How Did Joaquin Phoenix Get the Scar on His Lip?

Joaquin Phoenix, the "Joker," was born with what seems to be a scar between his lip and nose. He was born with a microform cleft lip, the mildest form of cleft lip, and never had it medically fixed.

When Joaquin Phoenix gave his outstanding performance in the psychological thriller film "Joker" in 2019, he stole the hearts of fans as he put the work into his character and lost an incredible amount of weight to look like the thin comedian turned maniac clown.

The film, which Todd Phillips directed, promises a sequel as the director made the confirmation after taking to his Instagram to post a series of images.

Joaquin Phoenix at the 2020 Vanity Fair Oscar Party on February 9, 2020 | Source: Getty Images

The first slide of the image Phillips posted revealed a red script cover with the title "Joker: Folie à Deux," while the second slide included a shot of the Oscar-winning franchise star, Phoenix, reading the screenplay.

While the director has not divulged any sequel plots, the script cover lists the writers as Scott Silver and Phillips, who both wrote the first installment.

DOES JOAQUIN PHOENIX HAVE A CLEFT LIP?

Phoenix has distinctive physical features, like the scar on his upper lip, which he said is not a surgically fixed cleft lip, but a nonsurgical scar he was born with.

The actor's lip scar drew attention when media personality and writer Wendy Williams poked fun at it. While discussing Phoenix's successes during the awards season, the talk show host commented on his controversial performance in "Joker."

Williams described the Academy Award-winning actor as "oddly attractive" before she pointed out his scar, which she misidentified as a "hairline fracture" scar to her audience. She said:

"He's got one of those, what do you call it? Cleft lip, cleft palate. I find it to be very attractive."

To underscore her point, she hooked her finger under her top lip, sparking criticism from Canadian athlete Adam Bighil. Adam and his son Beau were born with cleft lips, and the football star called her behavior "hideous and offensive."

Williams responded to Adam's criticisms with an apology on her Twitter page. In her message, she revealed that her show had donated to two organizations that help people with congenital disabilities.

She also said they were thinking about Adam's son, who was going in for surgery, and encouraged those who watched her shows to learn more and support the cleft community.

IS JOAQUIN PHOENIX MARRIED?

Phoenix has been dating actress Rooney Mara. They met in mid-2012 while they were filming "Her." In the movie, she played the role of his ex-wife, and he later revealed that she was the only girl he had ever searched for on the internet.

When they first met, Phoenix thought Mara hated him, but it turned out that she liked him but was too shy. After they shot "Mary Magdalene," they remained "just friends" until 2019.

Joaquin Phoenix and Rooney Mara at the 92nd Oscars on February 9, 2020 | Source: Getty Images

In 2019, Phoenix and Mara got engaged and made several red carpet appearances together. In September 2020, they welcomed their son, River, named after Phoenix's late brother.

In March 2022, Phoenix referred to Mara, his wife, when he said he listened to her while speaking to an Italian magazine about his film "C'mon C'mon."

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