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Females are uniting behind acclaimed star Catherine Zeta-Jones after she encountered scrutiny on social media about her appearance during a high-profile function.

She appeared at a Netflix event in Los Angeles recently where a TikTok interview discussing her character in the new series of the 'Wednesday' show became dominated due to remarks focusing on her age.

Voices of Support

Laura White, 58, called the backlash "complete nonsense", noting that "men aren't given this expiration date which women face".

"Men don't have such a timeline which women face," argued Laura White.

Author Sali Hughes, 50, stated unlike men, females are subject to unfair scrutiny as they age and Zeta-Jones should be free to appear as she wishes.

The Social Media Storm

In the video, which was also posted on Facebook and garnered more than 2.5m views, Zeta-Jones, hailing from Swansea, spoke of the pleasure of exploring her character, Morticia Addams, in season two.

But many of the online responses focused on her age and were critical about her appearance.

The negative remarks sparked widespread defence of the actor, featuring a popular post from one Facebook user which said: "You bully women when they get too much work done and bully them when they don't have sufficient procedures."

Commenters also spoke up for her, one stating: "This is growing older naturally and she appears beautiful."

Others described her as "gorgeous" and "very attractive", with another adding that "her appearance reflects her years - that is life."

Challenging Perceptions

Ms White arrived for her interview recently with a bare face to make a statement and to demonstrate that there is no fixed "blueprint" for what a woman in midlife should look like.

Like many women in her demographic, she said she "looks after herself" not to look younger but in order to feel "well" and look "healthy".

"Growing older is a privilege and provided we age gracefully, that is what really matters," she added.

Ms White stated that males are not held to the same appearance ideals, noting "nobody scrutinizes the age of Tom Cruise, George Clooney or Tom Jones are - they simply are described as 'great'."

She said this was one of the reasons for entering the competition for women over 45, in order to demonstrate that women in midlife continue to exist" and "retain their appeal".

The Core Issue

Hughes, an author and presenter of Welsh origin, said that although Zeta-Jones was "stunning" that is "beside the point", adding she ought to be at liberty to look as she wishes without her age being scrutinised.

Hughes argued the digital criticism proved that no female is "exempt" and that women do not deserve the "perpetual story" suggesting they are insufficient or of the right age - an issue that is "galling, no matter the individual targeted".

When asked if men experience identical criticism, she responded "no, never", adding women were attacked simply for having the "boldness" to exist on the internet as they age.

A No-Win Situation

Despite cosmetic companies advocating for "longevity", she commented women were still criticised if they age gracefully or underwent treatments such as cosmetic surgery or injections.

"Should you grow older naturally, people say more could be done; when you have work done, you're accused of failing to age well," she concluded.