Zac Efron ‘almost died’ after shattering jaw

Zac Efron 'nearly died' after smashing his jaw against a granite fountain.

Efron had been running with socks on, when he tripped and fell back in 2013, severely injuring himself.

While Efron doesn't care about the rumours, it's safe to say that the internet went on a wild ride trying to find out just what had happened to the star's jaw.

Turns out a pretty horrid fall was responsible for his changing appearance.

In 2013, Efron was at home running in his socks, when he slipped and fell.

His chin smashed against the corner of a granite fountain and he passed out.

When he came to, his chin bone was hanging off his face.

He had his jaw wired shut and his chin managed to heal, but it was a hard ride, as Efron explained: "It sucks. I almost died, but we're good."

While Efron's jaw healed up nicely, there were a few side effects from the accident, as he told Men's Health.

The muscles on the inside of Efron's face and jaw, the masseters, had to compensate for the injury.

So, they got larger and stronger, meaning that the appearance of his jaw is more square.

As Efron notes: "The masseters just grew. They just got really, really big."

So, there you have it, Efron didn't have plastic surgery, but he did nearly die and the result was a change in the appearance of his jaw.

Thankfully, Efron doesn't let what other people think about his face shape bother him, with the star saying: "If I valued what other people thought of me to the extent that they may think I do, I definitely wouldn’t be able to do this work."

While Efron doesn't let it impact him too much, the comments can still be damaging.

"It is as if we are permitted to hold an opinion publicly and tactlessly about another human being, forgetting completely their feelings and self-esteem."