🔗 Share this article

Women are rallying for acclaimed star Catherine Zeta-Jones after she faced disparaging remarks online over her appearance at a recent industry event.

She appeared at an industry gathering in LA recently where a TikTok interview discussing her role in the new series of the 'Wednesday' show was eclipsed due to discussion about her looks.

Voices of Support

Laura White, 58, described the backlash "utter foolishness", adding that "men aren't given this expiration date imposed on women".

"Men are free from this expiration date that women do," argued Ms White.

Author Sali Hughes, 50, commented unlike men, women were subject to unfair scrutiny for ageing and Zeta-Jones should be able to appear as she wishes.

The Social Media Storm

During the interview, also shared to social media and garnered more than 2.5m views, Zeta-Jones, who is from Wales, spoke of how much she enjoyed delving into her character, Morticia Addams, in season two.

But a significant number of the online responses zeroed in on her age and were negative about her looks.

The online backlash sparked significant support for Zeta-Jones, including a popular post from one Facebook user which declared: "You bully females for having too much work done and attack them when they don't have enough work."

Commenters also spoke up for her, as one put it: "It's called ageing naturally and she appears stunning."

Others described her as "stunning" and "lovely", with another adding that "her appearance reflects her years - that's called life."

Challenging Perceptions

She appeared on air recently with a bare face as a demonstration and to highlight there was no set "mold" for what a female in midlife ought to appear.

As with others in her demographic, she said she "looks after herself" not for a youthful appearance but so she feels "well" and appear "healthy".

"Ageing is a privilege and provided we live gracefully, this is what truly counts," she stated further.

Ms White stated that males are not held to the same beauty standards, stating "no-one questions the age of Tom Cruise, George Clooney or Tom Jones are - they only look 'fantastic'."

She said it was one of the reasons she entered the pageant's division for women over 45, to prove that females of a certain age continue to exist" and "retain their appeal".

Unfair Scrutiny

Sali Hughes, an author and presenter from Wales, stated that although Zeta-Jones was "stunning" it was "beside the point", noting she ought to be at liberty to appear as she wishes free from her years coming under examination.

She said the social media vitriol proved that no female is "protected" and that females should not face the "ongoing theme" which says they are insufficient or of the right age - a problem that is "galling, irrespective of who the victim is".

Questioned on whether men face the same scrutiny, she responded "no, never", adding women were targeted simply for showing "nerve" to exist online as they age.

An Impossible Standard

Regardless of cosmetic companies advocating for "age-defiance", the author stated females are still criticised regardless of if they grow older without intervention or underwent treatments such as surgical procedures or injections.

"If you age gracefully, people say you ought to try harder; if you undergo procedures, you are criticized for trying too hard," she remarked further.