Photo: getty
Some fans claim they barely recognize her.
By Christine Schoenwald — Written on Feb 19, 2021
What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, so the saying goes. We all handle the pain of failed relationships, deaths of people close to us, and career failures in our own way.
Some people cut their hair after a bad breakup, while others start a new exercise program.
But the three-time music video awards winner, Lil Kim (born Kimberly Denise Jones), seems to believe that the best way to feel better is to transform yourself completely.
Lil Kim's photo release shocked the world, leaving fans to speculate if she's gotten plastic surgery.
In 2016, the famous female rapper dropped some photos of her new look that had fans' jaws dropping.
The 45-year-old was deemed "unrecognizable," with her long blonde hair and lighter skin tone, and fans immediately noticed the drastic change in her appearance.
It was speculated that Lil Kim had a lot of work done that probably included a number of cosmetic surgery procedures and possibly even skin bleaching.
The New York City native's transformation didn't please all her fans, who quickly took to Twitter with comments about her new look, with some users noting how disappointed they were in the rapper's extreme change.
One user wrote, “It’s really so sad that Lil Kim didn’t realize how beautiful she was without all of the surgery & bleaching.”
But Lil Kim still had her loyal fans to back her up.
Others who followed the rapper's past voiced their support as one fan wrote, “Lil Kim needs love, support, understanding. Not shame & judgment.”
Another long-time fan stood up for the Lady Marmalade singer, “I grew up listening to Lil’ Kim, I loved her because she was so confident & I admired that, not realizing she was hurting. @LilKim,”
Photo lev radin / Shutterstock
So, did Lil Kim get plastic surgery? If so, what did she have done?
Plastic surgeon Jennifer Levine weighed in with her opinion on the rapper's new look, speculating that there's “been some skin bleaching. She’s probably used chemicals, which contain very high doses of acids, on her face, combined with high-acid creams to lighten her skin.”
Levine also suggested that Lil Kim may have had her eyes worked on as well, claiming "They seem elongated and completely different. Kim would have had to have surgery to remove the fat, skin, and tissue to create this new eye shape.”
Lastly, the surgeon noted that the most notable differences appeared to be in Lil Kim's jawline. “She could have had Botox injections under the jaw ... [she's] probably had filler injected into her cheeks.”
Photo: s_bukley / Shutterstock
All the fuss about Lil Kim's plastic surgery could be for nothing.
The surgeon went on to say that it could all just be photoshop.
“When you look at earlier pictures from just a few weeks ago, [Lil Kim] couldn’t have made these drastic changes in such a short amount of time," claimed Levine.
She explained that any work on Lil Kim's jaw and eyes wouldn't have had nearly enough time to heal before those photos were taken and that the images themselves appear morphed and distorted. "Where did her ears go?!”
Photo: davecsmith / Shutterstock
Lil Kim revealed why she started getting plastic surgery in the first place: because she was in an abusive relationship.
In an interview on YouTube in 2005, the rapper revealed that her ex had broken her nose, so doctors had to fix it because it was so damaged.
Although in 2016 many fans felt her new look was a way to heal from all the anti-blackness trauma that she's experienced in her life, Lil Kim doesn't seem to care what the haters think, and gave no explanation for her new look, simply calling it "Miami Heat."
And as she said back in 2005, “It don’t bother me because I’m beautiful! I love myself.”
Which is a great message to send to her 6-year-old daughter, Royal Reign. Fingers crossed she's just a cool and confident as her mom is!
Editor's Note: This article was originally posted on April 25, 2016 and was updated with the latest information.
Christine Schoenwald is a writer and performer. She's had articles in The Los Angeles Times, Salon, and Woman's Day. Visit her website or and her Instagram.