Julie Chen Moonves is revisiting a decision she made early in her television career.
Speaking on “The Diamond Podcast” with “Big Brother” season 26 winner Chelsie Baham on April 14, the longtime host said she underwent eyelid surgery in her 20s while working in TV news.
During the interview, Chen Moonves, 56, described the feedback she received at the time and how it influenced her decision.
Julie Chen: Industry Feedback Influenced My Decision
GettyChen Moonves told Baham that the decision to undergo the eyelid procedure came while she was working as a local news reporter early in her career, before moving into national TV roles.
She described the demands of working in broadcast news at the time, including long hours and live reporting. This experience meant being on camera a lot, often without rehearsal.
Chen Moonves recalled being told by a potential agent that her appearance on TV could be interpreted in ways she did not intend.
“‘Your eyes, because you have Asian eyes, sometimes when you’re reporting … you look disinterested, you look bored, or you look angry,'” Chen Moonves recalled what the agent had told her.
The agent later suggested that making a change could help her career advance “faster,” Chen Moonves recalled:
“If you get [this eyelid procedure] done, I guarantee you you will be in a top 10 market as your next job. … Now, I’m not saying you can’t get there without this eyelid surgery, but you get there faster.'”
Chen Moonves said she ultimately decided to move forward with the procedure after considering the advice and talking to her parents.
“I didn’t end up signing with him,” Chen Moonves said. “But I am forever grateful for that.”
Eyelid Procedure Took Place Early in Julie Chen’s Career
CBSChen Moonves said the procedure took place while she was still building her career in local television.
According to a past interview with AARP, she was 25 years old when she underwent the surgery.
The decision, she said, drew mixed reactions at the time.
“I got some blowback within my own family before I had it. I had a sister who thought it was, you know, denying my heritage, and she thought it was ridiculous,” Chen Moonves said in the interview. “And then people in the newsroom back then in Dayton, Ohio, they were just kind of baffled. Like they didn’t even understand what it was I was doing, trying to achieve or why.”
The procedure, known as blepharoplasty, reshapes the upper eyelids to create a more defined crease or a more open appearance, according to Dr. Joel Kopelman.
Chen Moonves said she does not regret the decision.
“No, none, none,” she said in a 2023 interview with Andy Cohen.
Chen Moonves has since continued her career in broadcast, including as current host of “Big Brother” since its debut in 2000 and a former co-host on “The Talk” on CBS.
