As Jennifer Aniston stepped out recently, casually dressed in a wide brimmed black hat, black sweater and jeans, she could have been leaving any normal girls lunch or work meeting. Indeed, the 55-year-old was accompanied by fellow actor Sandra Bullock, as well as close friend Jason Bateman’s wife, Amanda Anka. Only, the group wasn’t leaving a laid back Beverly Hills lunch, they were actually leaving one of the most exclusive cosmetic surgery practitioners in the US: The Retreat At Split Rock, located in Greenwich, Connecticut on the East Coast.

According to the exclusive retreat’s website, they are the ‘home to the finest in cosmetic surgery procedures with the adjoining comforts of a luxurious Inn and plastic surgery spa. The upper and lower facelift sets clients back $50,000 (£40k) and $100,000 (£80K), respectively, with brow and eye lifts reportedly around the $30K (£24K) mark. While there’s no confirmation that Jennifer, Sandra or Amanda had any procedures themselves, the front page of the retreat’s website displays Neil A. Gordon M.D., their resident Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery specialist. His bio states: ‘Dr. Gordon’s specialty is facial rejuvenation and rhinoplasty. As an international expert in his specialty, his skill is noted in both primary procedures and revision, or secondary procedures.’

Whether the group had any work done, or were simply checking out the retreat, we may never know, but fans were thrilled all the same that Jen and Sandra had chosen such a location to spend some time together, with one social media user describing it as the ‘most iconic’ idea for a pamper day.

There has long been a desire to know whether Jennifer Aniston has undergone any plastic surgery – as one of the most famous women in the world, not to mention one of the most beautiful, women all around the world have always wanted to emulate her looks, whether it be her infamous hair, yoga-toned arms or style. It’s not something that Jen has chosen to speak about a lot, and why should she? What she has spoken about is trying Botox in the past, although she said it was not for her. Instead, she does Peptide Injections. ‘I’m not saying that I haven’t tried it but I see how it’s a slippery slope,’ she said of Botox in 2015. ‘All that cosmetic stuff looks ridiculous on me. And like we were saying before, they just start to lose perspective, it’s their new normal, so it’s a hard one to come back from.’

For decades she has been forced to deny getting a nose job. In 2007 Aniston shared with People that she had rhinoplasty for a deviated septum not to change the shape of her nose. ‘Best thing I ever did… As far as all the other [rumors], as boring as it sounds, it’s still mine. All of it.’

That there has been an ongoing obsession with how Jennifer Aniston looks and what ‘work’ she might have had done is unsurprising. That doesn’t mean it isn’t also a depressing reality for women in the public eye to have their appearance so casually dissected. A minute-long advert to air during February’s Super Bowl has brought a fresh round of speculation about the Friends actress’s appearance – specifically her face. Jen appeared alongside former co-star David Schwimmer in the Uber Eats commercial but it was – predictably – her ageing process, not his, which has caused a stir amongst online commentators. One wrote, ‘Pity about her face, she lost all her cuteness. why cant they just leave it alone and age naturally..? [sic]’ Another added, ‘Honestly people. You look a lot better without getting anything done. Small things …okay fine. Even a nose job here or there, fine. But the fillers, botox, eye lifts, lip injections, chin implants etc etc . You just end up looking like a freak.’ One user even wrote, ‘Oh my god, what on earth has she done to her face????? She looks bloomin’ awful. Fancy paying to look that bad! Surely it is better to have a naturally aging face than that [sic].’

A TikTok video by a user called Dr Jonny recently delved into why Jennifer Aniston ‘looks so different recently’. In the video the aesthetician lists the surgical procedures Jennifer ‘may’ have had done including eyelid surgery, filler and a face lift, and uses comparison photos from both 2015 and this year to fully assess her ageing process. But whether Jennifer has had these procedures or not, is it really any of our business? Actress Megan Fox recently committed the revolutionary act of listing the exact procedures she had (her breasts and her nose) and hadn’t had done over the years, after decades of criticism and speculation about how she looks. ‘I’m just going to go through all the things that I’ve done, because I feel like there’s this stigma, and I’m not going to win,’ Fox said on the Call Her Daddy podcast, noting her body frequently draws criticism from other women online. ‘However, I’m hoping it sets some people free.’

And so if Jennifer and Sandra fancied a day at a cosmetic spa, who are any of us to judge? After all, part of their livelihoods, whether we like it or not, hinges on how they look. Red carpet appearances must be flawless, they must look ‘good’ for their age but the work they have done must be barely noticeable. Women in Hollywood have to ‘age like fine wine’ but not look too young, then we’ll know they’ve gone ‘too far’ with cosmetic procedures. It’s a total minefield. There’s no way to please everyone, especially not your critics.