In a week of panelists' revelations, the host opens up on what she had to do just to advance her career.
- Sep 12, 2013
AceShowbiz - After Sharon Osbourne confessed a "flingy wingy" with Jay Leno on the Monday, September 9 episode of "The Talk" followed by the Tuesday admission of Aisha Tyler regarding her infertility struggles, it was Julie Chen's turn on Wednesday to reveal a secret on their talk show. The co-host opened up about having to get plastic surgery on her eyes so she could achieve her dream of being a network news anchor.
Chen was working as a 25-year-old local news reporter in Dayton, Ohio back in 1995 when she realized that she was at risk of not ever landing the anchor's desk because of her Chinese ethnicity. She recalled how her news director at that time told her that standing in the way of her dreams was her "Asian eyes" and how she looked "disinterested and bored" in front of the camera because of them.
After recounting her childhood in Queens where she experienced racism to recording her daily newscast and meeting with a big-time agent who recommended she get plastic surgery on her eyes to make them look better, the "Big Brother" host revealed how she eventually got the courage to discuss the matter with her parents. Sadly, the issue divided her brood, with the physical changes to her eyes being interpreted as her denying her heritage.
But with very supportive parents who went as far as paying for her plastic surgery and standing by her side through the ordeal, Chen went through with procedure, saying that after she did it, that's when "the ball did roll for me."
