Plastic surgeon weighs in on DWTS star Jenna Johnson’s potential tweaks as ‘unrecognizable’ photos spark rumors

DAILYMAIL.COM • 1h ago

By LILLIAN GISSEN, US DEPUTY LIFESTYLE EDITOR Updated: 21:35 14 Oct 2026

A plastic surgeon has weighed in after old photos of Jenna Johnson from ten years ago resurfaced and sparked fierce rumors that she went under the knife.

Johnson, 32, first appeared as a professional dancer on the show back in 2016, and fans can’t believe how different she looked back then.

Images of her competing on the series for the first time recently went viral on Reddit, as many fans branded her as ‘unrecognizable’ and shared their shock over how much she changed over the years.

Some even theorized that she had gone under the knife after claiming she had an entirely ‘new face.’

‘Oh wow I didn’t realize she got so much work done,’ one user wrote.

‘I didn’t even recognize her,’ commented another, while a third said: ‘Jenna doesn’t even remotely look like the same person.’

‘Jenna’s upper bleph completely changed her face,’ alleged someone else.

Now, top New York City-based plastic surgeon Dr Elie Levine has spoken to the Daily Mail about the potential cosmetic enhancements Johnson may have gotten after analyzing photos of her early on in her career compared to now.

Dr Levine, who did not treat Johnson directly, pointed out that her ‘upper cheek malar area is more pronounced which can often be accomplished with fillers.’

‘Her jawline is crisper and angular which can be accomplished through Botox to the masseter and fillers along the jawline and chin,’ she added.

The doctor added that while she believes Johnson had ‘some work done,’ much of the changes to the dancer’s face could have come from simply aging.

‘When young women transform into adult womanhood it is not unusual for the face to mature with accentuation of cheek bones and thinning of the overall face,’ she said.

‘But while normal aging and lifestyle changes may be the source of the change, cosmetic work can often contribute to changes as well.’

This isn’t the first time Johnson’s change in appearance has raised eyebrows.

Last year, a similar post showing photos of her in 2016 was shared on Reddit and at the time, fans theorized she had gotten upper blepharoplasty surgery (or upper eyelid surgery) or buccal removal.

At the time, the star appeared to shut down plastic surgery rumors.

After someone posted a comment asking why Johnson ‘looks so different’ from her first appearance on DWTS on TikTok, she replied: ‘Because I was six years younger lol.’

Johnson made headlines this week after she got into an awkward clash with judge Carrie Anna Inaba during the most recent episode of DWTS.

After she and partner, Harry Shum Jr, danced to the song Yeah! by Usher, Inaba criticized the performance.

She noted that while she ‘loved every minute of it,’ they needed to ‘put more content in their dances.’

‘And there was a lift,’ she added, to which Johnson replied: ‘A lift?’

‘Yeah it was a lift,’ Inaba said, before reading from a piece of paper that said: ‘A lift is any movement during which one of the dancers has both feet off the floor at the same time with the assistance or support of their partner.’

Johnson was unamused by the response and shook her hair before it moved on to the other judges.

Plastic surgeon weighs in on DWTS star Jenna Johnson’s potential tweakComments are subject to our House rules and TermsNewest{{#isModerationStatus}}{{moderationStatus}}

No one seems to have shared their thoughts on this topic yetLeave a comment so your voice will be heard first.

{{upVotes}}{{downVotes}}{{#replies.comments}}{{^isLast}}{{initials}}{{userAlias}}, United Kingdom, {{formattedDateAndTime}}{{message}}

{{upVotes}}{{downVotes}}{{/isLast}}{{#isLast}}{{initials}}{{userAlias}}, United Kingdom, {{formattedDateAndTime}}{{message}}

{{upVotes}}{{downVotes}}{{/isLast}}{{/replies.comments}}{{/replies.totalCount}}{{^replies.totalCount}}{{initials}}{{userAlias}}, United Kingdom, {{formattedDateAndTime}}{{message}}

{{upVotes}}{{downVotes}}{{/replies.totalCount}}{{/isComment}}The opinions and views expressed in the comments section are solely those of the individual users and do not represent or reflect the opinions, views, or positions of MailOnline. MailOnline does not endorse, support, or verify the accuracy of any user-generated content.Terms|Privacy|FeedbackOldest{{#isModerationStatus}}{{moderationStatus}}