Ellen Pompeo’s ‘So Puffy’ Face Worries Fans as She is Seen a Year after Becoming ‘Present’ Mom of 3

• After spending nearly two decades on “Grey’s Anatomy,” Ellen Pompeo took a step back from the popular series to focus on raising her children, including her black daughters she strives to expose to strong women of color in Hollywood.
• However, in recent photographs, the actress left fans wondering if she was having an allergic reaction or healing from plastic surgery after stepping out with no makeup.

53-year-old Ellen Pompeo has risen to fame for her iconic role as Meredith Grey in “Grey’s Anatomy.” However, the actress decided to take a step back from the show last year, only appearing in a few episodes.

Since then, Ellen Pompeo has spent her time soaking up the sun at her Malibu beach house with her husband — Chris Ivery, an executive at sportswear company Sergio Tacchini — and three children: Stella Luna, Sienna May, and Eli Christopher Ivery.

“I am entering a very exciting phase of my life, if I do say so myself,” the actress said. During an appearance on Drew Barrymore’s talk show, Ellen revealed that she had started a business, Better Remedies, was set to feature in a Hulu limited series, and was setting her sights on being a more hands-on mother.

“I have three kids […], and it’s really important for me to be around them and be more present for them,” she said. Ellen is married to a black man and shared that she makes it a point to celebrate successful African American women so her daughters have people to look up to. The actress revealed:

“My daughters are black, so it’s very important to me that they see a lot of images of beautiful, powerful, strong black women.”

Ellen added that every time a black woman graced a magazine cover, such as Kerry Washington or another big name, she made it a point to have the magazine in her home.

However, Ellen’s daughters’ exposure to black excellence was not limited to magazines, as the actress also ensured her girls watched Venus and Serena Williams’ tennis games. Ellen also felt fortunate that her daughters grew up during a time when Barack Obama was the first president they knew.

On August 21, the paparazzi caught Ellen on a coffee outing in Los Angeles, and the images of the bared-faced actress sent social media users into a state of worry.

Ellen stepped out in a white jacket with black detailing paired with frayed, cutoff jeans and white sneakers, and her face was on full display as she pulled her hair into a relaxed ponytail.

Ellen Pompeo did not appear to have any company with her in the series of images, and her somber mood matched the gloomy Southern Californian weather.

However, in the comments section, social media users expressed their concern about the actress, as one person wrote, “She looks totally unlike herself.” Another user shared:

“I’m sorry, what happened to her face? Is she having an allergic reaction to something?”

A third user commented, “Why is her face so puffy? Plastic surgery healing?” “Why is she so puffy looking?” another person wrote, and a fifth typed, “She is unrecognizable!!”