‘I Am Jazz’: Jeanette Jennings Heads In For a Surgery Consultation Of Her Own After She Admits She ‘Has Never Felt Beautiful’
Jeanette Jennings, the devoted mom of trans rights activist and LGBTQ advocate Jazz Jennings from TLC’s I Am Jazz, spends most of her time taking care of others.
In 2018, Jeanette’s beloved father had a harrowing medical experience that required heart surgery. Meanwhile, Jazz underwent her first bottom surgery, or gender confirmation surgery, and experienced some difficult complications that required her to get multiple other procedures.
On the Feb. 11 episode of I Am Jazz, “Born This Way,” Jeanette opened up more about that difficult time in her life. She felt the stress had taken a toll on her appearance and self-esteem. The 53-year-old mom and advocate even sought out a consultation with a plastic surgeon to talk about addressing some of the issues she has with her looks.
Jeanette wanted a cosmetic procedure after the ‘roughest year of her life’
With her 53rd birthday coming up, Jeanette told Jazz’s grandparents, Jack and Jacky, that she was thinking of getting a cosmetic procedure or two to give her a confidence boost.
“I’ve always wanted to get a little bit of a touch-up after 50,” Jeanette said.
Her areas of concern were her neck and face, Jazz’s mom explained. “Our family has a history of wrinkly necks on the woman’s side,” the I Am Jazz star lamented. “It’s just really aging me a lot. And one of the other things is the frown. I just look in the mirror, and I see someone I don’t recognize a lot of the time.”
The mom of four and LGBT ally said she thought the stress of 2018 had worn her down and affected her self-esteem even more.
“Last year was probably the roughest year of my life, between Jazz having all these surgeries and right in the middle of it, my dad almost dying,” Jeanette said. She was emotionally and physically exhausted, she explained, and wanted to brighten her look.
“I feel like I aged, like, 20 years,” Jazz’s mom continued. “I just feel beaten up, maybe because I cried so much.”
Jazz’s mom’s consultation was promising
Before a consultation with a plastic surgeon for a neck lift and facelift, Jazz’s mom told TLC producers she didn’t want to completely change her appearance. She simply wanted to look like a happier, younger version of herself.
“I just want to see if they can make me look fresher without making me look different,” Jeanette said.
The advocate shared that her time on I Am Jazz and her work with Jazz at public appearances and events had made her notice what she didn’t like about herself all the more. “As I’ve gotten older, and I see myself through the media,” she explained, she didn’t always like what she saw in photos and on TV.
Jeanette told her plastic surgeon that her neck was too “crepey” for her liking, while she said her “resting frown face” always made her look sad.
The I Am Jazz star couldn’t have been more thrilled with the surgeon’s before and after photos, which showed her what she might look like after a procedure. “It’s like a refreshed version of me,” she raved.
Her consultation convinced her that plastic surgery might help her improve her self-esteem and give her a cheerier, fresher look. “I’m more excited now than I was when I arrived,” she said. “I’m like, he can do what I want! This guy can fix me.”
Greg said he was surprised his wife didn’t feel beautiful
Before a romantic birthday date with Greg, her husband of many years, Jeanette was treated to a special spa day and makeover by Jazz and her grandma, Jacky.
The I Am Jazz star said he hoped to “get Greg on board” with her hopes for plastic surgery. “Greg has a major say in this,” Jeanette said, “and his pocketbook too. If Greg is strongly against plastic surgery, I think for now I’d back off.”
At dinner with Greg (who was smitten over her new look), Jeanette admitted she had “never felt beautiful” and that her issues with her physical appearance ran deep. “I’ve never felt like I loved myself, ever,” she confessed.
Jazz’s mom revealed the before and after photos from the plastic surgeon. While her husband said he didn’t think she needed any work done, he told her he would support her in whatever she chose.
“I’m still gonna stand by my statement that I don’t think you need it, ‘cause I think you’re beautiful as you are,” he told her. “But you can do it for you. It’s your birthday.”
Greg told TLC producers he had no idea his wife had so many self-esteem hang-ups. Jazz’s dad explained that he had never understood why Jeanette was so insecure, because she’d “always been beautiful.” He admitted he might need to do a better job of boosting his wife’s self-confidence.
