Sydney Sweeney has become one of the most prominent young actors in Hollywood, admired for her performances in shows like Euphoria, The White Lotus, and a growing list of high-profile films. But with her rapid rise has come an equally rapid onslaught of public scrutiny particularly regarding her appearance. After years of dealing with speculation and rumours about plastic surgery, the 28-year-old star is finally setting the record straight in a direct and personal way.
In a new interview for Allure, Sweeney sat down with her The Housemaid co-star Amanda Seyfried for an open and playful conversation. When asked to debunk any beauty rumour of her choosing, Sydney didn’t hesitate. She immediately addressed the long-running claims that she has undergone cosmetic procedures rumours that began circulating when she was still a teenager.
“Let’s debunk them all,” she said with finality. “I mean, I have never gotten work done. I am so scared of needles, you have no idea.” Her frankness set the tone for a candid discussion about beauty standards, pressure in the industry, and the ways online narratives can distort public perception.
Amanda Seyfried responded with humour, offering a lighthearted solution to Sydney’s needle phobia. “You gotta call me, and I’ll give you a little bit of Ativan, and you’ll be so excited… But you don’t need it yet,” she joked, prompting laughter between the two actors. But Sydney had one more point to make addressing not just the accusation that she has had work done but also the assumptions people make about her facial features.
Agreeing with Seyfried that she doesn’t “need” any cosmetic procedures, Sydney joked, “No, also if I did, you guys, my face would be even.” When Amanda reacted with confusion, Sydney explained the comment by sharing a lesser-known childhood story. As it turns out, her slightly uneven eyes the feature often cited in online speculation—are the result of a wakeboarding accident that occurred years before she entered the entertainment industry. “I needed 19 stitches,” she said, clarifying that the surgery she underwent at the time was traumatic and medical, not cosmetic. One eye, she revealed, “opens a little more than the other” because of the injury, a detail that she says people frequently misinterpret.
Beyond the rumours about plastic surgery, Sweeney also addressed a more pervasive and growing issue: the trend of social media users comparing old photos of actors to their current, professionally styled images. “You cannot compare a photo of me from when I was 12 to a photo of me at 26 with professional makeup and lighting!” she emphasized. “Of course I’m going to look different.” She didn’t hold back her frustration at the sometimes obsessive online commentary, adding, “Everybody on social media’s insane.”
This isn’t the first time Sweeney has spoken openly about the intense beauty pressures she has faced throughout her career. In an interview with Variety published on October 27, she reflected on the harsh criticism she endured as a teenager in the industry. “I have very strong eyebrow muscles,” she said, recalling how adults in the business told her at just 16 that she needed to “fix my face” if she hoped to succeed. One of the most jarring pieces of advice she received was to “get Botox,” a suggestion that shocked her even then. “I was 16!” she said, still sounding incredulous.
She went on to reinforce, once again, that she has never undergone any cosmetic enhancements. “I’ve never gotten anything done. I’m absolutely terrified of needles. No tattoos. Nothing,” she repeated. While many young stars feel conditioned to conform to Hollywood’s narrow definitions of beauty, Sydney has made it clear that she intends to grow and age on her own terms. “I’m going to age gracefully,” she said with confidence.
Sydney Sweeney’s candidness about her experiences—and her refusal to bow to the pressures that often shape celebrity images—offers an important counter-narrative in a culture where appearance is scrutinised relentlessly. As one of the most spotlighted young actors working today, she continues to challenge unrealistic beauty expectations while reminding fans and critics alike that growing up, changing, and aging are natural parts of life, not indicators of cosmetic intervention.
By speaking out so clearly and openly, she isn’t just shutting down rumours she’s reclaiming the narrative around her own face, her own history, and her own identity.
