She Was a Hollywood Bombshell in the ’70s, but After Plastic Surgery ‘Destroyed’ Her Face, She Could No Longer Act in Movies

This actress rose to fame for her beauty, transitioning from modeling to acting and becoming one of the most photographed women of her time. But her life took a dramatic turn after a cosmetic procedure meant to preserve her youth left part of her face permanently altered.

The devastating experience forced her to step away from appearing in front of the camera and brought her under horrible public scrutiny. Take a closer look at her life over the years, the botched procedure that left her traumatized, and see what she looks like now at 82.

A Life in the Spotlight

This actress’s rise to fame began as a teenager, appearing in chewing gum advertisements and modeling. These modest beginnings paved the way for her to become one of the most photographed women of the 1970s.

Her undeniable beauty and elegance captured the attention of Hollywood, propelling her into stardom. Her breakthrough role came as a Bond Girl alongside Roger Moore in “The Man with the Golden Gun,” solidifying her place among the most glamorous stars of her era.

Beyond her on-screen success, the actress’s personal life often made headlines. She had high-profile romances, including her most talked-about relationship with actor and director Peter Sellers, who was 17 years her senior.

Their whirlwind romance began in January 1964 after Sellers spotted her photograph in a newspaper and sent his valet to deliver a message.

“I thought that I would like to meet what I saw,” Sellers later admitted. The couple married just ten days after their first date. However, behind the scenes, their relationship was far from perfect.

In a 2016 appearance on “Loose Women,” the former Bond Girl revealed the darker side of their marriage. “I was really his little toy,” she confessed, adding, “He decided my life.”

According to her, Sellers, known for his mercurial nature, was “very possessive and very, very moody,” often threatening her with divorce and then just as suddenly reconciling.

His fits of jealousy added strain to their relationship. While “The Man with the Golden Gun” star emphasized that the abuse was never physical, she would have left soon.

“I know that sounds horrible. [But] I’m just being practical,” she admitted. She stopped short of outright labeling the relationship abusive but described it as “emotional and psychological warfare.”

She later endured more pain with the passing of her mother from Alzheimer’s disease at age 78. Her mother had been a significant support throughout her career. “Wherever I worked, she always came,” the actress fondly recalled.

While the loss deeply affecting her, she briefly sought mental health treatment, discontinuing antidepressants after a few days. “I am so used to taking care of myself, I don’t need anyone to do anything for me,” she said.

Her second marriage to a much younger Stray Cats drummer, Slim Jim Phantom, drew attention due to their over 17-year age gap. The couple wed in 1984 but separated after eight years in 1992.

Throughout her life, the actress found joy in raising her three children. Her eldest child, daughter Victoria Sellers, born in 1965, made her mark in Hollywood as an actress, landing roles in films such as “Warlords” and “Inevitable Grace.”

Her eldest son and second child, Nic Adler, born in 1973 to her and Slim Jim Phantom, pursued a career in entertainment and launched a podcast that delves into creating awareness with medical experts and families for adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) — a rare genetic condition.

Her second son and youngest child, T.J. McDonnell, born in 1988 to the actress and her third husband Peter McDonnell, also followed his mother’s footsteps into the film industry.

Despite her professional accomplishments and fulfilling family life, the pressures of maintaining her image in a beauty-obsessed industry would lead her down a difficult path. What followed was a journey marked by drastic choices and public reflection, shaping the next chapter of her life.

A Cosmetic Nightmare

Britt Ekland’s story took a harrowing turn in the 1990s when, in her fifties, she decided to undergo a cosmetic procedure in Paris. What she expected to be a moderate enhancement turned into a traumatic experience that left her with lifelong consequences.

Ekland had made the appointment through a reputable consultancy on Harley Street, hoping for a minor lip-plumping procedure. The Paris-based doctor injected Articol, a first-generation filler made from bovine collagen, around the rim of her lips.

According to reports, promoted as a “new dental material,” Articol was risky, with permanent effects. Wendy Lewis, a cosmetic surgery consultant, revealed that the filler was briefly popular in the 1990s but is now rarely used and was never approved in the U.S.

Reflecting on the experience during an interview, Ekland shared that the doctor “destroyed” her face and claimed she was used as “some sort of experiment.” The immediate results were devastating, forcing her to live with relentless public scrutiny.

“For a very long time, I couldn’t really do television or films,” she admitted, as opposed to theater, where the distance between her and the audience allowed her some respite. Still, the ordeal left her scarred — both physically and emotionally.

Attempts to correct the botched procedure were equally grueling. She described the efforts to “try to melt the stuff” in her lips as “excruciatingly painful.” The corrections were only partially successful, and Ekland continues to receive negative comments about her appearance.

“Oh dear, she used to be so attractive. Other women thinking about cosmetic procedures should think again!” one social media user commented about the actress. Another shared, “What a mess! She was so pretty back in the day. She ruined herself.”

A third person typed, “She was breathtakingly beautiful back in the day. Absolutely stunning. Such a shame, don’t mess with your face!” and a fourth remarked, “She was so lovely in her younger day — unrecognisable now [sic]…”

Another person wrote, “She was breathtakingly beautiful back in the day. What a shame to have ruined it through unnecessary work”Âand a sixth shared, “Jesus, what has she done to herself? That photograph would fit in any horror display.”

“To all the people who say, ‘She’s destroyed her face,’ yes! I didn’t do that purposely. I don’t want to look like this, but I have no choice. I’ve learned to live with it, so you’d better learn to live with it,” the actress said with candor back in 2020.

In hindsight, she expressed regret for her decision to undergo cosmetic surgery. She emphasized feeling content aging naturally, adding that while she underwent cosmetic procedures in her 50s, she had no interest in doing it again.

“[…] Getting older happens to everyone. It’s pointless complaining about it or wishing you could change,” she stated in 2021. The actress once advocated for cosmetic surgery for women over 40, but her perspective shifted after her traumatic experience.

She encourages embracing natural aging, sharing, “It’s not really until today, when I’m a really old woman, that I can see, ‘I’m satisfied. I like myself.'”

Beyond her personal journey, Ekland also faced heartache within her family. Her grandson Lucas, born to her son Nic, was diagnosed with ALD. Although devastating, early diagnosis allowed for timely intervention, giving Lucas a fighting chance.

“It was a huge shock. Lucas is such a wild thing, like a little typhoon, and it was so difficult to come to terms with the fact that such a beautiful, entertaining, lovely little boy was facing something so dreadful,” she said.

Ekland has since become an advocate for newborn screening, campaigning for the UK to add ALD testing to its standard procedures, “So that all these boys have a future,” she explained.

Even after hearing her entire story and why she looks this way now, users online had more to say. Many admired her past beauty and acknowledged their sadness over the results of so many cosmetic procedures.

One user online commented, “She was beautiful. Shame [sic] she and her surgeon did not know when to stop with the surgery and fillers.”

Meanwhile, others lamented how her original charm was altered, such as one fan who wrote, “Oh god. She was such a natural beauty. I was nuts about her when I saw ‘The Man with the Golden Gun’.” Another simply expressed, “She was a beauty.”

Regardless, Ekland’s resilience shines through her reflections on life. While the consequences of her cosmetic decisions remain, her journey from regret to self-acceptance is a testament to her enduring strength and willingness to grow.