*On the September 12 episode of The Breakfast Club, music legends Stephanie Mills and Patti LaBelle candidly discussed undergoing nose jobs to meet industry expectations. At 68 and 81, respectively, both women said external pressures influenced their decisions, highlighting the unique challenges faced by Black women in entertainment, according to PEOPLE.
LaBelle reflected on her early insecurities, admitting she “never” thought she would have staying power in the industry because of “being a Black woman with a big nose.”
She added, “A friend of mine got her nose done, and I thought, ‘Oh, I think I need to try that. Maybe I’ll get more gigs.’ I tried it. I did. I have a new nose.”
Mills revealed that LaBelle noticed her own procedure during a dinner visit in the early 1980s, sparking the idea for her peer. “Was it me? You can say it, I don’t care. It was me,” Mills chimed in, adding, “I had my nose done in the early ’80s and I went to [Patti’s] house for dinner, and she said, ‘What did you do?’ I said, ‘I got my nose [done],’ and she was like, ‘I could get one.’ ”
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LaBelle credited a past manager’s harsh comments on her appearance as a key factor. “It was a manager I had back in the day. A white gentleman, and he said so many things to me, but whenever I sang, he said, ‘My God,’ ” LaBelle recalled. “I said, ‘Is it alright if I keep this nose?’ You know things like that to him, [and] he was just mean.” When asked if the surgery led to more opportunities, she affirmed, “I think it did.”
Mills drew inspiration from the late Michael Jackson, visiting the same doctor, and noted her resemblance to Chaka Khan afterward. “But now I think I look like Chaka [Khan]. Chaka and I could be sisters,” she joked. Mills observed that such procedures are common, saying, “I [got a nose job] and then [Patti] did… All of them do it. You know, all of the girls do it.”
Khan, 72, also appeared on the show and firmly denied any cosmetic work. “Hell no,” she responded to questions about procedures, and when asked about a BBL (Brazilian butt lift), she questioned, “What’s that?”
“How long has my butt been like this? My whole life. I have the same behind I’ve always had,” she shared, insisting she never intends to have any cosmetic surgery. “You could not cut me for nothing,” Khan said.
Watch the full conversation above.
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