‘Jaw gate’– Zac Efron denies he’s done plastic surgery

Actor Zac Efron has been considered a heartthrob since his broke out movie role, High School Musical over 15 years ago. There was internet pandemonium last year, when rumours swirled he had plastic surgery. 

In April 2021, images of the actor circulated and went viral as fans noticed that his jaw had dramatically changed or possible altered. 

The viral moment was dubbed “jaw gate” as people started to speculate he had plastic surgery or had cosmetic fillers.  

However, Efron has denied the claims. 

Explaining in the October 2022 cover issue of Men’s Health, Efron said his jaw altered after he mistakenly hit his chin on a granite corner of a fountain at his house. 

Efron explained the masseters (muscle used for chewing) just started to grow and “got really big”.

The actor says he is working with a specialist to combat the issue, as he had to take some time off for physical therapy while he was living in Australia during the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Efron says he wasn’t aware he was talked about on social media when the pictures went viral until his mother asked him about it. 

“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.” 

He also informed the publication that he is no longer a vegan, as he found the diet left him feeling depleted of nutrients and Efron now eats a “protein-heavy plan”. 

The actor will star in a lead role in the movie, The Greatest Beer Run Ever. It is based on a true story set in 1967. 

John Donohue was a 26-year-old US Marine Corps veteran working as a merchant seaman when he was challenged one night in a New York City bar. The group of men gathered after losing friends and family in the ongoing war in Vietnam. 

One friend proposed an idea that one of them should sneak into Vietnam, track down their other friends in combat, and give each of them messages of support from back home, maybe some laughter, and beer.

The Greatest Beer Run Ever will be released on September 30, in movie theatres and streamed on Apple TV. 

Compiled by Sandisiwe Mbhele