Julie Chen Reveals Workplace Racism Led Her To Get Plastic Surgery For ‘Asian Eyes’

Julie Chen shared her secret on CBS’s The Talk.

[Chen revealed] that as a young journalist, she underwent plastic surgery to enlarge her “Asian eyes.”

Chen, 43, explained that she developed a deep insecurity about her eyes at age 25 after a boss at a Dayton, Ohio, news station told her that her heritage was hindering her career success.

“He said, ‘Let’s face it Julie, how relatable are you to our community?” she recalled. “How big of an Asian community do we have in Dayton? On top of that, because of your Asian eyes, I’ve noticed that when you’re on camera, you look disinterested and bored.'”

The “Big Brother” host said the same sentiment was shared by a big-time agent she sought out while attempting to further her career.

“He said, ‘I cannot represent you unless you get plastic surgery to make your eyes look bigger.'”

By: Cheston Catalano

Cheston Catalano is a Kentucky-based journalist whose work has been featured in the Chattanooga Times Free Press and the Clarksville Leaf Chronicle. He is a long-time contributor to Liberaland.