Ricki Lake, 58, has opened up about a candid conversation with her longtime friend Rosie O'Donnell regarding plastic surgery. During the latest episode of "The Weekend View," Lake revealed that O'Donnell, 64, was initially critical of her decision to undergo a facelift in 2024. Lake noted that while they speak frequently, O'Donnell admitted to being somewhat judgmental at the time, asking her directly why she needed the procedure and insisting she did not.
The dynamic between the two friends shifted after O'Donnell experienced significant weight loss of over 60 pounds with the help of the GLP-1 medication Mounjaro. Following this transformation, O'Donnell decided to undergo a facelift herself earlier this year. Lake praised her friend's new look, stating that O'Donnell looks phenomenal after the surgery.
O'Donnell has previously discussed her internal struggle with the decision in a May 2026 Substack post, where she described feeling shame about spending more money on the surgery than she ever had on a car. She initially viewed the procedure as a betrayal of feminism and the natural aging process. However, she later realized that teaching her child that her body belonged to an idea, even a positive one like feminism, was not the right message.
In a July interview with People magazine, O'Donnell explained that after losing so much weight, her face appeared sad due to excess skin, prompting concerns from people in Ireland about her well-being. She emphasized that she did not want her face to look frozen and had to wrestle with her feminist beliefs regarding the male gaze. Her child also questioned what her legacy would stand for if she proceeded with the surgery. After six months of deliberation, O'Donnell concluded that the true power of feminism lies in women deciding what to do with their own bodies.
Lake first disclosed her own surgical journey in a July Instagram post celebrating the two-year anniversary of her deep plane lower face and neck lift. She explained that after losing 40 pounds in 2023, she was unhappy with the loose skin under her chin, which she knew would not tighten on its own. Lake expressed gratitude for taking the leap of faith and noted her appreciation for the growing openness surrounding plastic surgery journeys over the past few years.
Sources: Page Six.