Jenny McCarthy explains why she is keeping her breast implants despite her ongoing battle with mould and mycotoxin poisoning
American actress and television personality Jenny McCarthy has defended her decision to retain her breast implants despite her ongoing health struggles, during a conversation with celebrity plastic surgeon Dr Terry Dubrow on The Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg Show podcast on Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
The 53-year-old actress addressed criticism from people who have questioned why she continues to have breast implants while expressing concerns about toxins and undergoing treatment for what she describes as mould and mycotoxin poisoning.
McCarthy acknowledged the apparent contradiction, explaining that although she understands why people have raised questions about her decision, she is not prepared to undergo another operation at this stage of her life.
She admitted that she might reconsider the decision in the future but remains comfortable with her current appearance.
“Maybe someday, when I’m an old lady, I will want to be a free bird,” McCarthy said.
She further explained that previous breast reduction procedures had significantly changed her appearance, leaving her with a considerably smaller size than before.
“But in this time of having to be in these dresses and stuff like that, I went down dramatically, much smaller than I used to be. But I am not ready,” she added.
Her comments have drawn attention because of her ongoing concerns about exposure to potentially harmful substances and the difficult health experience she has publicly described.
During the discussion, McCarthy also sought reassurance from Dubrow about whether mould-related illness could affect her breast implants.
Dubrow, who has worked with the actress since the early 2000s, explained that breast implants can sometimes trigger an immune response as time passes, even when the original procedure has been carried out properly.
“The problem with breast implants is that even if you do it perfectly, even if you’re healthy, with time the immune system can decide they don’t like them anymore,” Dubrow explained.
However, when McCarthy asked whether mould illness could affect the implants, the surgeon said he had never encountered such a case, even after years of treating complicated cosmetic surgery patients.
His response appeared to reassure McCarthy, although his personal professional experience does not establish that breast implants are entirely free from medical risks or that mould exposure cannot affect individual patients.
McCarthy’s decision comes against the background of a difficult health journey that she says began on October 7, 2024, when she developed a persistent toothache.
In an October 28 episode of her podcast, the actress recalled that the seemingly ordinary dental problem developed into a prolonged medical ordeal involving repeated consultations, dental procedures, tooth extractions and unexplained growths.
She described visiting several doctors and undergoing multiple procedures while struggling to understand what was happening to her body.
According to McCarthy, the situation became particularly distressing when she began experiencing recurring eye growths and infections, alongside complications involving dental implants.
After months of uncertainty, she said a doctor diagnosed her with mould and mycotoxin poisoning in December 2025.
McCarthy believes exposure to mould in her Los Angeles home contributed to her condition. The property has since undergone mould remediation, according to accounts of her podcast revelations.
The actress has also spoken candidly about the emotional toll of the experience, explaining that her concerns about further exposure became so overwhelming that she temporarily moved into a tent.
“At one point, you know, I was just so desperate to heal that I literally was living in a tent,” she recalled during the October 28 broadcast.
In another account of her recovery, McCarthy said she was in the seventh month of her detox programme and remained too concerned about potential exposure to feel comfortable living elsewhere.
Her reported treatment routine includes medication, vitamins, daily infrared sauna sessions and therapeutic plasma exchange.
The actress’s experience has also brought renewed attention to discussions surrounding breast implant safety and reported breast implant illness.
Medical authorities recognise that breast implants can carry complications, including infection, rupture and breast pain. However, the relationship between implants and the broader range of symptoms described by some patients remains incompletely understood.
McCarthy has not established that her implants caused her mould-related illness, and Dubrow’s comments were specific to his own experience rather than a definitive medical conclusion.
For now, the actress appears determined to prioritise her recovery without making another major change to her appearance.
Her latest comments offer a glimpse into the personal decisions surrounding cosmetic procedures, health concerns and the pressures of maintaining an appearance in the entertainment industry.
