Kris’s big reveal: Inside the facelift and its viral moment on The Kardashians

Matriarch Kris Jenner unveiled the results of her latest cosmetic procedure during the season 7 premiere of The Kardashians.

The episode featured before-and-after footage of a second facelift. Her first was in 2011, becoming one of the most talked-about moments of the reality series.

In the season seven opener of The Kardashians, Jenner is shown in a pre-surgery confessional saying, 

“So take a good look at this moneymaker, because I am getting a facelift next week on Wednesday.”

Later in the same episode, her daughter, Kim Kardashian, shares an anecdote:

“My mom, like everyone, is talking about her face… We were at Lauren Sánchez’s bachelorette dinner, and someone taps my mom on the shoulder and they go, ‘Kim?’”

Inside The Kardashians: The viral moment

The facelift reveal on The Kardashians is presented as part of the show’s ongoing format of following personal, often medical, transformations within the family.

In an interview, Jenner explained,

“I decided to do this facelift because I want to be the best version of myself, and that makes me happy. Just because you get older, it doesn’t mean you should give up on yourself.”

Dr. Steven Levine performed the procedure. Jenner revealed that 

“Of course, my daughter Kylie went with me, while Kim was present at all times on FaceTime.” 

The decision to share the journey on The Kardashians follows Jenner’s previous pattern of documenting major health and aesthetic milestones, including her 2022 hip-replacement surgery.

On social media and in press coverage, the facelift moment quickly went viral. Cosmetic surgeon Dr. Gary Lawton even claimed the transformation “defies all surgical and anatomical realities” and suggested the images may have been AI-generated or heavily edited.

This moment is notable in The Kardashians not only due to the process itself but due to the way in which it was presented: a big reveal, a punchline scene in which Jenner is confused with her daughter Kim, and a larger story about aging, image, and reality television openness.

More details about the procedure 

Jenner has also undergone a previous facelift surgery in 2011, and the current operation has been termed as a refresher to the previous surgery.

The timing of the reveal and the premiere of season seven of The Kardashians coincides with increased attention from people.

In May, Jenner travelled to Paris in support of Kim, and her appearance was speculated through the information in photos.

In a later interview, Jenner said that her surgeon asked for a “secret password” for anyone wanting a consultation, as a measure against impostors. 

“If I told you how many times his office has called and said, you know, ‘Julie Monopoly’s on the phone, and she says she’s your best friend,’” Jenner said.

Why the moment matters on The Kardashians

The Kardashians made Jenner's aesthetic transformation more of an open storyline rather than a personal choice by deciding to show the facelift reveal in the season premiere.

On TV, Jenner and Kim talked about how things shifted - a person confused Jenner with Kim, showing just how much notice people took of the transformation.

This procedural overhaul, not just glam shots, makes sense as the show has an element of the documentary in its fabric, and it has been exposing personal achievements.

The facelift as a sequence is both a family affair and a spectacle because the show continues to be a blend of personal access and branding celebrities.

Stay tuned for more updates.