‘Feeling icky’: MAFS’ Stella reveals the surprising detail that made her decline rib contouring surgery
With MAFS' Bec revealing she underwent the controversial rib contouring surgery, Stella has told Woman's Day what made her decline the offer.
Married At First Sight breakout star Stella Mickunaite has never been one to shy away from keeping it real.
In a candid reflection on life post-show, the reality TV favourite has exposed the dark underbelly of influencer culture, detailing exactly why she rejected a controversial luxury cosmetic surgery package in Bali that left other reality stars under the knife.
Following her rise to fame on MAFS, Stella reveals she was approached by an overseas clinic with a lucrative but jarring offer: a free rib contouring surgery valued at roughly $15,000.
“The curiousity definitely got me initially,” Stella admits in an interview with Woman’s Day.
However, she said the glamorous illusion of a free trip to Bali quickly dissolved when she reviewed the strict contractual agreements and finer legal details required to secure the stay in a luxury villa. “Like everything in life, nothing is free as we know,” she says.
Stella reveals why she said no to controversial rib contouring surgery
Her concern deepened upon learning that only about 3,000 people globally have ever undergone this extreme skeletal adjustment. Stella recognised the heavy medical risks involved, especially in comparison to highly regulated cosmetic procedures back home under Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).
“It’s a male-created business implanting the thought in my brain that I need to change my skeletal positioning to appease their eye,’ she reveals.
After chatting with her partner, Filip, Stella said Filip’s confusion about the procedure helped her solidify her choice.
“I do believe in my body, my choice,” she says. “But when I talked to my partner [about rib contouring] he was like, ‘who cares? I don’t care. Do you care? Is it the top of your mind?’ and I was like, no, it’s never been at the top of my mind!”
Stella went on to say procedures that are aimed at making women feel like they need to improve parts of themselves that they may not have even considered before can be dangerous.
“The market is going for people that are easily influenced, and I’m like, ah, this is feeling icky. This is feeling not okay,” she says. “My spidery senses were saying no. It’s another male [business] benefiting from women feeling insecure.”
Did Stella talk to co-star Bec Zacharia about the rib contouring surgery?
While Stella chose to stay true to her natural silhouette, her MAFS co-star Bec famously went ahead with the procedure in Bali after significant hesitation. Stella confirms that the two reality stars discontinued their conversations regarding the surgery early on.
“I think when she realised I wasn’t going, [we stopped talking about it],” Stella shares, adding that she now only knows what is published on social media. Despite their distance, Stella recalls offering heartfelt reassurance to Beck before the procedure: “I remember just saying to her, ‘Please understand, you don’t need this. You’re beautiful as you are’.”
Reflecting broadly on cosmetic surgeries, Stella, who has previously spoken openly about having breast implants after major weight loss, emphasises that major surgery should always be a thoroughly informed “last resort” rather than a quick fix for internal insecurities. “I highly would recommend to firstly do the inner work,” she advocates. “Let’s not downplay the effects of surgery and making informal decisions.”
“I didn’t make the decision lightly, even for myself,” Stella admits. “You do get mesmerised and I think that’s where the market is going, they’re going for people who are easily influenced and are trying to tell people what’s ‘wrong’ with women’s bodies.”
These days, Stella likes to keep herself accountable and surround herself with positive influences.
“There’s different ways to use social media,” she says. “You can influence people to feel better about themselves. Or you can influence people to feel worse about themselves and it feeds into a never-ending capitalism of buying clothes, surgery, do this, do that, but never finding what truly makes you happy.”
