After a golden era of social media attention, cosplays, and fan celebrations of her original style, Erin Moriarty is suddenly finding herself on the cruel side of the internet.<\/p>\n
Best known for her role as Starlight in the hit Amazon Prime superhero series The Boys, the actress has always earned fans\u2019 admiration for her youthful, unaltered looks.<\/p>\n
Recently, however, she has been losing her popular blonde image and earning pity over her shocking makeover, and the before-and-after-photos don\u2019t lie.<\/p>\n
The New Yorker was consequently called<\/a> all types of names: \u201cA 50-year-old skeleton,\u201d \u201cuncanny,\u201d and even \u201cmentally ill\u201d with an \u201caddiction\u201d to plastic surgery (per Yahoo<\/a>).<\/p>\n As Erin\u2019s jaw-dropping transformation becomes impossible to ignore, here\u2019s a detailed year-by-year look at her journey from a Hollywood starlet to looking like \u201cshe has been on meth for years.\u201d<\/p>\n Image credits: Pascal Le Segretain \/ Getty Images<\/a><\/p>\n Erin Moriarty\u2019s claim to fame was Emmy-nominated One Life to Live (1968) in 2010, famously portraying Whitney Bennett in six episodes of the soap opera (IMDb<\/a>).<\/p>\n The \u201cfresh-faced\u201d California girl advanced in her career with roles in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999), The Watch (2012), The Kings of Summer (2013), Red Widow (2013), and, of course, Emmy-winning and Golden Globe-nominated True Detective (2014) and the hit Netflix crime thriller Jessica Jones (2015).<\/p>\n A quick look at Erin\u2019s early TV and red-carpet appearances reveals a mostly natural, minimalist, and youthful style.<\/p>\n Image credits: Queasy_Commercial152 \/ Reddit<\/a><\/p>\n The release of The Boys Season 1 marked Erin Moriarty\u2019s high-profile break as \u201ceveryone\u2019s 2019 crush,\u201d Starlight. That was before \u201cshe screwed herself up with surgery,\u201d as disappointed fans wrote<\/a> on social media.<\/p>\n Erin\u2019s public image at this time embodied Starlight\u2019s \u201cgirl-next-door\u201d qualities: gorgeous blonde hair, an ideal hourglass figure, and minimal visible makeup and cosmetic enhancements.<\/p>\n Her youthful, innocent looks at the time made her the perfect actress to portray the young and powerful character.<\/p>\n Image credits: Paul Archuleta \/ Getti Images<\/a><\/p>\n Much to some fans<\/a>\u2019 dismay, the once-naturally-looking actress \u201cwent from being uniquely beautiful to cookie cutter over-butchered LA Botox zombie.\u201d The difference is even more striking when comparing Erin\u2019s current appearance to her older pictures.<\/p>\n Her unrecognizable lips and facial structure led many fans to believe that The Boys star is well past her prime. Eagle-eyed viewers quickly noticed that their beloved Starlight was looking \u201cso uncanny\u201d mid-The Boys run. \u201cWhy does starlight look different in season 3?\u201d a frightened viewer questioned on Reddit<\/a>. \u201cI honestly thought they recasted her.\u201d<\/p>\n People were quick to attribute Erin\u2019s drastic change to \u201chorrible\u201d plastic surgery, suggesting that the actress probably had a face-contouring buccal fat pad removal.<\/p>\n \u201cI think she did buccal fat pad removal surgery. It looks bad and they spent probably 10-20k to look worse lol,\u201d one commenter joked.<\/p>\n Sporting nearly unrecognizable facial features, the actress\u2019s red-carpet appearances and new social media photos fueled further fan speculation about weight loss and possible fillers.<\/p>\n In a popular Reddit<\/a> post captioned, \u201cErin Moriarty is currently going viral with men claiming she \u2018ruined\u2019 her face,\u201d one commenter suggested that the Boys actress looks like a drug addict more than cosmetically altered. \u201cLooks [like] she has been on meth for years,\u201d they wrote.<\/p>\n \u201cShe was so cute before,\u201d a second lamented.<\/p>\n \u201cOh my God she looks so bad in these photos,\u201d a third commented.<\/p>\n Image credits: best of the boys \/ X<\/a><\/p>\n Others expressed sympathy over what the 31-year-old actress has turned to. \u201cI feel sad for her,\u201d one user pitied, while another wrote, \u201cPoor girl.\u201d<\/p>\n A closer look at Erin\u2019s before-and-after photos reveals that her once crooked-looking nose became noticeably sharper and more defined, a common result of the Hollywood-favorite surgery rhinoplasty (per Rememore<\/a>).<\/p>\n Image credits: Mat Hayward \/ Getty Images<\/a><\/p>\n Her upper lip appears comparatively fuller in recent photos, leading some to believe that the Starlight actress has had a lip lift or fillers.<\/p>\n It is also possible that Erin used Botox and dermal fillers to achieve a wrinkle-free, youthful look \u2014 though fans agree that \u201cshe looks 20-30 years older now.\u201d<\/p>\n Image credits: Chelsea Guglielmino \/ Getty Images<\/a><\/p>\n Erin Moriarty\u2019s \u201cradical transformation\u201d became a hot topic of discussion by 2024. Megyn Kelly went viral last year when she called out the actress\u2019s \u201cmental illness\u201d in her podcast, The Megyn Kelly Show<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s a beautiful actress, but she\u2019s decided to completely change her face,\u201d Megyn ranted. \u201cThis is a picture of her before, which I think was relatively recent. Now look at her. She\u2019s got the Kim Kardashian lips. She\u2019s made her nose so skinny, it looks like a pencil now. She\u2019s got, like, what appear to me to be cheek implants.\u201d<\/p>\n The former Fox News host went on, \u201cI find it like a sign of mental illness. It\u2019s extremely upsetting.\u201d<\/p>\n Image credits: erinelairmoriarty \/ Instagram<\/a><\/p>\n In a now-deleted lengthy Instagram post, Erin Moriarty hit back at Megyn\u2019s \u201cdisgustingly false\u201d plastic surgery claims (per Yahoo<\/a>). \u201cThis is something I truly never anticipated writing,\u201d she stated. \u201cWe\u2019re all subject to levels of bullying throughout our lives but I am horrified, and I felt that I deserved to take a second to address these things.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow utterly misinformed, inaccurate, and clickbait seeking people who we follow and consider to be informed is appalling.\u201d<\/p>\n In the end, the actress expressed that she was \u201chorrified by the reaction, the reductive assumptions, and the aforementioned video that is a primary example of such harassment. It\u2019s broken my heart. You\u2019ve broken my heart.\u201d<\/p>\n It wasn\u2019t long before cosmetic clinics offered their own analysis of actress Erin\u2019s controversial makeover.<\/p>\n \u201cErin Moriarty looks different,\u201d a Vanity Clinic<\/a> post read. \u201cExcept for rhinoplasty, it doesn\u2019t really seem like the actress has had any work done. Most of the physical changes that she has gone through can be attributed to weight loss and even ageing.\u201d<\/p>\n Image credits: Roy Rochlin \/ Getty Images<\/a><\/p>\n While the internet was busy dissecting her appearance with cruel precision, a much more serious reality was unfolding behind the scenes. Her health, not her choices, had become the true battleground.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n The Boys superstar recently revealed that she was diagnosed with Graves\u2019 disease, an autoimmune condition that can lead to weight loss, stress, anxiety, and bulging eyes (per New York Post<\/a>).<\/p>\n The clinic concluded, \u201cThese changes, when combined with different makeup techniques and lighting, could further give the impression that the actress had work done. However, looking at her before and after photos, there is no dramatic change in Erin Moriarty eye lift or body shape.\u201d<\/p>\n Image credits: erinelairmoriarty \/ Instagram<\/a><\/p>\n After expressing feelings of horror over online bullying, Erin Moriarty is finally back on her feet thanks to unwavering support from devoted fans and coworkers (per BuzzFeed<\/a>).<\/p>\n \u201cI had left it on a note where I\u2019d explicitly said that I had been heartbroken by the comments,\u201d the actress shared in a New York Times<\/a> interview. \u201cNow, I\u2019m not heartbroken. I\u2019m galvanized.\u201d<\/p>\n Online hate and harassment were so intense that Erin was frightened they would end her entire Hollywood career. \u201cFor a few months, I thought my career was over,\u201d she said. \u201cBecause there was so much attention brought to something that I was told never to address.\u201d<\/p>\n Image credits: Barry Brecheisen \/ Getty Images<\/a><\/p>\n On the kinder side of the internet, real fans have been wholeheartedly defending the actress to make her own decisions. \u201cFull offense, why are The Boys fans so obsessed Erin Moriarty\u2019s appearance?\u201d questioned one Facebook<\/a> user. \u201cShe does look different back then, but she was also EIGHTEEN at the time. No one looks the same as they did a decade ago.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYall are like, \u2018waaaaaah I don\u2019t find her f**kable anymore,\u2019\u201d they added.<\/p>\n Supporters are also rallying in defense through the trending, fan-led #LeaveErinAlone. \u201cFor the love of God, do you people feel no shame?\u201d one user queried in a Reddit<\/a> post.<\/p>\n \u201cErin Moriarty is getting death threats just because incels are angry she isn\u2019t making their d**k wet anymore,\u201d the OP added, calling out \u201cextremely toxic\u201d fans.<\/p>\n Image credits: Axelle\/Bauer-Griffin \/ Getty Images<\/a><\/p>\n Erin Moriarty\u2019s case is a part of a broader trend where aging female Hollywood stars get harassed over their changing physical appearance.<\/p>\n Last year, Kate Beckinsale fired back on the \u201cinsidious bullying\u201d of her alleged cosmetic surgery (per PEOPLE<\/a>). \u201cLife happens \u2014 obviously I have aged, everybody ages,\u201d\u00a0 Beckinsale, 50, wrote at the time.<\/p>\n Even Hollywood\u2019s beauty icon, Angelina Jolie, did not survive the dismissive remarks, with some saying<\/a> that the 50-year-old actress looks \u201c65 with lots of Botox.\u201d<\/p>\n Image credits: Fred Duval \/ Getty Images<\/a><\/p>\n Undeterred, the Hollywood royalty expressed contentment that she is getting old. \u201cI do like being older. I feel much more comfortable in my 40s than I did when I was younger,\u201d she said before turning 50 (per PEOPLE<\/a>).<\/p>\n She went on, \u201cThere\u2019s something about age that feels like a victory instead of a sadness.\u201d<\/p>\n As we enter 2026, the noise surrounding Erin Moriarty\u2019s physical appearance has largely subsided. After years of relentless scrutiny, the conversation has finally shifted\u2014proving that even the loudest internet crusades eventually run out of steam.<\/p>\n Today, Erin continues her work in Hollywood, focusing on her craft rather than the public discourse.<\/p>\n The #LeaveErinAlone movement<\/strong> and the rally from loyal fans not only provided her with the support she needed during a difficult time but also set a precedent for how online communities can push back against toxic harassment.<\/p>\n While the internet is quick to judge, it is also quick to move on, and for Erin, the victory lies in reclaiming the narrative and thriving in her career on her own terms.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n2013\u20132018: Rising Star with a Natural Look<\/h2>\n
2019: The Boys Debut and Starlight\u2019s Signature Style<\/h2>\n
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2021\u20132023: Noticeable Changes Spark Online Curiosity<\/h2>\n
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2024: Erin Moriarty Plastic Surgery Rumors Goes Mainstream<\/h2>\n
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2025: Loyal Fans Rally in Defense<\/h2>\n
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2026: Where Does Erin Stand Now?<\/h2>\n