Did Zac Efron Break His Chin? Shatter His Jaw? Here’s What Happened To Zac Efron’s Face In “A Family Affair”

Here we go again. Zac Efron‘s face is being called back into question in light of the release of his new Netflix rom-com A Family Affair, in which he plays Nicole Kidman‘s love interest.

For years, the internet has been speculating that the High School Musical alum had some sort of plastic surgery on his face. While he previously addressed the accusations, the same rumors have begun re-circulating, with many social media users calling out his “different” appearance in A Family Affair.

“What happened to Zac Efron? He looks like an entirely different person,” one wrote on X, while another added, “Why the fuck did Zac Efron fuck with his face?!”

A third person suggested, “Zac Efron probably died but since he’s a billion-dollar asset, they either cloned him or surgically altered a lookalike (and didn’t quite nail it) to slide right into the role and keep the gravy train rolling.”

However, the truth behind Efron’s change in appearance is much scarier than some elective plastic surgery — and definitely has nothing to do with cloning.

He revealed in a 2022 interview with Men’s Health that he shattered his jaw nearly a decade earlier. The star said he was running through his house in socks when he slipped and smacked his chin against the granite corner of a fountain. He said he lost consciousness and when he woke up, his chin bone was hanging off his face.

While Efron initially went to physical therapy to treat his injury, he eventually had to stop when he became busy filming Netflix’s Down to Earth with Zac Efron in Australia. As a result, his masseter muscles, which are used for chewing, ended up getting “really, really big” as they compensated for the other facial muscles that were still recovering, he said.

Efron told Entertainment Tonight in 2022 that doesn’t “really give a fuck” about the plastic surgery accusations, which he first heard from his mom, since he doesn’t read the internet.

“It was funny,” he said of his accident. “It sucks. I almost died, but we’re good.”

Fortunately, the 17 Again star has more supporters than critics this time around.

“Genuinely feel awful for the guy bc everyone’s commenting on his looks over the recent years but he broke his jaw,” one user wrote on X. “The healing process is gonna change ur face shape & ur face stays swollen & more square shaped for a longggg time during recovery.”

Another added, “People should stop making him feel different,” while someone else said, “I’m team leave Zac Efron alone about his fuckin face.”

A Family Affair is currently streaming on Netflix.