Jenna Ortega’s noticeably gaunt appearance at the Sundance Film Festival has ignited a viral firestorm, with fans expressing deep concern for her wellbeing and accusing the industry of promoting a harmful, androgynous aesthetic through procedures like buccal fat removal.
Fans of Jenna Ortega are worried for her wellbeing after her latest public appearance at the Sundance Film Festival, with many questioning the beauty standards imposed on young women in Hollywood.
The reaction followed the actress’ attendance at the premiere of The Gallerist last Saturday (January 24), where she appeared alongside Natalie Portman, Charli XCX, director Cathy Yan, and co-writer James Pedersen.
While the event was intended to spotlight the film, Ortega’s appearance quickly overtook discussion of the project itself, as she appeared to have slimmed down even further in recent months.
“She’s only 23,” one commenter repeated. “This shouldn’t be normal.”
Viewers zeroed in on Ortega’s noticeably slimmer frame and sharp facial contours, reigniting a conversation that has followed the 23-year-old actress for over a year.
Online, fans compared her look to actresses Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, both of whom were criticized last year for appearing increasingly gaunt during the promotional cycle for Wicked.
“This is what it looks like when Hollywood sinks its teeth in,” one fan wrote, sharing a stark before-and-after comparison. “Jenna Ortega is only 23 years old.”
Others were more direct.
“Is she sick or something?” one user asked. “This is sad. First was Ariana and now her,” another added.
Several commenters framed the change as intentional, as they believe the trend of actresses going for slimmer frames and hollow cheeks has become too recurrent to ignore.
They accused the industry of pushing a dangerously thin, androgynous aesthetic on purpose, with procedures such as buccal fat removal and the use of weight-loss injections at the center.
“Buccal fat removal is part of the initiation. No one is authentic. They’re all boring now,” one lamented.
Another pushed back against explanations that have circulated in the past, especially among fans who rushed to defend their idols against criticism of their bodies.
“I don’t know why so many people kept saying ‘it’s just makeup’ or ‘it’s just natural aging,’” they wrote, pointing at Ortega’s latest photo as proof. “Why do we always have to lie?”
“Looks like that Ariana Grande girl except… well no except, just looks like that Ariana Grande girl,” one post read.
“She was so good looking and had such a good chance of looking good until old age. And then this happened.”
The most pointed reactions questioned who, if anyone, was protecting Ortega from “Hollyweird.”
“Where are her parents?” one commenter asked.
Fans Accuse Ortega of Undergoing Buccal Fat Removal
The backlash did not emerge in a vacuum.
Ortega’s appearance at Sundance comes after months of sustained scrutiny that reached a peak in 2025 during the promotional tour for Wednesday Season 2.
At the time, the actress’s decision to bleach her eyebrows and apply heavy dark makeup around her cheeks accentuated her already slender frame and led many fans to worry not only about her physical health, but also her mental wellbeing.
Speculation around cosmetic procedures escalated last year after a viral X post on July 31 amassed nearly 51 million views.
Just like recent comparisons, the tweet juxtaposed older images of Ortega with newer red carpet photos, suggesting: “Stop the buccal fat removal!”
In those images, fans pointed to visible hollows in her cheeks, often described as the telltale “dent” associated with the procedure.
“Whoever created buccal fat removal should be arrested and tried for crimes against humanity,” one user wrote. “It ruins every woman’s natural face and makes them look ghoulish.”
“Imagine the brainwashing it would take to convince someone to do that to their face,” one commenter said.
The debate quickly expanded beyond Ortega.
Fans shared before-and-after photos of actresses across film, fashion, and music, including Erin Moriarty of The Boys, Miley Cyrus, Anya Taylor-Joy, and even Lauren Sánchez, pointing to similar facial hollowness.
“Fat pads in the face are a sign of youth,” one user argued. “Removing them instantly ages someone.”
The Context of The Gallerist and Sundance
Ortega’s presence at The Gallerist premiere placed her alongside a veteran cast that includes Portman, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Sterling K. Brown, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Daniel Brühl, and Zach Galifianakis.
During a post-screening Q&A, Portman joked about the film’s premise, which follows a desperate artist conspiring to sell a lifeless body as a marketable commodity.
“I’ve never tried to sell a d**d body before,” she said. “It’s not a one-to-one relationship.”
Portman then shifted to a more serious tone, describing the film’s themes as “literal alchemy.”
“We’re taking something from our souls, and it becomes a commodity,” Portman said, also warning of “the slippery slope of compromise,” a line that some viewers found unintentionally resonant given the discourse surrounding Ortega.
The 2026 Sundance Film Festival runs from January 22 to February 1 in Park City and Salt Lake City, marking the last edition to be held in Utah before the festival relocates to Boulder, Colorado, in 2027.
It is also the first Sundance to take place following the passing of its founder, Robert Redford, on September 16, 2025.
“From Cute to Monstrous”: The Online Firestorm
The reaction on social media was immediate and visceral, with countless posts sharing images of Ortega and expressing alarm at her transformation.
Many comments used stark before-and-after comparisons to illustrate what they perceived as a rapid and unhealthy change, often pairing Ortega’s recent photos with images from just a year or two prior.
The overwhelming sentiment was one of concern, not just for Ortega’s health, but for the message this trend sends to young people and the pressure it places on women in the public eye. The incident has become a flashpoint for a much larger conversation about the true cost of fame and the often-unseen pressures of the entertainment industry.
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