Julie Chen Moonves, 53, Shares Her Plastic Surgery Journey: ‘I’m So Glad I Did It’

What explains the reaction back then?

“I think when people have a negative reaction, it is because they don’t understand. It’s kind of ignorance, right? They don’t know why you’re doing it. So I just say, you can’t judge, and you have to try to educate yourself on a topic before you form any kind of opinion. And how about just some quiet support?”

Was your husband supportive of the facelift?

“Oh, totally. He was, like, ‘Whatever makes you happy. I don’t think you need it.’ I have girlfriends whose husbands were, like, ‘Please get a facelift.’ Like the wives didn’t want to do it, but the husbands were, like, ‘Please.’ A different generation, an older generation of Hollywood.”

Photo by Sonja Flemming/CBS

Did you feel empowered after surgeries? 

“I did feel empowered. I felt more confident, I felt more pleased when I looked at myself in the mirror. I also felt a little bit like, Oh, there’s a fine line. I could see why some people can go overboard. Because you feel so good about yourself, and you think you look so good that I think it can become a bad addiction.”

Is plastic surgery sort of a “gateway drug”? Do you feel pressure to do more?

“Oh, yeah. You’re like, What else can I fix? What else bothers me about my looks? That’s when you need your mom to be, like, ‘Enough!’ Someone who truly has your best interests in mind. And will be honest.”

Are you done with plastic surgery now?

“When I got the facelift, when I was 49, the doctor said, ‘You’re good for 10 years!’ and at that time, I’m, like, I’m good — period. I don’t really feel like going through this again. But then I have to tell you, in the last seven, eight months, I’m looking in the mirror again and I’m, like, hmm ... my face is a little starting to drop. Maybe I’m not going to wait 10 years. So I’m definitely not ruling it out.”

Meanwhile, she’s had microblading on her brows, a procedure in which fine lines are scratched into the surface of the skin beneath the brows and pigment is embedded. “You know,” Chen Moonves says, “as we get older our brows get more sparse. I’m, like, Hey, let’s microblade my scalp!”

What do you say to women who are considering plastic surgery?

“I say, first, go with word of mouth. Talk to friends who have gone to doctors, and if you like what you see on your friends, do as many consults as you can. Get many, many opinions,” she advises. Also, be prepared to take plenty of time off.

“I don’t think enough people take off for the recovery process. They think they can bounce back and not get fully rested. If you’re going to spend the time and money to do it, you want to make sure it heals 1,000 percent the way it’s supposed to.”

Another tip: Don’t wait too long. “It’s best to get it done earlier than later, because you are not so much doing correction, you are trying to slow down the aging process. Yes, it can be too late. Be proactive, I would say.”

Don’t judge others’ decisions! Especially if you don’t know the pressures someone is feeling, as Chen Moonves was, working in TV and surrounded by people in their 20s on Big Brother.

“There’s more [internal] pressure because I work in front of a camera, and with high definition, those cameras can see almost every pore. Anyone who makes a living by being on television in front of any camera, it’s something to think about. It’s not for everybody, but it’s something.”

Still, Chen Moonves says she feels lucky to have escaped external pressure and judgment about her appearance from viewers and executives of Big Brother. “I also know that I’m blessed with genes — you know, I like to say: Asian don’t raisin.”

Photo by Sonja Flemming/CBS

What are the biggest challenges about aging in Hollywood?

Chen Moonves believes the challenges are especially hard for actresses worried about getting new roles as they age. “You know, suddenly you’re not the girlfriend, you’re playing the mom, so I think [the challenge] is fighting for roles and steady work.”

It’s different for a person with her kind of job, she says. “For what I do, luckily, I don’t think [aging] necessarily works against me, even on a show like Big Brother. What comes with it is a level of respect. I have longevity, and I’ve been at it constantly. So that’s been a plus.”

Besides, she considers taking care of her appearance to be a part of her job. “It’s a visual medium. I want people to look at me and be pleased: ‘Oh, she looks nice.’ Even down to what you wear, how you do your hair, how you do your makeup, you want to put your best foot forward and you want to feel good.”