I thought the worst part would be writing the check. I really thought that the biggest change in my life would come from after the nose job-like, you would look in the mirror and think, ‘This is amazing.’ But the funniest thing about going through that process was that was actually not at all the most validating point of the experience. I saw it as an investment for myself, so it is definitely a confidence booster and something that really helps build self-esteem. How do you feel about people being so fascinated by your appearance? It was a status symbol that said ‘I’ve arrived and I’ve earned this.’ I knew it was something I wanted to do because to me, it was something that rich people did. What happened was, was the one thing I did that I felt like I could tangibly grasp onto. And I thought-just like most people say-that if I looked the part, maybe one day I could be like that person or status group.Īnd somehow, the universe brought it around, but in a very strange way. I wanted fame-but what kid doesn’t? My view of the world was very tiny, and the only thing I was being fed on pop culture-wise was what I internalized-that trendy, over-stylized, Michael Jackson look. I used to watch Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, and it was just this notion in my brain that I wanted so badly to have luxury in my life. When we got a used pop-up camper with the ceiling stapled back up that was posh for us. We used to go camping as our family vacation in the woods. Not to say that we were on the corner begging for food, but there was no extra. My dad and I didn’t get along very well, so I think that part of it was that I loved being a little rebellious against my parents. I saved my money-my first nose job was $3,500. It was something that was bad on my face. For me, that was something I needed to fix. So three days after my 18 th birthday I went in and did my first nose job, which is something I wanted from a really young age. I started out looking for my doctor at 17, but my parents wouldn’t let me do it because I wasn’t of legal age. When did you have your first plastic surgery?
By number 13 or 14, I became really enamored with celebrity and with pop culture-I was a big follower of Michael Jackson and Joan Rivers. There’s actually this subgroup of people do that-they cut off their nipples and bellybuttons and castrate themselves. I have all these haters on my page being like, ‘Does that mean you want to cut off your penis?’ And I’m like actually, I wish it was dragging on the ground like anime. It’s sort of that over-stylized, cartoonish version of human form. I find that much more appealing in all honestly than a Ken doll. I would say more of my inspiration stems from ‘manga’ or anime.
Was there something or someone you did want to look like? Where did you pull inspiration from?
As a kid, you play with Ken dolls and kind of assume that is what a handsome guy is supposed to look like. I don’t even know if I look like a Ken Doll, but if other people want to say I do, it’s flattering. People wanted to believe that I walked into a doctor’s office with a Ken Doll and was like ‘Make me look like this!’ Things went viral. It was meant to be cute and catchy for the show, I don’t believe that 20/20 knew that people would then dub me as this ‘Ken Doll’ person. In the beginning, there was a voiceover that said ‘Meet the Human Ken Doll, whose upper body is filled with silicone implants.’ At the time, Valeriya had been out about six to eight months in the media, and there was no other mention in the piece about Ken Doll anything. When did you first get the nickname ‘The Human Ken Doll’? He opens up to The Daily Beast about dreaming of becoming famous, fighting body dysmorphic rumors, and how he really feels about why Lukyanova has gone too far. Recently, Jedlica made headlines for calling Valeria Lukyanova, ‘ The Real Life Barbie,’ “an illusionist” in an interview with GQ. The name stuck, and Jedlica-and his 149 cosmetic surgeries-have become an international phenomenon. Following an appearance in photographer Phil Toledano’s book, A New Kind of Beauty, Justin Jedlica was dubbed ‘The Human Ken Doll’ while making a brief appearance on 20/20.