Julie Chen Reveals Story Behind 'Revenge Facelift' 

In a striking act of self-reinvention, Julie Chen candidly shares how her exit from "The Talk" sparked a desire for transformative change. In her compelling audiobook, "But First, God," the renowned television personality reflects on how it led her to opt for a lower facelift. 

Apart from the fact that the 53-year-old reportedly stated in her audio memoir that "Hollywood is not kind on aging women," she claimed that after leaving the show, she viewed cosmetic surgery as "a form of healing" and a way to prove "these meanies can't get me down."

Likening it to the concept of a "revenge body" after a breakup, the CBS star explained, "You know how some people, when they get broken up with by a loved one, they get a revenge body? Well, I wanted to get a revenge face."

Chen emphasized in the book that the lower facelift aligned with the expectations of her profession because she is "expected to look not drastically different from season to season or how people are used to seeing me on TV." 

The "Big Brother" host also said, "When you work in front of the television, and you are a woman, you are expected to look — I'm just gonna say it: young." The mother-of-one acknowledged that part of her professional success relied on her appearance on camera.

So, to keep working, she admitted that taking measures like "stay out of the sun, put on sunblock, and yes, if I have to, go under the knife" was necessary to meet those expectations. However, the producer still hoped to keep the cosmetic procedure private enough so that people would believe she was just "fabulous and rested." 

Unfortunately for the former "CBS Morning News" anchor, that was not to be the case as she was unexpectedly photographed. The "When I Grow Up" author recounted:

"Leaving one of my doctor's appointments looking totally unrecognizable and completely bandaged up like a mummy, little did I know I got caught by the paparazzi,"

What would make her go through all these changes? Fans will recall that when she left "The Talk," it was just days after her husband, Les Moonves, stepped down as chairman and CEO of CBS. This was due to allegations of sexual misconduct from multiple women, which he denied.

In a surprising revelation, Chen addressed her departure from "The Talk," emphasizing that the decision to leave was made for her. This would mark her first public statement on the matter, especially after choosing not to say anything before. 

At the time, she had simply expressed her desire "to spend more time at home with my husband and our young son" as the reason for her leaving. That all changed this month, as in a recent appearance on "Good Morning America" to promote her new book,  she gave a subtle hint about the true motive behind her surprising exit. 

According to PEOPLE, she might have claimed that some betrayal might have been involved. Alluding to the topic, she stated, "That was a hard time. I felt stabbed in the back. I was, you know." 

Despite that challenging time, she seemed to have moved on from that pain and embraced a newfound faith. Choosing to find solace and healing, she candidly expressed, "I don't know if I could have reconciled if I didn't have God in my life." Chen also delved into unveiling her spiritual evolution in the wake of her husband's scandal in the memoir. 

She further shared with "GMA," "Julie Chen, before she found God was self-absorbed, career-minded, vain, gossipy — fun to be with, but probably kind of a shallow person. Julie Chen Moonves, who now knows the Lord, is someone who wants to help others; who wants to look at everyone with a soft heart."

"The Early Show" anchor's new state of mind might be what helped her decide to return to CBS as the host of "Big Brother." The Blast reported that when she announced this news, she enthusiastically said, "So excited to be back on this stage," with arms triumphantly raised high.