Zac Efron has addressed rumours that he underwent plastic surgery.
In April 2021, images of the actor at an Earth Day event went viral after fans noticed that his jaw appeared dramatically different.
Dubbed "jaw-gate" at the time, followers began to speculate whether he had tried fillers or other cosmetic procedures.
However, in an interview for the October 2022 issue of Men's Health, Zac revealed that the change in his appearance was actually the result of an injury he sustained after accidentally smacking his chin on the granite corner of a fountain at his house.
"The masseters just grew," he said, referring to the muscles used for chewing. "They just got really, really big."
While Zac works with a specialist to combat the issue, he took some time out from physical therapy while living in Australia during the Covid-19 pandemic.
And though he wasn't aware of "jaw-gate" trending on social media, he was forced to take notice when his mother asked him about the subject.
"If I valued what other people thought of me to the extent that they may think I do, I definitely wouldn't be able to do this work," the 34-year-old noted.
Elsewhere in the conversation, Zac also shared that he no longer abides by a vegan diet as he began to feel depleted of nutrients. He now follows a "protein-heavy plan".
"Morally, of course, I still wish I was vegan," he added.