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Renee Zellweger hits back at cosmetic surgery rumours in powerful essay

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Renee Zellweger has written a powerful article regarding the rumours that she has undergone cosmetic surgery, and how the scrutiny regarding women's appearances in tabloid media needs to change.

In an essay titled 'We can do better' for The Huffington Post, she wrote: "In October 2014, a tabloid newspaper article reported that I’d likely had surgery to alter my eyes.

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Renee wrote about the tabloid scrutiny she has faced

"The ‘eye surgery’ tabloid story itself did not matter, but it became the catalyst for my inclusion in subsequent legitimate news stories about self-acceptance and women succumbing to social pressure to look and age a certain way.

"Not that it's anyone's business, but I did not make a decision to alter my face and have surgery on my eyes. This fact is of no true import to anyone at all, but that the possibility alone was discussed among respected journalists and became a public conversation is a disconcerting illustration of news/entertainment confusion and society’s fixation on physicality."

The Academy award winner concluded her essay to ask that tabloid media changes the way they look at women's appearances, particularly as it affects the way younger generations of women look at themselves. She wrote: "Ugly shoes, ugly feet, ugly smile, ugly hands, ugly dress, ugly laugh; headline material which emphasises the implied variables meant to determine a person's worth, and serve as parameters around a very narrow suggested margin within which every one of us must exist in order to be considered socially acceptable and professionally valuable, and to avoid painful ridicule.

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The star's candid essay has been praised by fans

"The resulting message is problematic for younger generations and impressionable minds, and undoubtably triggers myriad subsequent issues regarding conformity, prejudice, equality, self acceptance, bullying and health."

Fans have already praised the actress for her candid essay, with one writing: "#ReneeZellweger is a lovely lady and great actor. Totally agree with her. Media needs to inform, not to harass," while another wrote: "Important read. Thank you, Renee."

The Bridget Jones's Diary actress's essay was released shortly after Jennifer Aniston penned a similar article highlighting the "absurd and disturbing" scrutiny that women experience by the tabloid media and calling for change, saying: "We don't need to be married or mothers to be complete. We get to determine our own 'happily ever after' for ourselves."