Renée Zellweger Finally Responds To That Plastic Surgery Shaming

Last year, when Renée Zellweger was spotted on a red carpet looking a little unlike her old self, the internet went wild. The actress was called out for potentially having plastic surgery; and then a second wave of criticism swept over commenters, mainly because of the implicit shaming and ageism that tagged along with all the speculation. After the whole obnoxious ordeal, Zellweger told people that she was actually pleased by the attention. "I’m glad folks think I look different! I’m living a different, happy, more fulfilling life, and I’m thrilled that perhaps it shows," she told People at the time. But a year later, she has some additional thoughts on the subject, which she recently shared with Entertainment Weekly. "All that I know about is what friends and associates would send in texts and emails,” Zellweger explained, noting that she wasn't obsessing over the headlines or media reports about her changed appearance last winter. "They were sending support, which means that I must have needed it, and I prefer it that way. So when people come up to me to ask ‘How did that feel?’ I don’t know, and I like it like that." The actress, who stars in Bridget Jones' Baby, due in theaters next September, added that something positive inevitably arose from the controversy. "What good comes from knowing that something like that happened? Less fear,” she shared. Now that certainly sounds like a Bridget Jones-ism — and we're sure it's not the last we'll hear from her on the subject.