Catherine Zeta-Jones, the Oscar-winning actor, is receiving an outpouring of support from women after facing online criticism regarding her appearance at a recent red carpet event.
Zeta-Jones attended a Netflix event in Los Angeles on November 9, where a TikTok interview discussing her role in the latest Wednesday series was unfortunately overshadowed by comments focused on her looks.
Laura White, 58, the reigning Miss Great Britain Classic, denounced the backlash as “complete nonsense,” emphasizing the disparate standards, stating that “men don’t have this sell-by/use-by date that women do”.
Beauty journalist Sali Hughes, 50, noted the unfair judgment women face as they age, differing from men, and asserted that Zeta-Jones should be free to present herself as she chooses.
In the widely viewed video, which garnered over 2.5 million views on Facebook, Zeta-Jones, originally from Mumbles, Swansea, expressed her enjoyment in exploring her character, Morticia Addams, in the series’ second season.
However, a significant portion of the numerous comments centered on her age, often expressing disparaging remarks about her appearance.
The online criticism sparked widespread defense of Zeta-Jones, including a viral video from a Facebook user who stated: “You bully women when they get too much work done and bully them when they don’t have enough.”
Defenders in the comments section echoed this sentiment, with one writing: “It’s called ageing naturally and she looks beautiful.”
Others described her as “gorgeous” and “so pretty,” while another commenter remarked that “she looks her age – that’s called reality.”
Ms. White, prior to her interview on BBC Radio Wales Breakfast, appeared makeup-free to “prove a point” and challenge the notion of a set “template” for women in their 50s.
She stated that she, like many women her age, “takes care of herself” not to appear younger, but to feel “better” and look “healthy.”
“Ageing is a privilege and if we can do it the best we can, that’s what really matters,” she added.
She also argued that men are not subjected to the same stringent beauty standards, noting that “no-one questions how old Tom Cruise, George Clooney or Tom Jones are – they just look ‘great’.”
She cited this disparity as a reason for entering Miss Great Britain’s category for over-45s, aiming to “show that midlife women are still here” and “still have it”.
Hughes, an author and presenter from Wales, acknowledged Zeta-Jones’ beauty, but stressed that it was “not the point,” emphasizing her freedom to present herself without age-related scrutiny.
She noted that the online abuse demonstrated that no woman is “immune” and women do not deserve the “constant narrative” that they are not good enough or young enough – a problem that is “galling, regardless of who the victim is”.
When asked about similar scrutiny faced by men, she stated “no, never,” emphasizing that women are attacked simply for having the “audacity” to exist online as they age.
Despite the beauty industry promoting “longevity,” Hughes pointed out that women are still criticized whether they age naturally or pursue cosmetic procedures like plastic surgery or injectables.
“If you age naturally, people say you should do more; if you get work done, you’re accused of not aging gracefully enough,” she concluded.
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