Zac Efron’s new movie A Family Affair has been getting a lot of attention on Netflix, but not all of it has been good. In fact, critics described the age-gap rom-com as “lifeless,” and fans have been panning the flick on social media. While I personally thought there was plenty to like about it, some of the criticism is definitely valid. What isn’t valid, or at least kind, are the comments about Efron’s face, as fans may have forgotten about the injury the actor was involved in that changed his appearance.
A Family Affair has remained in Netflix subscription holders’ Top 10 since its release at the end of June, but after watching the romantic comedy — which also stars Nicole Kidman and Joey King — many people are hitting up X (Twitter) with comments like those below:
- What the heck is up with Zac Efron’s face? 🥴 – _AmbitiousA
- Zac Efron's face is unsettling – 2frank2fella
- I hate what Zac Efron did to his face – playgirllay
Not all of the comments and inquiries are unkind (some of them are pretty heinous though), but for those who didn’t know or don't remember, Zac Efron himself addressed jaw surgery rumors and explained why his face had changed during a 2022 interview, where he recalled the accident in which he said he “almost died.”
Men’s Health reported that in 2013 the High School Musical alum was running through his house in socks when he slipped, slamming his face on the corner of a granite fountain. He reportedly lost consciousness, saying that when he woke up, his chin bone was hanging off of his face. Recovery apparently included his jaw being wired shut, plastic surgery and years of physical therapy.
However, when he stopped doing therapy in 2021 while filming his Netflix series Down to Earth, he said his masseter muscles (used for chewing) started to grow “really, really big” to compensate for other facial muscles not working at full strength. A Family Affair was filmed not long after in 2022, before hitting Netflix in 2024.
The discourse surrounding his face doesn’t seem to bother Zac Efron, as he told Men’s Health in the same interview:
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.
That hasn’t stopped his fans from stepping in to defend him, though. In addition to plenty of tweets disparaging Zac Efron’s appearance, there are also some like these:
- People tweet about Zac Efron’s face changing like he hasn’t had to undergo tons of reconstructive work from a severe jaw injury….. be nice omg – lordefranzia
- Can yall stop the hate on Zac Efron. He literally broke his jaw and had to get his whole face reconstructed. Please stop hating on the dude yall are annoying. – ParrisDuval
Some commenters aren’t buying that Zac Efron’s injury is the only reason his face looks different, with many saying they still think he’s gotten Botox and fillers. I can’t pretend to know if that’s true or not, but either way, I think this could serve as a good reminder to give people a little grace when it comes to commenting on their appearances.
If you want to see the actor in his latest project, A Family Affair is streaming now on Netflix, one of the best streaming services to subscribe to.
