But of course, these plastic surgery accusations are 100 per cent false, as Jeff confirmed when local Chinese entertainment mag Uweekly spoke to him in a recent interview.

According to the 44-year-old, the reason for his “change in appearance” is an orthodontic surgery he went for in Singapore, a few years after winning Star Search 1999.

The actor shared that he was born with a slightly protruding lower jaw due to his misaligned teeth, which was then worsened when he knocked his jaw against a bathtub when he was young. Thus, a few years after his big Star Search win, Jeff decided to rectify the issue once and for all by getting braces.

Unfortunately, it was not enough to fully align his jaw, which was why he was later recommended to go under the knife.

But it wasn’t any plain ol’ run-of-the-mill surgery. Jeff shared that the surgery, if botched, could lead to permanent paralysis.

“My entire mouth was stretched to its maximum for 10 whole hours, and the doctor had me sign something like a ‘life-or-death liability waiver document ‘cos there’s quite a lot of nerves and arteries beside the jaw, and it might result in permanent paralysis," said Jeff.

"It was a very big surgery, and during the healing process, my face looked like a pig’s head [from all the swelling]. My mouth and jaw were bruised, and I could only ingest liquids for four months. That period of time was very difficult for me, and I lost 10 kilos. I had to seek psychological help too, and I was very worried that I wouldn’t be able to recover, and I could only think about how long the recovery process was,” he recounted.

Jeff shared that he had sought psychological help as suggested by his doctor, and that he made sure to dispel negative thoughts by staring out at the sea, or the greenery around him. Due to the pain in his jaw, it was hard for him to consume food, but he still had to force liquid food down, in order to give his body the nutrients it needed.

However, when he eventually recovered from the surgery, Jeff felt like everything was worth it once he looked at himself in the mirror.

Photos: Jeff Wang/Instagram, National Archives of Singapore ​​​​​​​