Former Fox News Icon Shepard Smith Can't Escape Plastic Surgery Rumors

Shepard Smith made headlines in 2019 when he abruptly quit his long-standing position at Fox News. Even with his reported annual salary of $15 million at the network, Smith's personal ethics as a journalist was the catalyst to his stepping down. The former Fox stalwart revealed on CNN's "Amanpour" in 2021 that he couldn't maintain a career with his partisan, biased co-workers. However, Smith's face was soon back on TV when he joined the CNBC team in 2020, anchoring "The News with Shepard Smith" until 2022. 

Plastered all over America's television screens every evening, Smith's peaked eyebrows and perfectly round cheeks were hard to miss — they almost looked fake. Whether the prolific anchor has undergone cosmetic surgery is unclear, but the internet has been speculating about it for a while. A Threads post about Matt Gaetz's rumored plastic surgery opined that the Republican politician had used far too much Botox. A reply to the post even exclaimed, "I thought that was Shepard Smith!" In all fairness, their prominently angular eyebrows are eerily similar, so it's an easy mistake to make.

We reached out to Dr. Michael Niccole, a board-certified plastic surgeon and the founder and Medical Director of CosmetiCare Plastic Surgery Center & MedSpa in Newport Beach, California, who exclusively revealed to The List what he reckons Smith has and hasn't had done to his face over the years. "I don't believe he has had a facelift or other surgical procedures," Niccole told us firmly. However, the expert also noted that the photo above has clear signs of Botox and/or further cosmetic treatments to the skin, such as "a chemical peel, laser treatments, or even fat transfer."

For those wondering how Shepard Smith gets his glow, the former Fox News anchor likely just packs on the makeup, according to Dr. Michael Niccole, who referred to the photo above. It's no secret that on-camera journalists have to apply a heavy amount of products to contrast the harsh studio lights — that's why there are so many news anchor makeup fails. In fact, Smith was once caught reapplying his setting powder during a live segment on Fox News (via X, formerly known as Twitter). His even-toned skin is most likely just an excellent foundation job.

In contrast, Niccole pointed out that in the first photo "his skin appears more natural, and its redness suggests recent treatment perhaps a laser." The plastic surgeon suggested his seemingly slimmer face could be the result of a contouring procedure, but it cannot be determined without seeing Smith's side profile. Another explanation is simply weight loss. Overall, though, Niccole doesn't see any concrete signs of any major cosmetic alterations, but great skincare and maybe a little Botox are the potential reasons for Smith's trip around the rumor mill.