Is Renee Zellweger dead? That is the question many people are asking right now after an unrecognizable Zellweger stepped out to attend Elle's 21st annual Women in Hollywood Awards at the Four Season Hotel in California.

The new look of the famous "Bridget Jones" star quickly grabbed everyone's attention since her face looked suspiciously puffy, her forehead appeared line-free and her eyebrows seemed to have been altered, reports Daily Mail.

Comparison of her recent pictures from the old ones quickly became viral online with many sites claiming that she surely went under the knife for these enhancements.

Nevertheless, Zellweger has never commented on the issue and she has never admitted to getting plastic surgery as well.

But experts maintain that it's pretty obvious that the 45-year-old actress got some surgical treatment for her new look.

Dr. Alex Karidis of London's Karaidis Clinic even maintained that Renee may have had an upper eye lift surgery, noting that "the distance between the brow and her eye is much smaller than before."

Dr. Karidis also claimed that instead of having a brow lift, Zellweger may have opted to injecting Botox on her forehead to smoothen the wrinkles there.

"Her forehead is smooth - you would expect more expressive wrinkles when she smiles which indicates a possible small dose of Botox between the eyelid and eye," he was quoted saying by the press.

Meanwhile, amid the plastic surgery rumors, there is also this theory that a different woman may be pretending to be the "New In Town" actress.

This theory that is also making rounds on the internet is even claiming that the real Renee Zellweger is actually dead and that someone else is taking over her life.

"She died of a drug overdose.  one of her body doubles is pretending to be her, but she really is dead.  rest in peace, beautiful," wrote BetchesLoveThis.com on the theory that the real Renee Zellweger is apparently dead.

In the heat of these speculations, notorious site Media Mass also published a  news story claiming that Renee Zellweger is the latest victim of a death hoax.

According to the publication, the "Jerry Maguire" star is actually alive and well as opposed to a report that she passed away this October.

The site also claimed that an "R.I.P. Renee Zellweger" Facebook page was made to make it seem as though the actress was really dead.

While Zellweger is getting a lot of media attention because of her different look, it is still not clear whether she is to reprise her role in the third installment of the Bridget Jones movie.

"I have no idea. I'm not being cagey. I just don't know," she told E! News, admitting her lack of knowledge on what's really going on with the already confirmed installment.