Renee Zellweger, Oscar winner, 'glad' people notice she looks different

Bridget Jones actor Renee Zellweger has responded to the social media storm over her radically altered face, attributing it to a more peaceful, healthier lifestyle.

• Renee Zellweger stuns fans with unrecognizable face

"I'm glad folks think I look different," the 45-year-old told People magazine Wednesday. "I'm living a different, happy, more fulfilling life, and I'm thrilled that perhaps it shows."

Zellweger surprised fans when she stepped out Monday night with her dramatically different look, sparking speculation she has had cosmetic surgery.

She was accompanied by her boyfriend, recording artist Doyle Bramhall.

Zellweger didn't admit to going under the knife, but told People that the talk about her face was "silly," and she felt she needed to confront the maelstrom because "the folks who come digging around for some nefarious truth which doesn't exist won't get off my porch until I answer the door."

Oscar winner says she's 'growing into herself'

"My friends say that I look peaceful. I am healthy," Zellweger explained in the article. "For a long time I wasn't doing such a good job with that. I took on a schedule that is not realistically sustainable and didn't allow for taking care of myself. Rather than stopping to recalibrate, I kept running until I was depleted and made bad choices about how to conceal the exhaustion."

The Texas-born star broke onto the Hollywood scene in the late 1990s and early 2000s with a string of box office hits, including the Tom Cruise romantic comedy Jerry Maguire​ and 2001's Bridget Jones's Diary.

She won further critical acclaim, and an Academy Award, for her role in the 2003 civil war epic Cold Mountain.

Her career seems to have slowed in recent years which, she says, has given her a more relaxed lifestyle. 

"I did work that allows for being still, making a home, loving someone, learning new things, growing as a creative person and finally growing into myself," said Zellweger, "People don't know me in my 40s."

"Perhaps I look different. Who doesn't as they get older? Ha! But I am different. I'm happy."