Renée Zellweger made a rare public appearance Monday night at the ELLE Women in Hollywood Awards, and the Bridget Jones actress made headlines with her new look.

Renée Zellweger Steps Out With New Look

Zellweger, 45, stunned in a black dress from designer Carolina Herrera as she walked the red carpet with boyfriend, Doyle Bramhall, but it wasn’t her smart fashion choice that had everyone talking on Tuesday. Instead, fans were much more preoccupied by the fact that they found Zellweger almost unrecognizable.

Zellweger, on hand to present an award to her The Whole Truth co-star Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Belle), has successfully stayed away from the red carpet since around 2010, and there’s no doubt the Oscar-winning actress has changed quite a bit over these past four years.

Defending Renée Zellweger

However, the host of critics slamming Zellweger’s alleged plastic surgery has caused it’s own backlash among media critics and celebrities who are standing up for Zellwegger. Many feel that the backlash against Zellweger’s change is just another example of a corrupt, celebrity-obsessed culture.