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Females are uniting for Oscar-winning actor Catherine Zeta-Jones following she faced criticism across platforms about her looks during a industry event.

The actor was present at an industry gathering in LA on 9 November during which a TikTok interview about her character in the latest the 'Wednesday' show was overshadowed due to comments concerning her appearance.

A Chorus of Defence

Aged 58, Laura White, called the backlash "utter foolishness", adding that "men don't have such a timeline which women face".

"Males escape this sell-by/use-by date imposed on women," said Laura White.

Author Sali Hughes, 50, stated in contrast to men, women were subject to unfair scrutiny as they age and she ought to be at liberty to look as she wishes.

Online Reaction

Within the clip, which was also posted on Facebook and garnered more than 2.5m views, Zeta-Jones, originally from Mumbles, Swansea, discussed how much she enjoyed portraying her part, Morticia Addams, in the latest season.

Yet a large portion of the online responses zeroed in on her years and were critical about her appearance.

This criticism sparked significant support of Zeta-Jones, featuring a widely-shared clip online which stated: "There is criticism for women if they undergo treatments and bully them for not having sufficient procedures."

Online users rallied in support, one stating: "It's called growing older naturally and she appears stunning."

Others described her as "stunning" and "lovely", with another adding that "her appearance reflects her years - which is simply reality."

Challenging Perceptions

She appeared on air earlier without any makeup as a demonstration and to highlight the absence of a "template" for what a woman of a certain age should look like.

Similar to numerous females her age, she explained she "takes care of herself" not to look younger but so she feels "better" and be "healthy".

"Growing older is an honour and provided we do it the best we can, that is what truly counts," she continued.

Ms White stated that males are not held to equivalent aesthetic benchmarks, stating "people don't ask the age of certain male celebrities might be - they simply look 'wonderful'."

Ms White noted that became part of the motivation for entering Miss Great Britain's category for women over 45, to prove that midlife women remain relevant" and "possess it".

Unfair Scrutiny

Hughes, an author and presenter from Wales, stated that while Zeta-Jones was "stunning" this is "beside the point", adding she deserves to be able to look in any way she chooses without her age facing scrutiny.

She stated the digital criticism proved no woman was "exempt" and that females should not face the "constant narrative" that they are insufficient or youthful enough - a problem that is "infuriating, irrespective of who the victim is".

When asked if men face identical criticism, she answered "absolutely not", explaining women were criticized just for showing "audacity" to live online while aging.

A Double Bind

Regardless of the beauty industry emphasizing "age-defiance", Hughes said women were still criticised regardless of if they grow older naturally or chose interventions like surgical procedures or fillers.

"When a woman ages without intervention, others claim you ought to try harder; if you get treatments, people say you not aging gracefully enough," she concluded.