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Females are uniting for acclaimed star Zeta-Jones after she faced scrutiny on social media over her looks at a recent red carpet event.

The actor was present at an industry gathering in Hollywood recently where a TikTok interview about her character in the new series of Wednesday was eclipsed because of remarks concerning her age.

Voices of Support

This year's Miss Great Britain Classic winner, Laura White, called the backlash "complete nonsense", adding that "men don't have this sell-by/use-by date imposed on women".

"Men don't have this sell-by/use-by date which women face," argued Ms White.

Author Sali Hughes, 50, commented unlike men, females are unfairly judged as they age and she ought to be free to appear however she liked.

The Social Media Storm

In the video, which was also posted on social media and had millions of views, Zeta-Jones, hailing from Swansea, discussed the pleasure of exploring her character, the Addams Family matriarch, in the new episodes.

But many of the numerous remarks centered on her age and were negative regarding her appearance.

The negative remarks sparked widespread defence of Zeta-Jones, featuring a widely-shared clip from one Facebook user which declared: "There is criticism for women if they undergo treatments and bully them for not having enough work."

Others also came to her defence, with one writing: "She is aging naturally and she is stunning."

Others described her as "stunning" and "so pretty", while someone else said that "she appears her age - which is simply life."

Making a Point

Ms White arrived at the studio earlier makeup-free to make a statement and to demonstrate the absence of a "template" of how a female of a certain age should look like.

Similar to numerous females in her demographic, she explained she "takes care of herself" not for a youthful appearance but in order to feel "better" and look "vibrant".

"Growing older is a gift and when we do it the best we can, that is what is important," she added.

She argued that males are not held to identical aesthetic benchmarks, stating "no-one questions the age of famous men might be - they only look 'wonderful'."

She said it was one of the reasons she entered Miss Great Britain's category for women over 45, in order to demonstrate that females of a certain age continue to exist" and "still have it".

A Fundamental Problem

Hughes, a journalist of Welsh origin, stated that while Zeta-Jones was "beautiful" this is "beside the point", adding she ought to be able to appear however she liked absent her age coming under examination.

Hughes argued the online abuse proved that no female is "exempt" and that it is unfair for women to endure the "perpetual story" which says they are lacking or young enough - an issue that is "galling, no matter who the victim is".

Questioned on whether males encounter the same scrutiny, she said "no, never", explaining women were criticized merely for showing "audacity" to live on social media while aging.

A Double Bind

Even with cosmetic companies advocating for "age-defiance", Hughes said females are still judged if they age gracefully or underwent treatments like cosmetic surgery or injectables.

"When a woman ages naturally, commenters state you ought to try harder; if you get work done, people say you failing to age well," she added.