On Monday, April 6, the stars of the original Charlie’s Angels TV show, Kate Jackson, Jaclyn Smith, and Cheryl Ladd, reunited at PaleyFest’s 50th anniversary celebration of the show in Los Angeles.
Jackson, 77; Smith, 80; and Ladd, 74, who played detectives Sabrina Duncan, Kelly Garrett, and Kristine Munroe on the show, all appeared in business-chic attire and posed for photos on the red carpet.
While most fans celebrated their groundbreaking contribution toward normalizing an all-female lead in television, a few were shocked by their appearances. Some even theorized that they had cosmetic enhancements done to their faces.
Plastic surgery experts weighed in on the outrage, breaking down the alleged procedures the actresses underwent and the socio-cultural reasons behind getting such work done.
“How could anyone think this looks better than aging gracefully?” one user commented on the actresses’ photos.
Charlie’s Angels reunion sparked plastic surgery rumors about the lead cast members
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For the special occasion, Jackson stepped out in a black suit with a white t-shirt and black-and-white sneakers, Smith went for a pink satin suit, and Ladd wore a coral peach blazer with white pants and high heels. They all wore their hair down and kept their jewelry to a minimum.
After their red carpet photos were shared on social media, a section of netizens speculated that they had undergone plastic surgery to the point where they were not “recognizable” and expressly disapproved of it.
“OMG, I can’t tell them apart,” one user wrote. A second said, “There is some bad plastic surgery right there.”
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“It’s just sad, honestly,” another person said. “Every time I see women getting plastic surgery this extreme, it makes me more committed to aging naturally.”
“Kate has a cat look and looks weird, Cheryl got the Joker’s mouth and cheeks look, Jaclyn has enlarged lips with high cheeks,” one more pointed out. “I believe they should have just aged naturally.”
“I had assumed they’d aged gracefully and not fought it with all means at their disposal,” one wrote.
Another user said, “It’s like something from a horror movie. Such an unfortunate trend.”
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A few netizens came to the actresses’ defense.
“The celebrity worshippers insult them for looking like normal elderly women,” one said. “They’re insulted either way.”
Another commented, “Hollywood is especially brutal and cruel to aging women. It’s sexist and ageist.”
“It’s so sad that there’s so much pressure on women’s looks,” a third wrote.
Plastic surgeons explained the cosmetic procedures the Charlie’s Angels actresses have allegedly gone through
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Dr. Ramtin Kassir, a triple board-certified celebrity facial plastic surgeon, hypothesized in a conversation with the Daily Mail that Jackson, Smith, and Ladd have had Botox to soften movement and conservative fillers to maintain facial structure.
Dr. Kassir himself has not treated any of the actresses.
“The moment you overfill, you lose identity, and that’s when faces start to look artificial,” he explained.
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Observing the photo of the trio at the event, he opined that Smith has been “exceptionally controlled,” if she has had any work done: “It’s incremental, layered, and disciplined. That’s why she’s often perceived as aging the best [of the three].”
Jackson, he said, looked “far less intervened,” but that it was “not a flaw, but simply a different philosophy.”
“Cheryl Ladd sits somewhere in the middle, likely combining surgical work with ongoing non-invasive treatments to maintain skin quality and contour,” Dr. Kassir concluded.
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However, he also acknowledged that the public’s reaction to the actresses’ looks was “predictable” and that the underlying expectations from an aging actor in the industry were: “There’s pressure to look youthful, but also criticism when people achieve it.”
As for the common public sentiment that celebrities often look the same after going under the knife, Dr. Kassir said the “modern aesthetic blueprint,” in which the goal is mostly to have tighter jawlines, smoother skin, and controlled volume, is to blame.
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Dr. Rachel Mason, the founder of La Femme Plastic Surgery, speculated that Jackson and Ladd had undergone brow lifts.
“In particular, Smith’s results reflect a modern aesthetic philosophy centered on restoring youthful structure while preserving natural proportions and facial identity, rather than dramatically altering features,” she said. “The work appears exceptionally well executed.”
Jackson, Smith, and Ladd spoke about battling cancer
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At the reunion panel, Ladd opened up about her past battle with breast cancer, which is something Jackson and Smith also went through. Their journeys brought the three of them together, they said.
Revealing that she was diagnosed with an “aggressive form” of the condition, Ladd reflected on losing her hair and being “humbled” by the experience.
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“I have a wonderful husband…he was there for me at every turn,” she said. “Eventually, I started to get little sprouts of hair. It was a long, long, hard road, but you just get on with it.”
Ladd has been married to music producer and author Brian Russell since 1981. She underwent lumpectomy and radiation and has been cancer-free ever since.
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Smith was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2002 and is now cancer-free after undergoing the same treatments as Ladd.
Jackson was diagnosed in 1987 and underwent similar treatments, but the disease returned in 1989. This time, she treated it with a partial mastectomy and reconstructive surgery.
After Ladd spoke up at the reunion, Smith revealed that she sent over her wigs when she found out. “She was so brave,” Smith said.
Farrah Fawcett, who played Kris’ elder sister, Jill Munroe, in the first season of the show before dropping out, was diagnosed with an*l cancer in 2006 and passed away from it three years later.
“A collection of plastic surgery mishaps.” The internet reacted to “Charlie’s Angels” Kate Jackson, Jaclyn Smith, and Cheryl Ladd’s new photos
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