Jim Carrey’s ex reveals what we missed about his ‘unrecognisable’ face

Actor Jim Carrey caused rampant speculation with his appearance at the César Awards earlier this year (Picture: Getty)

Jim Carrey’s ex-girlfriend has commented on the wild speculation that he was replaced by a clone or prankster in a mask at a recent awards ceremony.

Jenny McCarthy, 53, dated the Hollywood star for five years and confirmed that it was ‘definitely Jim Carrey’ who attended the César Awards in February.

Carrey, 64, was invited to accept an honorary award recognising his contributions to the film and television industry, giving his speech entirely in French.

But with the Ace Ventura and Grinch actor looking noticeably different from his usual self at the event, fans and conspiracy theorists leapt into action to share rumours, forcing Carrey’s rep to shut down the gossip with a confirmation that it was actually him.

And now actress and model McCarthy has thrown her weight behind that, while also sharing something that fans overlooked.

‘He looked very happy at that award show. And I was happy for him,” she told People Magazine. ‘That’s the first thing I noticed. I said, “Oh wow, Jim looks really happy.”‘

Jenny McCarthy and the comic powerhouse were in a five-year relationship (Picture: Barry King/WireImage) She said the first thing she noticed was his happiness (Picture: AFP via Getty)

‘You know, that’s the part that, sadly, people miss,’ added McCarthy’s husband Donnie Wahlberg, who attended the iHeartRadio Music Awards on Thursday alongside her.

‘We’re so obsessed with how he looks that we didn’t consider how happy he looked.’

Indeed, the Canadian comic had referred to his partner Min Ah as his ‘sublime companion’ during his speech, and attended the ceremony with his daughter, grandson and 12 close friends and family members, making it a true family affair.

McCarthy and Carrey dated from 2005 to 2010, before splitting amicably, with McCarthy vowing to ‘always keep Jim as a leading man in my heart’.

The Masked Singer US pannellist tied the knot with Blue Bloods actor Wahlberg in 2014.

McCarthy, who was apeaking at the iHeartRadio Music Awards, split amicably from the Hollywood star in 2010 (Picture: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic) Carrey (pictured in 2025) was honoured with a special award at the prestigious ceremony, accepting it in French (Picture: Gilbert Flores/Billboard via Getty)

But Bruce Almighty and The Mask actor Carrey went viral in February for looking ‘unrecognisable’, with users on social media arguing that something appeared ‘off’.

His face looked fuller that evening, his skin smoother than usual, and his jawline tighter, with many believing he must have had some cosmetic procedure, such as Botox or fillers.

But it didn’t stop there, with even his height being questioned, as fans suggested the Carrey at the event was ‘taller’, while others noted his eyes were a different colour.

His posture, movements and voice were also scrutinised that night, with people such as @pnwguerrilla declaring the star must have been ‘replaced,’ while @AriesHornz asked: ‘Who the hell is this man.’

Things were further complicated at the time when a makeup artist famous for their extravagant transformations seemingly claimed to have imitated him, showing up on his behalf and delivering his acceptance speech.

Drag queen and performance artist Alexis Stone posted a picture of a mask, make-up kit, brunette wig resembling Carrey’s longer hair for the occasion and set of false teeth to their 1.4 million followers, captioning it:  ‘Alexis Stone as Jim Carrey in Paris’.

Some thought he had been replaced by a prankster in a mask, and the star’s rep was forced to confirm it was actually him (Picture: Getty)

This caused even more confusion, with even Megan Fox writing: ‘I can’t handle any more stress right now i need to know if this is real.’

‘Someone needs to confirm i’m going mental omg’, added Mae Muller.

The speculation reached such a fever pitch that, alongside Carrey’s publicist Marleah Leslie speaking out, the César Awards’ general delegate did as well.

Awards boss Gregory Caulier told Variety that all the noise was a ‘non-issue,’ praising Carrey for his intense preparation when curating his speech in another language to accept the honorary César, succeeding Julia Roberts.

‘Jim Carrey’s visit has been planned since this summer,’ he began. ‘From the outset, he was extremely touched by the Academy’s invitation. Eight months of ongoing, constructive discussions.

‘He worked on his speech in French for months, asking me about the exact pronunciation of certain words. He came with his partner, his daughter, his grandson, and 12 close friends and family members.

‘His longtime publicist accompanied him. His old friend Michel Gondry, who has made a film and two series with him, was there, and they were delighted to see each other again.’

The Mask actor came out of retirement in 2024 for the Sonic threequel and is currently working on its follow-up (Picture: Jesse Grant/Variety via Getty)

Carrey seemed to announce his retirement in 2022, saying that he had ‘done enough’ in his career and liked his ‘quiet life’.

He did add a caveat: that he would only return to Hollywood if an angel brought him a script ‘written in gold ink’ that would be ‘really important’ for people to see.

However, by the end of 2024 he had returned to star in Sonic The Hedgehog 3, reprising his role as Dr Robotnik for the third time, telling AP at the premiere that he ‘bought a lot of stuff and I need the money frankly’.

Carrey is returning once more for Sonic The Hedgehog 4, currently slated for a March 2027 release.

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