Couples who get fillers together stay together? Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes faced the wrath of social media beauty critics since photos comparing the couple’s older portraits with more recent ones started circulating online this year. Fans are now more convinced than ever that both were “botched.”

Taking to her Instagram page on March 29, Meredith West, a physician assistant with a Master of Science and 15 years of experience specializing in plastic surgery and injectables, posted a joint Reel with the Virginia-based (USA) Mountcastle Medical Spa.

In the video, which amassed nearly 3 million views, “before and after” pictures of Ryan and Eva seemingly exposed a startling difference in their physical appearance, with the married pair looking somewhat “puffier” than they used to.

“My guess is they have both had some cosmetic work done recently,” Meredith wrote in the Reel’s caption.

Ryan Gosling faced the wrath of social media beauty critics for his “puffier” face 

Image credits: Focus Features

Image credits: Getty

She explained: “I think Eva might have had facial surgery (possibly a facelift +/- fat grafting) and they both have likely had Botox and facial fillers.”

Botulinum toxin injections, such as Botox, relax the muscles in your face to smooth out lines and wrinkles, such as crow’s feet and frown lines, the NHS explains.

Botox’s effects, which are popular among people who want to keep a “youthful” appearance, are not permanent and usually last for around three or four months.

Meanwhile, dermal fillers are gel-like substances that are injected beneath the skin to restore lost volume, smooth lines and soften creases, or enhance facial contours, the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery states.

Image credits: Getty

According to the board, more than 1 million men and women choose this popular facial rejuvenation treatment annually.

The most popular type of injectable fillers are made of hyaluronic acid and tend to be the most temporary option. Hyaluronic acid fillers typically last from 6 to 18 months.

Overuse of both procedures can lead to negative effects. According to Nurse Gemavie, overdosing on Botox can lead to excessive muscle weakness, which can cause problems with facial expression and lead to an unnatural appearance.

“We see a good amount of [overdone filler], unfortunately,” Dermatologist Jessica Weiser told Allure in March 2023. It presents as “that classic pillow-face appearance — very puffy with strange anatomic proportions.”

Ryan Gosling’s face was transformed by fillers throughout the years

Image credits: Saturday Night Live

While a myriad of factors contribute to the condition, poor judgment on the part of select injectors is, no doubt, a root cause, Allure reported.

Meredith further detailed in the caption of her Ryan-Eva cosmetic procedure speculative Reel: “I think they both looked amazing before and didn’t need anything other than a little preventative tox and maybe some biostim (ie sculptra) for collagen stimulation.

“Plus of course, medical grade skincare and laser/micro-needling/radiofrequency/co2 for maintenance and prevention.”

The physician assistant’s video sparked heated reactions from multiple stunned people, as an Instagram user commented: “Eva needs to stop because she looks like La Tigresa.”

Image credits: ABC News

A person wrote: “At least they got botched together lol.”

“She looks more like Griselda than Sofia did,” a netizen noted, drawing comparisons between Eva and Sofia Vergara’s portrayal of the infamous Colombian drug lord Griselda Blanco in Netflix’s 2024 series Griselda.

“She was so stunning I don’t understand why?!? And Ryan now just looks puffy and not distinguished like he used to,” an observer added.

A viewer penned: “How do rich people who can afford the best get botched like that I don’t understand at all!?!”

Fans are now more convinced than ever that both were “botched”

An additional commenter argued: “I love them both, but they need to fire their injector.”

“Ryan got the Kenny Rogers’ special,” someone pointed out, comparing the Barbie star with the late music star who previously admitted to being “not happy” about the work he had done on his eyes.

“Both of them have a terrible injector cause their faces look puffy af,” a separate individual chimed in.

Back in February 2021, Eva took to Instagram to set the record straight after her comments about plastic surgery were taken out of context, E! News reported at the time.

“My friend sent me this,” Eva began her caption, in which she showed an article that claimed she “denies plastic surgery accusations left on her Instagram post.”

The story also said she “clapped back” at the commenter.

“Regarding this ‘headline,’” the 50-year-old actress continued, “…ummm… Kinda. Sorta. But not really. Never ‘denied plastic surgery.’ All I did was reply to a specific comment on [social media]. Would never deny that stuff. I’m all for it. All. For. It.”

The Hitch star added at the time that she also wasn’t a fan of the term “clap back,” saying it “sounds aggressive to [her].”

An Instagram Reel showed “before and after” pictures of Ryan and Eva, highlighting their noticeably “puffier” looks

Image credits: Focus Features

Image credits: Sony Pictures

“As a lot of you know,” she went on, “I reply to as many comments as I can. I don’t clap back, I try to connect/communicate. That’s all. Wanted to clear that up.”

Eva’s comeback followed accusations that she was spending “less” time on social media because “she’s had work done.”

The mom-of-two subsequently clarified: “I’m not sure why I’m answering you but here I go.

“I’m posting less because I really want to be present for my family.”

Image credits: evamendes

“My little ones need me and posting takes up too much time.

“As far as getting work done, I’ll do that whenever I please.

“But no, that’s not the reason. The reason is I personally cannot juggle family and social media.

“So -big shocker -I choose family. Lotsa love to you out there.”

More than 1 million men and women choose to get dermal fillers for facial rejuvenation treatment annually

The Cuban-American talent and Ryan, who secretly married in 2016, share two daughters, Esmeralda Amada, nine, and Amanda Lee, eight.

Ryan has yet to address cosmetic procedure allegations; however, other medical experts have weighed in on his physical change, such as Jonny Betteridge, an aesthetics doctor followed by 265,000 people on Instagram.

On March 28, Jonny posted a Reel, which received 2.2 million views, where he discussed the 43-year-old actor’s facial transformation through the years.

“He’s always had very masculine-looking features, well-structured, cheekbones, a squared, jawline, and a wide chin,” the doctor admitted as he analyzed The Notebook talent’s pictures from earlier years.

Jonny continued: “The certain part of his face which is very characteristic of his appearance and that’s this mid-face flatness.

“Again, you can see this here where the face has a sunken-like appearance.

“Most patients that I see for dermal filler treatments need some form of mid-face restoration and I carry that out by placing dermal filler in these four points.

“Aiming to restore the cheekbone structure and restoring volume.”

The doctor went on to claim that Ryan had likely received filler injections around 2021, observing: “Notice a change in this area of the face where it looks much fuller and less sunken.”

The aesthetics expert went on to claim that in more recent years, the Canadian native’s look started to be “overfilled.”

“It’s clear to see the change in his facial proportions and the fullness to his mid-face and cheeks,” Jonny said. “This is further exacerbated [by] dynamic movement of the face when someone smiles, and this appearance is classic of what I see when someone’s had too much filler put in this area.”

Bored Panda has contacted Ryan’s representatives for comment.

The alleged facial transformations continued to ignite divided reactions