Zac Efron’s chin was 'hanging off his face' - how an accident completely changed his appearance

Let’s be real—Zac Efron has been one of Hollywood’s most crush-worthy stars for years. But in recent years, the High School Musical alum sparked rumors about his new look. Fans speculated that Zac had gone under the knife after his appearance seemed a bit different in 2021.

For those of you who aren't keep track, here's how he looked in 2019:

And this is what he looks like today:

In interviews, Efron has been setting the record straight and sharing the truth behind his transformation.

What really happened to Zac Efron?

The story is just as dramatic as it sounds. Zac revealed to Men’s Health back in 2022 that he had a freak accident in 2020 while, of all things, running around his house in socks. Picture this: Zac, casually jogging around his house, slips, and smacks his chin against the granite corner of a fountain. He briefly lost consciousness, and woke up to his chin bone hanging off his face.

The injury was so intense it required serious rehab and months of physical therapy, during which his jawline started to shift and change​​.

For those curious about his more pronounced jaw, Zac explains that it was due to his masseter muscles (which are used for chewing) going into overdrive. 'The masseters just grew,' he said in classic Zac style.

They just got really, really big.

All of this happened while he was trying to recover, and taking a break from physical therapy in Australia only amplified the muscle growth in his jaw​.

Rumors and 'jaw-gate' take over the Internet

Once fans got a glimpse of Zac’s transformed face during an Earth Day video in April 2021, the internet exploded with theories. Was it fillers? Plastic surgery? When Zac finally heard about 'jaw-gate,' it wasn’t from social media but from a much more relatable source—his mom. His mother, like so many of us, had been following the online buzz and asked him outright if he’d had work done.

As reported by StyleCaster, even Zac’s friend, Australian radio host Kyle Sandilands, jumped in to squash the rumors, saying there was no way Zac would mess with his face. And Zac himself, who generally avoids social media drama, said, as quoted by Men's Health:

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.

So, did Zac Efron get plastic surgery?

If you’ve been wondering about Zac’s new jaw, the answer is finally clear. No, he didn’t have plastic surgery—it’s all thanks to an unfortunate slip, a granite fountain, and a whole lot of muscle compensation. Zac’s journey is a mix of unexpected injuries, a commitment to his craft, and a sprinkle of classic Hollywood drama.

In fact, Zac even pokes fun at the rumors in his recent Netflix rom-com, A Family Affair, where he plays a character hounded by plastic surgery gossip.

Read more:

⋙ Zac Efron: Fans are worried about his health after his latest Instagram post

⋙ Gemma Collins: Reality TV star reveals secret behind her transformation

⋙ Brad Pitt and other male celebrities are breaking this social norm

Source used:

Men's Health

Today.com

StyleCaster