Sophie Turner is tired of “online trolls” making comments about her appearance.
Turner, 28, addressed speculation that she’s had plastic surgery in a candid profile with British Vogue, which was published on Wednesday, May 16. “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,” Turner told the publication, adding, “You can never win.”
Buccal fat removal, which is also referred to as buccal lipectomy or cheek fat removal, is a type of plastic surgery that removes fat from the cheek area to reduce fullness in the face and highlight cheekbones. (Chrissy Teigen revealed she had the procedure in 2021.)
Turner admitted to Vogue that she still struggles with the eating disorder, but she manages the condition better now that she’s older and takes breaks from social media to avoid negativity.
“I know when I’m in a bad headspace that the eating thing will always flare up,” Turner told Vogue. “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.”
Turner found herself in the limelight at a young age thanks to her breakout role as Sansa Stark in Game of Thrones, which aired for 8 seasons from 2011 to 2019. Even after the show’s finale, Turner continued to make headlines due to her relationship with Joe Jonas. The pair wed in May 2019 and split in September 2023 after welcoming daughters Willa (in 2020) and Delphine (in 2022).
While their breakup initially seemed amicable, things took a rocky turn when Turner sued Jonas, 34, claiming that their daughters, who have dual American and British citizenship, had been “wrongfully detained” in New York and sought for their return to England. (Jonas denied the claims at the time, and they reached a temporary custody agreement in October 2023. British Vogue reported on Tuesday that the suit was dismissed in January.)
“There were some days that I didn’t know if I was going to make it,” Turner told British Vogue of her legal battle. “I would call my lawyer saying, ‘I can’t do this. I just can’t.’ I was just never strong enough to stand up for myself.”
Turner said her attorney reminded her that she was “fighting” for her kids, and that gave her courage. “Once anyone says to me, ‘Do it for your kids,’ I’m doing it,” Turner explained. “I wouldn’t do it for myself, but I’ll find the strength for them.”
On top of navigating divorce, Turner was publicly mom-shamed after a British tabloid published photos of her at a local bar. Jonas, meanwhile, was captured out and about with their girls in Los Angeles.
“It hurt because I really do completely torture myself over every move I make as a mother — mum guilt is so real! I just kept having to say to myself, ‘None of this is true. You are a good mum and you’ve never been a partier,’” the actress said, addressing the speculation surrounding her and Jonas’ divorce.
Turner and Jonas’ divorce is ongoing.
