While golden trophies were being awarded to the most talented actors and actresses at the 2026 Emmy Awards, the internet decided to hand out their most brutal verdicts on red carpet looks.
Social media users indulged in their favorite past time of speculating whether celebrities underwent plastic surgery or whether they were on weight-loss medication for their appearance at the award show, held on September 14 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.
Here are 15 stars whose 2026 Emmy red carpet looks triggered a wave of speculation.
#1 Lisa Rinna
The internet wasn’t kind to Lisa Rinna for her red carpet appearance at the 2026 Emmy Awards.
Bringing power couple energy to the show, Rinna posed beside her longtime husband Harry Hamlin, who was dressed in a black tuxedo.
The 63-year-old actress was dressed in an enormous black gown with puffy sleeves, which gave off “black garbage bag” vibes to some viewers online.
But beyond her outfit, some said her appearance showed just how far she has gone with plastic surgery.
“Lisa’s face is straight out of a horror movie now,” one said, while another wrote, “I hope she fired that plastic surgeon!! OMG!! That’s scary!”
“She looks botched,” said another.
The Days of Our Lives actress has been open about her extensive plastic surgery history, saying “some things work out, and some things don’t.”
She once branded herself as the “perfect poster child for what not to do on a whim” but “it’s made me who I am,” she said about cosmetic surgery.
Years ago, Rinna loved the results of having permanent silicone filler injected into her top lip but not her bottom lip. She was initially excited about the results, but later had them reduced following backlash.
“I was crazy to even touch them in the first place,” she told People in 2010.
By the age of 23, she got herself the permanent plumper, taking her total number of injections to four at the time.
“In the beginning, it was great,” she said. But about a decade later, the silicone started seeping throughout her lip, creating scar tissue that was “hard and bumpy, like peas.”
So to reduce the swelling, the actress took cortisone shots but that “made them look worse,” she said.
“I’d get photographed, my lips would look a certain way, and then people would start to talk,” she said.
Just when she thought there was no redemption for her lips, she was advised by Beverly Hills plastic surgeon Garth Fisher to have surgery to reconstruct her upper lip. And Rinna went ahead with it.
“You can see my teeth when I smile now, which you couldn’t do for a while. I’ve been smiling these big smiles!” she said during the 2010 interview. She said her lip was “back to being smooth.”
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star spoke about another “traumatizing” cosmetic treatment that she regretted: SKINVIVE, an injectable gel implant that promises to reduce lines and wrinkles.
She said she decided to get the injectable ahead of the 2024 Fashion Trust Awards in Beverly Hills.
“I went to somebody to get some Botox and the esthetician said to me, ‘I have this SKINVIVE, it’s brand new – you’re gonna love it! You put it on your face and it will act like it doesn’t add any volume, it just gives you a glow,’” she wrote in her You Better Believe I’m Gonna Talk About It memoir.
After saying yes to the procedure, the injectable was administered around only her cheeks, but she began experiencing what could have been an allergic reaction.
“All of a sudden, my cheeks were like a squirrel gathering nuts,” she wrote, adding that the reaction may have been worsened by the Botox she got in her jaw for a Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) condition around the same time.
“Well, the combination of the Botox making my jawline atrophy, and SKINVIVE giving me volume, made me look freakish,” she added.
When she finally did attend the Fashion Trust Awards in April 2024, she said influencers were making videos comparing her face before and after the procedure.
“Everybody put my picture up because my face did look different,” she wrote. “Everyone was so mean about it. I was all over TikTok and all over every f***ing doctor’s site.”
She eventually had the results of SKINVIVE reversed, saying it was “humiliating” because she knew it looked “terrible.”
“Fortunately, I’m an old battle axe at this point and I can take it,” she added.
Image source: SGranitz/WireImage, Randy Shropshire/NBC via Getty Images
#2 Kaley Cuoco
There’s no need for any kind of guesswork when it comes to Kaley Cuoco’s history with cosmetic procedures.
The actress has openly admitted to getting her nose done, having breast implants, and using filler in the past.
Last night on the 2026 Emmys red carpet, Cuoco proudly embraced her baby bump while posing next to her husband Tom Pelphrey, who took home his first-ever Emmy award for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama for his role in Task.
Cuoco was in tears as Pelphrey gave a shoutout to his heavily-pregnant wife in the audience during his emotional thank you speech.
The 40-year-old actress previously said she thoroughly enjoys getting a little Botox here and there, but there was one point in her career when she realized she needed to “calm it down.”
The realization dawned on her when she was filming an episode of her hit sitcom The Big Bang Theory.
“There is a scene where I have to do this thing with my face, I could not move [it],” she said on the Not Skinny but Not Fat podcast with Amanda Hirsch in February.
“The fact that no one said anything — they probably were thinking it — I couldn’t believe how bad it looked,” she continued, admitting that “nothing moved” while “doing these jokes.”
“My forehead didn’t move, and it looked like I was trying to move it,” she added.
That’s when she decided it was time to “calm it down and rein it in” before going extreme.
Nevertheless, she still “loves a bit of Botox” near her eyes and in her neck.
The actress has undergone two breast augmentation procedures in the past and said on the podcast that she was considering a third procedure, because enhancing them when she was young was her life’s “best decision.”
Cuoco has been in the industry for decades, with several acting credits by the age of 18. She had a rhinoplasty (nose job) as a teenager and got breast implants because she always felt “ill-proportioned.”
“My implants made me feel more confident in my body. It wasn’t about trying to be a p*** star or wanting to look hot and s**y,” she said during a Redbook interview in 2014.
While speaking to Women’s Health in 2016, she said she wasn’t afraid to talk about her cosmetic enhancements.
“Years ago, I had my nose done and my boobs — best thing I ever did,” she told the magazine. “Recently I had a filler in a line in my neck I’ve had since I was 12.”
“As much as you want to love your inner self … I’m sorry, you also want to look good,” she added. “I don’t think you should do it for a man or anyone else, but if it makes you feel confident, that’s amazing.”
Image source: Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images, Randy Shropshire/NBC via Getty Images
#3 Selena Gomez
Selena Gomez may not have taken home an Emmy award, but she looked every bit like a trophy herself, wearing a shiny golden metallic Louis Vuitton gown.
Many speculated whether her slim look was the result of weight-loss medication and simply commented, “Oz*mpic” on her look.
Others snarkily compared her to her husband Benny Blanco, saying: “Now Selena gomez’s look as dirty as her husband, greasy hair, red skin, unwashed face… It all makes sense.”
But a recurring theme in the comments section was the speculation surrounding plastic surgery.
“What the hell is wrong with her face?” one asked, while another claimed, “She looks a clone weird.”
“If I fake smile this hard, no one will notice my bad botox and fillers or how my eyes don’t line up properly,” one said as they took a wild guess at the thoughts crossing Gomez’s mind.
“It’s Emmy night & Selena Gomez‘s face is pulled so far back she can barely smile or blink!” said another. “Her hair is not vibin. It looks a mess. The dress is not measured well, it looks too long. I’m sick of the media forcing a narrative that she has her crap together! She’s a nightmare!”
Gomez has previously denied undergoing any kind of cosmetic enhancements except for one particular procedure.
In 2023, she replied to a fan comment and said, “Hahahaha I’ve had Botox bb girl.”
The following year, she commented on a TikTok video posted by Marissa Barrionuevo, a plastic surgeon assistant from Florida.
“I literally have no idea what she has gotten done,” Barrionuevo said in the clip that caught even the Lose You To Love Me singer’s attention.
“I think she’s been through so much in her life, especially medically related…” Barrionuevo added.
Gomez revealed in 2015 that she was diagnosed with lupus, an autoimmune disease that affects the immune system. She even underwent a kidney transplant in 2017 to offset the complications from lupus.
“When it comes to Selena, I literally have no idea what to attribute her physical changes to,” Barrionuevo said in the original clip. “People say lupus, people say other things. I don’t know, and at the end of the day, let’s just leave her be. I feel like she’s been through enough in her life, and she’s beautiful regardless.”
After the video went viral, the Only Murders in the Building star shut down the speculation with a comment on the video.
“Honestly I hate this. I was on stripes because of flare up. I have Botox. That’s it. Leave me alone,” she said.
Image source: Justin Goff Photos/Getty Images, Monica Schipper/Getty Images
#4 Michelle Pfeiffer
“Beautiful,” “gorgeous,” and “stunning” were some of the many adjectives used by fans to praise Michelle Pfeiffer’s Emmy look.
She posed on the red carpet in a slinky black gown by Saint Laurent with her husband David E. Kelley.
“You look magnificent, Ms. Pfeiffer. I have always said, if I could come back as someone else, I would want to be you,” one commented on her look.
Another said she “still looks as fabulous as always.”
“She looks amazing. Aged with class,” said another.
The actress who dominated Hollywood in the 80s and 90s said he did nothing “beauty-wise” to protect her skin in her twenties.
“I smoked cigarettes, ate whatever I wanted and used bar soap on my face. People were horrified by how I treated my skin,” she told People in 1999.
She later said she has “toyed” with the idea of a facelift hile speaking to InStyle in 2006.
“I certainly see that I’ve changed. I just try not to dwell on it,” she said. “Aging happens to every single one of us. Once you accept that it unburdens you.”
She shared her take on plastic surgery during a 2016 interview with Urbanette as well.
“Sometimes I think about it, sometimes I don’t. It really depends on how well I’m lit. It depends on my makeup and all kinds of things,” she said.
When asked whether she was considering it, she said: “I’m not saying that I won’t have plastic surgery at some point.
She said it was hard to say “never” as people grow older, especially when they are in the public eye.
“It doesn’t really matter, I think that if people actually want to do something here or there, who cares? If it makes them feel a little bit better about themselves…” she said.
“What I object to is too much. And really bad plastic surgery,” she continued.
As long as plastic surgery doesn’t “overtake” a person’s looks or become a “distraction” or they no longer look like themselves, she was open to it.
Image source: Stephane Cardinale/Corbis via Getty Images, Monica Schipper/Getty Images
#5 Hassie Harrison
Hassie Harrison joined her fellow Baywatch stars Brooks Nader and Jessica Belkin in showing up dressed in the show’s signature crimson red color.
It’s “unreal how beautiful she is,” a fan said about her looks on the Emmys red carpet.
Previously, viewers speculated whether she underwent plastic surgery on a Reddit thread, titled: “Hassie Harrison Plastic Surgery: Did She Really Go Under the Knife?”
Despite no confirmation or evidence, Reddit users made several guesses in the Reddit discussion.
“She recently got a nose job done and she has botched her once beautiful face. So sad,” one claimed.
Another said, “She was honestly so beautiful and didnt need a nose job. The surgery was botched asf.”
“The forehead is the issue,” said another. “She shows zero emotion. The sad thing is that she doesn’t need it.”
Image source: Michael Tran/WireImage, Monica Schipper/Getty Images
#6 Olivia Munn
Wearing a classic black strapless dress, Olivia Munn posed with a big smile on her face alongside husband and comedian John Mulaney on the red carpet.
“She’s insanely beautiful,” one commented on her look, while another said, “They just look like the happiest pair ever.”
Viewers have speculated whether she has had cosmetic work done after noting changes in her face. But Munn has pushed back against the claims.
“People were like, ‘What did she do to her face?’” she told Fashion magazine in 2016. “A week later, I looked completely different.”
She said nobody has complaints about undergoing a transformation for onscreen roles, but it’s a “different story” when it happens in real life.
“We live in a time where there’s so many pictures that bring so much scrutiny,” she added. “When your face changes because of makeup, it’s hard to let people know that you’re not actually doing surgery or fillers.”
After being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2023, the actress underwent a double mastectomy that forced her to get used to the new changes in her body.
“I have some divots and dents on one side of my body near where the lymph nodes were, and they had to really dig out,” she told People in 2024. “And I’ve been wearing some dresses on the red carpet that made me a little stressed out at times.”
The X-Men: Apocalypse star said she grew her hair out to help conceal her scars, while her makeup artist Diane Buzzetta “learned how to do tattoo-type makeup” for her red carpet appearances.
“We’re trying to really cheat where the dents are and how to make it really smooth and cover up everything, so that I could wear it,” she said at the time.
She admitted she couldn’t do it herself but felt reassured to know that it’s an option for her when she’s in front of the camera.
“Personally, the people in my life who see it don’t see them as imperfections,” she added. “So, that’s a good feeling, too.”
Image source: Gabe Ginsberg/Getty Images, Kevin Mazur/Getty Images
#7 Lisa Kudrow
Lisa Kudrow returned to the Emmys red carpet after seven years with someone who looked just like her: her son Julian Stern.
“Looks just like his mom,” a fan commented online, while another joked, “Wait her son looks like if Ross and Phoebe had a baby.”
Others commented on her facial appearance, saying, “Kudos to Lisa for aging naturally. THAT’S beauty (not to mention insane talent).”
“She looks so old whoever did her styling and makeup needs to be fired…..” said one critic. “the dress is not cute and those pants her son has on don’t fit him. Better luck next award show.”
The 63-year-old actress has been open about undergoing cosmetic enhancements in the past, admitting she was afraid of “looking like [her] grandmother one day.”
The first time she got Botox was at the age of 60, she said. But the latest round of the injectable she got had left her with strange side effects.
“I think it contributed to my eye irritation and this weird pattern on my forehead, so I’m probably done with it now anyway,” she told The Hollywood Reporter in March this year.
Nevertheless, she was excited to “play older roles” now.
In the past, the Friends star said she got a nose job as a teenager.
“I went from, in my mind, hideous, to not hideous,” she told the Saturday Evening Post in 2013. “I did it the summer before going to a new high school. So there were plenty of people who wouldn’t know how hideous I looked before.”
Image source: Reisig & Taylor/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images, Christopher Polk/Deadline via Getty Images
#8 Sarah Snook
Sarah Snook, who was once told to lose weight to be a more “marketable” star, was among the stars who sparked speculation about Hollywood’s obsession with weight-loss medication on the 2026 Emmys red carpet.
Fans thought she looked “majestic” and “elegant” in her gown, saying: “She owns the Emmys.”
There’s no solid confirmation on the contributors to Snook’s changing looks over the years. But the actress, who has won two Golden Globes for her playing Siobhan ‘Shiv’ Roy in Succession, has spoken about the industry’s unrealistic body standards.
She recalled one incident where a film producer chided her in front of the entire cast for having the “tiniest bit of chocolate cake.”
“The infantilizing of women, to not be able to make their own decisions, why would we do that to women?” she said in a 2024 interview with The Sunday Times.
She also said in the same interview that she was asked by a casting director to cut down her waist size.
“‘We don’t really want you because you’re a nobody, but the director and the writer think you’re good for the role,’” she recalled the words of the casting director.
“So what we’ll do is change all of you so that you’re marketable: We’ll whiten your teeth, darken your hair, we’ll give you a personal trainer so you can lose weight and look the part,” she continued.
The actress said she agreed to the conditions because she was convinced it was the price of being a successful actress.
“In order for me to be successful, I have to be all the things that aren’t me,” she said.
Image source: Dominik Bindl/Getty Images, Randy Shropshire/NBC via Getty Images
#9 Abby Elliot
“Holy Oz*mpic – what happened to her face????” exclaimed the internet after Abby Elliott hit the red carpet.
The Bear star wore a strapless corset gown from Erdem’s Resort 2026 collection for the dazzling night, making one viewer say: “She looks much different than she did on the show.”
“No really because like who is that,” one questioned.
“I didn’t even recognize her at first,” another admitted.
Elliot’s gown for the night turned out to be a blast from the past.
It was reportedly the same gown that Sydney Sweeney wore to the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2025.
While some failed to “recognize” her, others said she looked “fabulous” in her award show look.
“Abby Elliott has arrived and is absolutely glowing on the #Emmys red carpet!” one said.
Another agreed, saying, “Abby looking fabulous definitely deserves an award.”
Image source: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images, John Shearer/WireImage
#10 Brenda Song
Brenda Song looked suspiciously unchanged when she and her longtime love Macaulay Culkin hit the red carpet at the Peacock Theater.
Fans marveled at her looks, saying: “She ain’t aging.”
“Brenda song still look 16 them genes hella strong,” read a second comment, while a third said, “BRENDA NEVER AGES.”
Song has never publicly confirmed or denied undergoing plastic surgery, but fans have long made guesses about whether she has had cosmetic enhancements.
One of the most common rumors about her is that she may have had double-eyelid surgery, also known as Asian blepharoplasty, to reshape the skin around the eye.
“Double eye lid plus jaw reduction for sure,” a social media previously speculated about her looks, while another claimed, “she ruined herself.”
“She also got a nose job. She thought if she looked more Americanized she would land more jobs,” another claimed.
Of the few times Song has commented on her own facial appearance, she claimed she was denied an audition for Crazy Rich Asians because of her “image.”
“A lot of people don’t know this, but I never got to read for Crazy Rich Asians, ever,” she told Teen Vogue in 2019 about wanting to audition for the role of Rachel Chu, which ultimately went to Constance Wu.
“Their reasoning behind that, what they said was that my image was basically not Asian enough, in not so many words,” added the former child star. “It broke my heart.”
“I said, ‘This character is in her late to mid-20s, an Asian American, and I can’t even audition for it?” she continued. “‘I’ve auditioned for Caucasian roles my entire career, but this specific role, you’re not going to let me do it? You’re going to fault me for having worked my whole life?’ I was like, ‘Where do I fit?’”
The Social Network actress didn’t mind sharing her skincare secrets during a 2024 chat with People.
She said simplicity is key and was always on the lookout for one product that “does it all” rather than having a “six-step routine.”
“I think when I was younger, of course, you’re experimenting, you’re figuring out what your style is, figuring out who you are,” she told the outlet about how her style evolved with time.
“Me now, I think I’m just a lot more comfortable in my own skin. I honestly just don’t have time to think about what I’m wearing anymore because I’m running around.”
She said it was “shocking” to even her that she now adopts a “less is more” approach with her skincare and styling.
The Suite Life of Zack and Cody star joked about how Culkin had no such “routine” when it comes to skincare.
“He has no skincare routine,” she told the outlet. “If he washes his face with water at night, I’m lucky. I’m the one that has to smear stuff on his face.”
On the other hand, she was the kind of person who would always wash her face before hitting the bed.
“I have never, never not washed my face before going to bed, ever in my life,” she said. “It doesn’t matter how tired I am, how drunk I am, wherever I am in the world, I’ve always washed my face.”
Meanwhile, Culkin said he would be relaxing with a glass of wine, waiting for Song to finish her night-time skincare routine.
Regardless of their skincare regimen, Song said at the time that the Home Alone star always made her feel beautiful and confident.
“I think he’s the one that really made me feel the most beautiful when I’m about to go to bed and I have nothing on my face and I’m so tired,” she told the outlet. “We’re about to watch some really silly thing on TV, and he looks at me, and [I’m like], ‘He makes me feel so confident.’”
Image source: Jesse Grant/WireImage, John Shearer/WireImage
#11 Julia Garner
Julia Garner’s tiny frame became one of the talking points online after she channeled some old Hollywood glamor on the red carpet.
“She’s so skinny,” one said about the actress, who was dressed in a shiny silver dress, accessorized with Betzábe Alessandra platform heels and silver earrings.
“She is so slim,” another agreed.
Viewers have wondered whether she has undergone cosmetic enhancements in the past, with one Reddit threat asking: “Did Julia garner get plastic surgery? She does not look like season 1 Ozark lol.”
“She had fake teeth in the show maybe that’s what it is,” read one response, while another asked, “Is it a fake nose? Don’t remember it that big from Ozark.”
“When watching the show I thought she had the buccal fat removal cause her cheeks looked slightly gaunt in some scenes, but I actually think she just lost weight compared to her early-Ozark days cause she looks no different today, especially Fantastic Four and Weapons,” another claimed.
Garner has a reputation for dramatically transforming herself physically for her roles, often wearing wigs, fake teeth, and even prosthetics to change up her appearance.
“I don’t need to look perfect,” she told Elle earlier this month. “I think if there is somewhat of a mess onscreen, what is your instinct to do with a mess? Your instinct is to reach out and touch it and fix it.”
Image source: Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic, Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
#12 Nicole Kidman
Nicole Kidman’s return to the Emmys red carpet had some people focused less on her feathery Chanel gown and more on her face.
“Nicole Kidman needs to lay off the plastic surgery,” one said, while another claimed, “Her hands are now older than he new face.”
“She’s starting to morph into Goldie Hawn,” said another, comparing her to the veteran Hollywood actress and Oscar winner.
The speculation continued, with one asking: “Are those fake hips? She’s never had hips like that in her life. Weird.”
This year, fans have been relentless with their speculation about Kidman going under the knife to alter her looks.
When she was featured as the cover star of British Vogue’s September 2026 issue, many speculated whether the images were AI-generated or if she had cosmetic procedures done to her face.
“Her face doesn’t move. It’s uncanny and uncomfortable to watch,” one commented on her pictures for the magazine.
“She finally got a facelift instead of just filling her face up with gallons of filler and Botox. Looks much better,” another claimed.
Plastic surgeon Dr. Omar Tillo, Medical Director and Plastic Surgeon at CREO Clinic, shared his thoughts following the rampant detective work online.
“There are certainly aspects of Nicole’s appearance that could be consistent with aesthetic maintenance, but a photograph cannot tell us what treatment somebody has or hasn’t had,” he previously told Bored Panda.
Based on the published photos, Dr. Tillo said her forehead and the area around the eyes appear very smooth, which could be consistent with treatments such as Botox.
“There is also maintained volume through the cheeks and mid-face that could potentially be achieved with subtle dermal filler, although make-up and lighting can create a similar impression,” he said.
The plastic surgeon pointed out how her skin appears “remarkably firm and even in texture.”
“There are numerous non-surgical treatments designed to improve skin quality and tightening, including energy-based treatments and resurfacing procedures, so these would also be plausible possibilities if she does undergo aesthetic maintenance,” he added.
Despite online speculation that the Big Little Lies star has undergone a facelift, Dr. Tillo said the images do not provide enough evidence to support this claim.
“I don’t see anything in these particular photographs that allows me to confidently conclude that she has undergone facelift surgery,” he said.
“If treatments are contributing to her appearance, the photographs are at least as compatible with a combination of subtle injectables and skin-quality or tightening treatments,” he added.
The key, Dr. Tillo said, is not to confuse possible signs of cosmetic treatment with proof that a procedure actually happened.
While photographs can show features that may be consistent with certain cosmetic treatments, it is impossible to confirm them without examining the patient or having a look at their medical history.
Image source: Taylor Hill/FilmMagic, Kevin Mazur/Getty Images
#13 Tiffany Haddish
“Gorgeous human in a gorgeous dress,” declared one fan about Tiffany Haddish’s look on the 2026 Emmys red carpet.
Wearing a draped, peridot gown from Oscar de la Renta’s latest Fall-Winter collection, Haddish’s look triggered a flood of heart and fire emojis from fans.
“This woman is literally someone to look up to!! Absolutely amazing & so beautiful!” one said.
Haddish had a surprisingly simpler answer when it comes to her appearance, and that is keeping things “all natural.”
It’s “all natural… except for the hair and the nails,” she told People on the 2026 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit launch party red carpet in May this year.
She, however, did reveal one of the “wildest” DIY beauty hack that changed the color of her lip.
“The wildest thing I’ve done for beauty is mix turmeric, milk, make a paste out of it and put it on my lip — and it turned my whole lip orange,” she said. “It was a video I saw that said it would permanently remove your facial hair.”
The DIY hack did not “burn” her hair but “stained” it orange instead.
“It actually grew thicker!” she added. “It’s like anti-inflammatory… There were no more wrinkles. All the wrinkles were gone. So, that was kind of cool.”
The comedian has been flaunting her weightloss transformation the last few years, revealing she had lost 40 lbs. during the pandemic. She later lost an additional 10 lbs., according to a 2020 interview with People.
“I’m very skinny, it’s going good,” she told the outlet about her weightloss. “I don’t really want to lose any more weight. I want to now just sculpt it all, sculpt off the fat so I can get to the muscle. The goal is to have abs by New Year’s Day! We’ll see.”
Image source: Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images, Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty Images
#14 Macaulay Culkin
One of the most emotional moments of the 2026 Emmy Awards show was Macaulay Culkin tearing up while paying tribute to his onscreen mom from Home Alone and late actress Catherine O’Hara.
Fans commented on him posing with his longtime lover Brenda Song, saying he’s finally “living the life.”
“Here is proof that you can be reborn and become the best Version of yourself,” said another.
Culkin became Hollywood royalty by the age of 10, landing the widely popular role of Kevin McAllister in the Home Alone franchise.
But stardom wasn’t always smooth sailing for him, and he stepped away from acting at the age of 14 to focus on his studies.
The following year, the child star formally emancipated himself by removing his parents Kit and Patricia as his legal guardians.
The parents were reportedly enjoying 15% of his paychecks, which would climb as high as $8.09 million at the time.
“Look, I mean, it sucks. But, it coulda been worse, you know?” he very matter-of-factly told Esquire in 2020.
“I wasn’t working in a coal mine. I wasn’t a child soldier. My father was not s**ually ab*sing me. ‘Certain f***ed up things happened, but f****d up things happen to kids all the time and they don’t come out the other end.”
When Culkin was 24, a mugshot of him reached the corners of the globe after Oklahoma cops found illicit substances in his car in 2004.
He pled guilty to possessing marij**na and medication without a prescription and was given a one-year deferred prison sentence. The judge also ordered him to pay £300 in fees.
Fans further grew concerned in 2012 when shocking photos of the Changeland star circulated online, showing him looking gaunt and frail.
Many assumed at the time that he was hooked onto hardcore and harmful substances, but Culkin insisted he “was not pounding six grand of her**n a month” at the time.
He also slammed tabloids at the time for wrapping up the news in this “weird guise of concern.”
“You’re trying to shift papers,” he said in a 2016 interview with the Guardian.
The actor, however, has admitted that he has taken illicit substances over the years.
“A lot of times, when you’re having fun you’re rolling on MDMA or something,” he said with a laugh while speaking to Esquire.
“It doesn’t mean you’re happy. It just means you’re altered,” he continued. “One of my favorite jokes: I’ve been accused of having a dr*g problem, but nothing could be further from the truth. Dr*gs are the easiest thing I’ve ever done in my life.”
Despite having “played with some fire,” he said he has never been to rehab or ever had to “clean out” in that way.
“So besides the occasional muscle relaxer, no, I don’t do dr*gs recreationally,” he said about his situation at the time. “I still kinda drink like a fish. I drink and I smoke. But I don’t touch the things. I do love them. They’re like old friends. But sometimes you outgrow your friends.”
Culkin’s glow-up in the mid-2010s was one of the most talked about online, with one fan previously saying: “he looks sooooo good.”
“If Macaulay Culkin can have a Glo Up at the age of 36, then there’s hope for me yet,” said another.
Image source: Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images, John Shearer/WireImage
#15 David Harbour
David Harbour returned to the Emmys red carpet after winning his first-ever Emmy Award the previous week for his role in DTF St. Louis.
“I’m really moved, I cannot believe you have embraced our show so much,” Harbour said on stage while accepting the trophy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie at the 2026 Creative Arts Emmys ceremony held on September 6.
Riding on the high of his victory, Harbour attended last night’s award show expressing excitement over future projects.
He said he was looking forward to sharing a “father-daughter dynamic” with his Stranger Things co-star Millie Bobby Brown in a new Netflix series created by Jack Thorne.
Fans praised the actor, whose award came about a year after his split from singer Lily Allen was officially announced in 2025.
The separation led to immense controversy as rumors about Harbour cheating on Allen for three years during their marriage came to light.
“David Harbour weathered the horrible final season and cheating expose storm and got an Emmy,” a fan commented online.
Many claimed last year that he had his own version of a glow-up last year following the split.
Photos of him sparked speculation about having undergone a hair transplant, with one saying: “The Turkish hair transplant industry should hire David Harbour as their spokesperson.”
“David Harbour really got a hair transplant at 49, cheated on his wife on a celeb dating app and is now getting divorced because he cheated with apparently a girl in her 20s,” read another comment. “Man really said, ‘Middle age crisis???? let’s f***ing goooooo.’”
Image source: Shane Anthony Sinclair/Getty Images, David Jon/Getty Images
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