🔗 Share this article

Women are rallying in defence of Oscar-winning actor Catherine Zeta-Jones following she faced disparaging remarks on social media about her appearance following a high-profile appearance.

The actor was present at a promotional function in Los Angeles last month during which a social media clip discussing her role in the latest the 'Wednesday' show became dominated because of comments concerning her age.

Widespread Backing

Laura White, 58, labelled the online criticism "absolute rubbish", stating that "men aren't given this expiration date imposed on women".

"Males escape this expiration date imposed on women," said Laura White.

Beauty journalist aged 50, Sali Hughes, commented differently from men, females are subject to unfair scrutiny for ageing and the actor deserves to be able to look as she wishes.

The Social Media Storm

In the video, uploaded to social media and garnered millions of views, Zeta-Jones, who is from Swansea, spoke of how much she enjoyed delving into her character, Morticia Addams, in the latest season.

Yet many of the online responses zeroed in on her age and were disparaging regarding her appearance.

This criticism triggered widespread defence of the actor, including a viral video online which declared: "People criticize females when they get cosmetic procedures and criticize them if they avoid sufficient procedures."

Commenters also rallied in support, one stating: "She is ageing naturally and she appears stunning."

Many labelled her as "stunning" and "very attractive", while someone else said that "her appearance reflects her years - that's called the natural process."

Making a Point

The winner attended at the studio recently with a bare face to make a statement and to demonstrate there was no set "template" of how a woman of a certain age is supposed to look.

As with others in her demographic, she stated she "takes care of herself" not for a youthful appearance but in order to feel "improved" and appear "healthy".

"Ageing is a gift and when we do it gracefully, that's what really matters," she stated further.

She contended that men aren't judged by equivalent appearance ideals, noting "no-one questions how old certain male celebrities might be - they just appear 'wonderful'."

She said this was part of the motivation for entering Miss Great Britain's category the classic category, in order to demonstrate that midlife women are still here" and "still have it".

A Fundamental Problem

Hughes, a writer and commentator of Welsh origin, stated that while Zeta-Jones was "stunning" it was "irrelevant", noting she deserves to be free to look however she liked absent her age facing scrutiny.

She stated the online abuse demonstrated no woman was "immune" and that it is unfair for women to endure the "constant narrative" that they are lacking or young enough - a problem that is "infuriating, irrespective of the person involved".

Asked if men experience the same scrutiny, she responded "absolutely not", noting females are criticized merely for demonstrating the "audacity" to exist online while aging.

A No-Win Situation

Despite the wellness sector emphasizing "youthful longevity", she commented females are still judged if they age gracefully or opted for procedures such as surgical procedures or fillers.

"When a woman ages gracefully, people say you ought to try harder; if you undergo treatments, you are criticized for not aging gracefully enough," she added.