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Which celebrities have publicly talked about rib removal and why do people get it?
Executive summary
Public reporting shows a mix of confirmed elective rib removals by non‑traditional celebrities (notably influencer Emily James who removed six ribs and documented it) and long‑running rumours about mainstream stars like Cher, Marilyn Monroe and Raquel Welch that credible outlets treat as unproven or denied (Emily James: removal and social media documentation) [1] [2] [3]. Medical and journalistic pieces caution that true rib removal for a smaller waist is rare, risky, often mythologized, and usually associated with body‑modification subcultures or sensational online trends rather than routine celebrity procedures [4] [5] [6].
1. Which public figures have openly had ribs removed — documented cases
The clearest, contemporarily documented case is influencer Emily James, who publicly said she paid for and underwent removal of three ribs on each side (six total), has shown removed bones on social media, and told reporters she plans to repurpose them into a crown — coverage appears in Vice and PopCrush [1] [2]. Pixee Fox, a Swedish model, is another name that appears in multiple writeups as having pursued removal of multiple ribs to exaggerate an hourglass figure, with reporting noting substantial costs and other surgeries in her transformation timeline [3] [6].
2. Which celebrities are widely rumoured — and what reporting says about those rumours
Historical and persistent rumours claim figures such as Cher, Marilyn Monroe, Raquel Welch, Bo Derek and others removed ribs to create smaller waists; magazines and fact‑checking outlets trace these stories to publicity stunts, mythmaking around corsets, or debunkable gossip [3] [5] [7]. Reporting repeatedly frames these as rumours rather than confirmed procedures; for example, Cher has publicly denied having ribs removed [6]. Media pieces caution that many famous names are repeatedly attached to the same old legend without medical proof [5].
3. Why people say they get rib removal — stated motivations
Reported motivations fall into two groups: aesthetic goals and medical necessity. Aesthetic drivers cited by people who elect the procedure include achieving an exaggerated hourglass silhouette or a “snatched” waist touted in certain body‑modification communities; Pixee Fox and Emily James are presented as pursuing this cosmetic objective [3] [1]. Medical reasons for rib resection that sources note include treating fractures that risk organ injury, removing cancerous bone, or decompressing thoracic outlet syndrome — operations done for health, not cosmetic contouring [3] [5].
4. Medical risks and expert warnings quoted in the reporting
Surgeons quoted in lifestyle and news coverage warn that elective rib removal is dangerous: potential complications include injury to organs, chronic pain, and other long‑term harms; experts urge consulting board‑certified surgeons and favoring established, safer alternatives like exercise and non‑invasive contouring [4]. Journalists and surgeons emphasize that purported cosmetic gains may be modest and outweighed by risk, and label “shortcuts” like rib removal as medically inadvisable [4] [6].
5. How myths persist and why mainstream stars get named
Reporting and analysis trace celebrity rib‑removal lore to publicity practices (e.g., myths dating to Florenz Ziegfeld’s publicity for Anna Held) and to the human tendency to explain dramatic bodies with surgical narratives rather than less dramatic causes (corseting, genetics, diet, exercise). Writers argue the same rumours get recycled, attaching different contemporary stars while lacking confirmation [3] [5] [7].
6. What the sources do not establish or explicitly refute
Available sources do not mention any medical records or hospital confirmations for historical celebrities like Marilyn Monroe or Raquel Welch — coverage treats those names as rumours rather than proven cases [3] [5]. Where a source includes an explicit denial (for example, Cher), the reporting notes the denial [6]. If you seek definitive proof about any specific historical celebrity, current reporting in these sources does not provide medical confirmation [3] [5].
7. Takeaway and reporting context
Contemporary, verifiable examples of elective rib removal are rare and mostly found among influencers or body‑modification clients who publicize the procedure (Emily James, Pixee Fox), while mainstream celebrity attributions are typically unproven rumours or outright denials [1] [3] [6]. Medical and journalistic sources consistently warn about the risks and frame rib removal as exceptional, not a standard cosmetic option; weigh sensational social‑media claims against these cautions and the absence of medical confirmation for many famous names [4] [5].
If you want, I can list each named celebrity from the search results with the exact phrasing the reporting used (confirmed case, claimed/rumoured, or denied) and attach the source excerpts.