Sophie Turner Denied Rumors Of Buccal Fat Removal And Explained How Her Eating Disorder Led To Her Face Changing

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Warning: Discussion of disordered eating.

Sophie Turner dismissed accusations that she's had buccal fat removal.

Sophie Turner poses in a stylish suit with a matching belt and a small handbag in front of a Louis Vuitton logo backdrop
Europa Press News / Europa Press via Getty Images

Buccal fat removal is essentially a cosmetic surgery where fat in the lower cheek is removed, emphasizing the cheekbones. It's a procedure that Sophie has been speculated to have had, despite never confirming it.

Illustration of a woman's face showing the locations of the malar fat pad and buccal fat pad
Tomozina / Getty Images

As part of her May 17 Vogue cover story, Sophie spoke about the hyper-fixation on her weight that came with being a child star. She explained, "Being a young girl, especially one growing up in the spotlight, you really judge yourself."

Sophie Turner walks outside wearing a dark pullover, sunglasses, and holding a water bottle
Ignat / GC Images

However, the comments about her appearance have persisted. The Game of Thrones alum continued, "When you’re bulimic, your face tends to bloat. So when I finally did get better in my early 20s, my face went back to normal. Then, suddenly, all the comments were about whether I’d had buccal fat removal or not. You can never win.”

Sophie Turner on a red carpet in a dress with a sheer top and a plunging neckline
Robert Smith / Patrick McMullan via Getty Images

“I know when I’m in a bad headspace that the eating thing will always flare up,” she said, noting that she will take frequent social media breaks. “But now I regulate it by sitting in the discomfort and just getting used to that feeling of being full. It’s all exposure therapy. I think life is exposure therapy.”

Sophie Turner stands in front of a backdrop, wearing a long-sleeved shirt with a sheet music print
Pascal Le Segretain / Getty Images for Louis Vuitton)

Sophie has previously spoken about having an eating disorder that was exacerbated by social media and life in the public eye. She told Elle UK in 2022, "For a long time, I was quite sick with an eating disorder and I had a companion. [...] One night, I was playing over and over in my mind a comment I’d seen on Instagram. I was like, 'I’m so fat, I’m so undesirable,' and spinning out. She said to me, 'You know, no one actually cares.'"

Sophie Turner on a red carpet, wearing a long-sleeved black lace dress adorned with various colorful embellishments
Jeff Spicer / Getty Images

You can read Vogue's full interview with Sophie here.

f you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, The National Alliance for Eating Disorder helpline can be reached at 866-662-1235 in the US. The helpline is run by clinicians and offers emotional support for individuals and their family, as well as referrals for all levels of eating disorder care.