Gabriela Spanic, the Venezuelan actress remembered worldwide for her dual role in the iconic 1998 telenovela La Usurpadora, is at the center of a debate after a Rio de Janeiro plastic surgery clinic shared promotional images comparing her face before and after a recent rejuvenation procedure.
The images were published by JK Estética Avançada as part of a collaboration announcing the 51-year-old’s visit to their clinic.
Highlights
- The Latin American actress was criticized for undergoing a facelift.
- Some netizens accused the clinic of false publicity and retouching the before-and-after photos.
- Spanic became a continent-wide phenomenon with her hit 90s telenovela "La Usurpadora."
They claimed to show the results of a temporal facelift allegedly involving lip filler, laser treatments, and tensor threads. Botox may have been used as well, though the exact details remain unconfirmed.
But once the photos went public, many accused the clinic of misleading advertising, while others said Spanic had gone too far with cosmetic work.
Latin actress Gabriela Spanic faced criticism after undergoing a facial rejuvenation procedure, leaving fans divided over the results
Image credits: Lifetime Channel
The criticism began with the expressions shown in the comparison.
In the “before” image, Spanic appears to be making an expression similar to disgust, which accentuated her nasolabial folds. Viewers argued the pose was deliberate and designed to exaggerate the effects of the treatment.
Some pointed to inconsistencies in her facial structure. The shape of her nose in the “before” photo was cited as proof of her contorting her face to make herself look worse on purpose.
Image credits: Getty/Jose Devillegas
At the same time, many believed the results shown in the “after” image were digitally altered to make Spanic look dramatically younger than she appears in real life.
Fans responded by sharing recent images of Spanic taken after the procedure. In those pictures, she looks almost identical to her usual self, with only subtle differences that are easily obscured by heavy makeup and retouching.
“It’s all filters,” a fan wrote. “She already posted a picture of herself.”
Image credits: gabyspanictv
A third group was willing to give the clinic the benefit of the doubt. Still, they believed the actress didn’t need the procedure, and ended up making herself look worse.
“The miracle or the anti-miracle of too many surgeries,” one viewer said. “People can do whatever they want with their face. But too much surgery can sometimes work against you.”
“It’s terrifying how they end up so disfigured,” another lamented.
Many of her fans congratulated her, believing she had recovered the youthful look that made her a sensation in the 90s
Image credits: Record
Despite the backlash, most of her fans celebrated her results.
Several users congratulated her, especially on Instagram.
“She looks great. I congratulate her,” a fan wrote. “She looks incredible. Very young and beautiful,” another added, expressing a desire to undergo the treatment as well.
Image credits: dr.karimsalman
The photos also caused an unexpected wave of nostalgia, as many believed Spanic had recovered the appearance that made her so recognizable in the 90s.
“The soundtrack started playing again,” a fan wrote, referring to the score of La Usurpadora.
Image credits: gabyspanictv
Some fans interpreted the clinic’s promotion as the symbolic “return” of Paola Bracho, Spanic’s legendary villainess whose glamour and cruelty defined an entire era of Latin American melodrama.
Spanic went from a Venezuelan model to a Mexican superstar thanks to the success of La Usurpadora
Image credits: gabyspanictv
Before the controversy over her recent procedure, Spanic had already accumulated a long career across Venezuela, Mexico, the United States, and Europe.
She first appeared publicly in 1992 as Miss Guárico in Miss Venezuela, a platform that led to early acting roles in productions like Morena Clara.
Image credits: gabyspanictv
In 1994, she secured her first leading role in Como tú ninguna, a telenovela that became one of Venezuela’s most successful during its eleven-month run. Her final project in her home country was Todo por tu amor in 1997.
Her career changed course in 1998.
Image credits: Getty/Alexander Tamargo
That year, she arrived in Mexico after being invited by writer Carlos Romero and producer Salvador Mejía to headline La Usurpadora. The telenovela became a major international hit and marked her transition from a foreign actress working in Mexico to a widely recognized figure abroad.
In 2004, she expanded internationally with a special appearance in the Romanian series Numai Iubirea and, in 2020, she became the first Latin participant on Hungary’s Dancing with the Stars.
"Is this real?" Many couldn't believe the dramatic results shown in the promotional image
