Featured Image Credit: Getty Images
Topics: Bravo, Celebs, Entertainment
Marissa Dow
Things have been looking a little rough for Brandi Glanville since her comeback era came to an abrupt halt after her season of Ultimate Girls Trip was shelved. Though there are majorly conflicting stories about what exactly went down to get the show canceled before ever airing, all parties agree an incident occurred between Brandi and Caroline Manzo, which has now led to a lawsuit Caroline filing a lawsuit against Bravo and Brandi. Brandi, as anyone mildly familiar with the blonde from the early Eddie Cibrian days would suspect, has not stayed quiet about the situation. In fact, Brandi alleges the stress of the lawsuit has been impacting her health since July of 2024. Fast forward to December 8, 2024, when Brandi shared an alarming photo of her face looking “sunken in,” as she had previously described it on Twitter. What happened to Brandi Glanville’s face? This is what the retired reality star has to say.
In a follow-up tweet to a picture of her facial disfigurement in 2024, Brandi wrote that she “[wishes she] knew” what happened but, despite spending significant money and time “in&out of the hospital this passed year” and a half, Brandi’s doctors aren’t sure of the exact cause. Brandi says that some believe she might be harboring “a parasite that jumps around [her] face.” Others have told her “It’s stress induced edema.” Brandi claims her physical struggle is caused by Bravo, meaning as a result of the stress stemming from the case with Caroline.
Brandi shared an image of her face back in July 2024 displaying noticeable physical issues that she says are related to her December post. The caption on the tweet reads “Stress will kill you.” Brandi went on to say that the state of her face, which was pictured in this post looking severely swollen, has caused her to be “miserable and depressed” as well as “unable to work.” At the time, Brandi was “not even gonna share the picture of when it sinks in,” which is what she later came out with in December. Prior to her medical issues, Brandi has opened up that she has gotten Botox, fillers, non-invasive laser treatments, a nose job, and breast implants.
Facial edema is swelling caused by a buildup of fluids in the face, as described by The Cleveland Clinic. There can be many causes for problematic facial swelling including infection, allergic reactions, and “facial trauma.” Edema can also be a symptom of other serious medical conditions such as lupus, hyperthyroidism, and swollen lymph nodes in the neck. In rare cases, extreme prolonged stress can cause facial swelling and puffing that social media has recently dubbed “cortisol face.” While cortisol is produced in the body during stressful times, it also comes from diet. High levels of cortisol present in conditions like Cushing syndrome and Cushing disease are often caused by medications high in cortisol, or issues with the adrenal and pituitary glands. Angeidoema (another condition defined by facial swelling) can be “idiopathic” meaning there is no known cause, where stress can be an undetectable factor.
There are managed risks for every cosmetic surgery or procedure, including a facelift, buccal fat removal, getting filler, or a fat transfer to the face. The number one complication following an invasive elective surgery like a facelift is a hematoma (blood pool) under the skin. Nerve damage, which impacts facial muscle and expression, is far more rare. Removing too much fat from the face (which can happen in a procedure like liposuction) has been proven to sometimes cause dimpling and bumps in the face, according to plastic surgery experts. This could occur as the skin “shrinks” around the remaining fat cells.