t be able to do this work,” he told the outlet.