Why Laura Dern Thinks Her Kids “Have It So Much Worse” Nowadays

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Laura Dern has no problem calling out big and little lies about today’s beauty standards.

The 58-year-old actress reflected on her time in Hollywood, noting that the industry’s standards of beauty have shifted over the years, and she doesn’t think the changes have been positive.

Laura recently expressed sadness about the increasing negativity surrounding aging, especially for women in the public eye. In an interview with The Independent published January 31st, she said the situation is significantly worse now than it was for her mother’s generation.

Actress Laura Dern, daughter of Bruce Dern and the late Diane Ladd, shared memories of conversations she had with her mother as a child that have stayed with her throughout her life.

Laura recalled hearing stories from her mother’s friends about feeling pressured to get facelifts around age 70 to continue their careers.

The mother of two—Jaya, 21, and Ellery, 24, whose father is Ben Harper—recently observed that women now feel this pressure much earlier in life.

I recently overheard my 21-year-old daughter’s friends suggesting getting Botox while they’re young, to avoid wrinkles altogether. It’s really upsetting, and makes me question whether we’ve actually made any progress when it comes to female empowerment.

The Big Little Lies actress explained that many societal expectations come from people’s fears and insecurities. She pointed out it’s often driven by consumerism, comparing it to the tobacco industry’s marketing tactics – like the iconic Marlboro Man – which focused on making a profit. She argued that companies try to convince people to buy things by suggesting they’re beneficial, even if that’s not true, and that we shouldn’t fall for these tricks.

Laura understands she can’t single-handedly change beauty advertising, but she promised to always be truthful in her own contributions to the conversation.

She expressed excitement about seeing everyone become more comfortable with themselves and with each other. As artists, she hoped they would all explore and express honest emotions – whether those were feelings of insecurity, anger, or, ultimately, acceptance – through their work.

Laura isn’t the only celebrity who champions a natural look. Here are more stars who have either said they haven’t had cosmetic procedures or have openly discussed avoiding them.

The Euphoria actress confirmed in December 2025 that she hasn’t had a boob job.

During a Lie Detector Test with Vanity Fair, Amanda Seyfried playfully asked Jennifer Lawrence the question many people were wondering: “Are your breasts real?”

“Yes,” Sydney responded. “I’ve never gotten any work done anywhere.”

 

She shared in December 2025 that she’s never gotten filler. 

She advised against excessive cosmetic procedures like surgery, fillers, and Botox, telling People magazine that a more subtle approach is always best. She suggested taking it easy and avoiding overdoing it.

I’ve been following Alabama Barker for a while now, and she’s been really upfront about getting lip fillers. But she’s made it clear – she hasn’t had any actual cosmetic surgery, which I respect. It’s good she’s being honest about what she’s had done!

In February 2024, she posted bikini photos on Instagram. One user commented, expressing concern that she’d had cosmetic surgery at a young age, but also acknowledged she looks good now and hoped she wouldn’t have too much done.

The rapper said they were grateful for the support and emphasized their natural beauty, clarifying that their only cosmetic enhancement was lip filler.

In a 2015 interview with Harper’s Bazaar U.K., the actress best known for Twilight said she would “never” consider plastic surgery. She admitted being very uncomfortable with the idea, stating she doesn’t want to alter her appearance and believes those who do are making a mistake – even calling it “vandalism.”

Anne Hathaway, known for her role in The Devil Wears Prada, shared with Good Housekeeping in 2008 that it’s important to accept getting older. She explained that life is valuable, and losing loved ones makes you appreciate every day as a special opportunity.

Okay, so there was a bit of a buzz back in September 2025 about whether I’d had some work done on my abs! Let me clear things up – it was all just a little photo editing fun. People were speculating, and honestly, it was flattering, but I hadn’t gone under the knife. I was just playing around with an app and it created a bit of a stir!

You know, I was chatting with Bobbi Althoff on her podcast, Not This Again, and we were looking at an old photo of me. I had just come from the gym, so I was definitely a little sweaty! I think I might have played around with the colors in the photo – maybe boosted the saturation a bit – but that’s it.

He added, “I think I hit it too hard. They don’t look like that.”

While Drake noted that people go under the knife “all the time,” he isn’t one of them.

He added that people have been saying he had a Brazilian Butt Lift, or BBL, and have even nicknamed him ‘BBL Drizzy’.

The supermodel opened up about why she’s all about embracing her skin at every age. 

In an August 2023 Instagram post, she shared a photo of her natural face at age 58, emphasizing she hadn’t used any fillers, Botox, or cosmetic surgery, and had intentionally avoided any facial injections. She highlighted the professional makeup used in the photo and the flattering lighting.

You know, I’ve been thinking a lot about aging lately, and honestly, some days I really embrace it. I look in the mirror and see a face that tells a story – it’s lost that dewy youthfulness, sure, but it’s gained something else, a kind of character. And to me, that feels like a pretty good exchange. It’s about finding beauty in the journey, not just in a flawless appearance.

 

The Oscar winner revealed whether or not she’s gotten plastic surgery.

In an August 2023 interview with Allure, she discussed how her face is naturally changing with age, saying she embraces the process. She addressed rumors that she’d had a facelift, playfully responding to the speculation by explaining that she’s simply getting older and hasn’t had any work done.

Actress Brittany Snow, known for her role in Pitch Perfect, revealed in a 2023 interview with People magazine that she’s never had cosmetic injections like Botox or fillers. She explained that because her career depends on her facial expressions, she’s chosen to avoid them, but emphasized she has no criticism of those who do.

She added, “Basically I’m terrified of f–king it up.”

The actress from Magic Mike recently clarified that she has never had Botox. She stated simply on Kelly Ripa’s Let’s Talk Off Camera podcast, “No Botox!”

Lana Del Rey addressed fan speculation about whether she’d had a nose job, confirming she hasn’t had any surgical work done.

I was so excited to see Lana post on Instagram in September 2025! She shared that she still hasn’t had any surgery or even been put under anesthesia, going on 15 years! But she also let us in on a little beauty secret – she said if you use filler, like her doctor used to, on the bridge of your nose, it can make it appear taller and smoother, and the whole thing takes just seven minutes. It’s amazing to see her so open about things like this!

Lana mentioned a nonsurgical rhinoplasty, which involves using injectable fillers to reshape the nose, explains the Cleveland Clinic. Unlike traditional rhinoplasty, it’s less invasive, but the effects are temporary, typically lasting around six months.

The popular supermodel, well-known from the 1990s, filed a lawsuit in 2021 against Zeltiq Aesthetics. She claimed that a fat-reduction procedure she had with the company in 2015 and 2016 caused lasting damage to her appearance. The case was settled out of court in 2022.

In January 2021, while pregnant, the model addressed fan questions on Instagram, explaining that she’d never had lip injections. She clarified that she wasn’t criticizing those who did—everyone looks great!—but that pregnancy prevents getting injections anyway.

As a lifestyle expert, I’m often asked about celebrity beauty secrets, and Jennifer Lopez is a big topic! She’s famously maintained a remarkably consistent look over the years, and she’s been very open about the fact that she’s never had Botox, fillers, or any surgical procedures. She actually shared this directly with a fan on Instagram back in January 2021 – she simply stated she’s always kept it natural, and that’s it!

The actress from Friends had surgery as a young woman to correct a deviated septum, but she’s publicly stated she’s against Botox and facial fillers.

She explained to Yahoo! Beauty in 2014 that Hollywood puts a lot of pressure on women to avoid looking their age. She’s noticed many actresses trying to achieve this through procedures she personally avoids, and she feels fortunate to learn from their experiences and choose not to have cosmetic injections.

The actress said she’s pretty much explored all options. While she’s hesitant about surgery now, she’d be open to trying anything when she turns 50. However, she won’t be getting Botox again, joking that it made her look unnatural, in an interview with Harper’s Bazaar in 2013.

In a 2012 interview with InStyle magazine, actress and Charlie’s Angels star Farah Fawcett shared her philosophy on dealing with life’s challenges: “Don’t dwell on the things you can’t change; just keep moving forward.”

“The idea of not looking like myself scares me,” she added.

In a 2011 interview with The Telegraph, the Love Actually actress explained that she doesn’t try to fight the aging process, noting a current societal pressure for everyone to appear young, even at older ages. She said, “I’m not fiddling about with myself. We’re in this awful youth-driven thing now where everybody needs to look 30 at 60.”

The Academy Award-winning actress explained to MORE magazine in 2007 that cosmetic surgery just wasn’t for her. She clarified she had no judgment for others who chose to have procedures, saying, ‘Everyone should do what makes them happy.’ However, she personally preferred people notice her natural features, even if they weren’t considered ‘perfect,’ rather than suspect she was insecure enough to alter her appearance. She’d rather be known for who she is, not for trying to hide or change it.

Back in 2011, the singer told Harper’s Bazaar that she believed encouraging people to feel bad about themselves and then suggesting plastic surgery was much more damaging than someone expressing themselves creatively through body art or modifications.

Back in 2011, Kate Winslet, known for her role in Titanic, shared with The Telegraph that she’s against cosmetic surgery. She explained it clashes with her personal values, how she was raised, and her belief in embracing natural beauty.

She firmly stated she would never surrender. As an actress, she explained, she didn’t want to lose the ability to express emotion on her face.

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2026-02-05 02:48