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Women are rallying behind acclaimed star Catherine Zeta-Jones following she faced scrutiny on social media about her appearance at a recent industry event.

Zeta-Jones attended a Netflix event in LA last month during which a TikTok interview featuring her role in season two of Wednesday became dominated because of discussion concerning her age.

Widespread Backing

Laura White, 58, called the negative reaction "utter foolishness", adding that "males escape such a timeline imposed on women".

"Males escape this sell-by/use-by date which women face," stated Ms White.

Writer and commentator Sali Hughes, 50, commented in contrast to men, females are criticized growing older and Zeta-Jones should be able to look however she liked.

The Social Media Storm

In the video, also shared to social media and had millions of views, the actor, originally from Mumbles, Swansea, talked about the pleasure of portraying her part, the Addams Family matriarch, in season two.

Yet a significant number of the numerous remarks centered on her years and were negative towards her appearance.

This criticism ignited significant support of the actor, featuring a viral video from a social media user which stated: "You bully females when they get too much work done and criticize them when they don't have sufficient procedures."

Others also rallied in support, as one put it: "She is ageing naturally and she appears stunning."

Others described her as "beautiful" and "lovely", while someone else said that "she looks her age - that is life."

Making a Point

The winner attended at the studio recently with a bare face to "prove a point" and to highlight the absence of a "mold" of how a woman in midlife should look like.

Like many women her age, she explained she "maintains her wellbeing" not to appear younger but to feel "improved" and look "healthy".

"Getting older represents a privilege and when we live the best we can, this is what is important," she continued.

She contended that men were not held to the same aesthetic benchmarks, stating "no-one questions how old certain male celebrities are - they simply appear 'fantastic'."

Ms White noted it was part of the motivation she entered Miss Great Britain's category for over-45s, in order to demonstrate that women in midlife continue to exist" and "retain their appeal".

The Core Issue

Hughes, a writer and commentator of Welsh origin, stated that although the actor is "gorgeous" it was "beside the point", noting she should be at liberty to appear however she liked free from her age facing scrutiny.

She stated the social media vitriol demonstrated no woman was "exempt" and that women do not deserve the "constant narrative" which says they are lacking or young enough - a situation that is "infuriating, regardless of the person involved".

Asked if men experience the same scrutiny, she answered "no, never", explaining females are attacked merely for having the "audacity" to exist on the internet while growing older.

A No-Win Situation

Even with the wellness sector emphasizing "age-defiance", Hughes said women were still criticised whether they aged without intervention or underwent treatments such as plastic surgery or fillers.

"If you age naturally, people say more could be done; if you get treatments, people say you not aging gracefully enough," she remarked further.