Jamie Lee Curtis: Actress called out for Gaza comparison and 'genocide' remark on plastic surgery
Jamie Lee Curtis has sparked backlash online after describing plastic surgery as a “genocide of a generation of women.”
In an interview with The Guardian, the Oscar-winning actress said she used the word “genocide” intentionally, claiming that cosmetic surgery and beauty standards driven by the “cosmeceutical industrial complex” had “wiped out a generation or two of natural human (appearance).”
“I’ve used that word for a long time and I use it specifically because it’s a strong word,” the 66-year-old star said. “The concept that you can alter the way you look through chemicals, surgical procedures, fillers — there’s a disfigurement of generations of predominantly women who are altering their appearances.”
Curtis clarified she wasn’t criticising individuals, adding: “I don’t care. I would never say to someone: what have you done? All I know is that it is a never-ending cycle. That, I know… But it’s not my job to give my opinion; it’s none of my business.”
But online, Curtis’s comments were met with harsh criticism, particularly for invoking “genocide” while remaining silent on Israel’s ongoing military actions in Gaza. One viral tweet from user @tyleroakley said, “It’s like she’s trying to change the search results for, ‘jamie lee curtis genocide’ - all while the genocide she helped manufacture consent for is happening right now (of Palestinians by Israel).”
Another user, @FridoKala, wrote: “Jamie Lee Curtis proving yet again she is the most despicable. And no, you can’t call plastic surgery a genocide, especially not when you are complicit in an actual genocide against the Palestinians.”
A resurfaced Instagram post also reignited controversy. Curtis previously shared an image of Palestinian children looking up at missiles with the caption “TERROR FROM THE SKIES,” and tagged it with an Israeli flag. She later deleted the post when it was revealed the photo was from Gaza.
Previously, Curtis also made a comparison during a recent Q&A about the Los Angeles wildfires that critics deemed distasteful. “The entire Pacific Palisades looks like, you know, unfortunately Gaza or one of these war-torn countries where awful things have happened,” she said.
Curtis stars in Disney’s Freakier Friday , which is set to release on August 8.