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Females are uniting behind Oscar-winning actor Catherine Zeta-Jones after she faced criticism across platforms over her looks following a industry event.

The actor was present at an industry gathering in Hollywood on 9 November during which an online segment discussing her character in season two of the 'Wednesday' show was overshadowed due to remarks concerning her age.

Widespread Backing

Aged 58, Laura White, called the online criticism "absolute rubbish", adding that "men aren't given this sell-by/use-by date that women do".

"Males escape such a timeline that women do," stated Laura White.

Author aged 50, Sali Hughes, stated unlike men, females are unfairly judged for ageing and she ought to be able to appear as she wishes.

The Social Media Storm

Within the clip, uploaded to Facebook and attracted over 2.5 million views, Zeta-Jones, originally from Mumbles, Swansea, spoke of the pleasure of exploring her role, Morticia Addams, in season two.

However a significant number of the hundreds of comments centered on her age and were negative towards her appearance.

The negative remarks triggered a broad defence for the actor, including a viral video from a social media user which stated: "You bully women if they undergo treatments and attack them when they don't have sufficient procedures."

Commenters also rallied in support, as one put it: "This is growing older naturally and she is beautiful."

Some called her as "beautiful" and "very attractive", and one comment read that "she appears her age - that's called the natural process."

Challenging Perceptions

Ms White arrived for her interview earlier without any makeup as a demonstration and to demonstrate that there is no fixed "template" of how a female in her 50s should look like.

Like many women in her demographic, she stated she "maintains her wellbeing" not to look younger but so she feels "well" and look "vibrant".

"Getting older represents a privilege and when we age gracefully, that's what really matters," she stated further.

She argued that men were not held to equivalent appearance ideals, adding "people don't ask how old certain male celebrities are - they simply look 'great'."

She explained it was part of the motivation behind her participation in the competition for over-45s, to "show that females of a certain age are still here" and "possess it".

A Fundamental Problem

Hughes, a journalist from Wales, commented that although Zeta-Jones was "gorgeous" this is "irrelevant", stating further she deserves to be free to appear however she liked free from her years facing scrutiny.

She said the social media vitriol demonstrated not a single woman is "immune" and that women do not deserve the "constant narrative" which says they are not good enough or of the right age - a situation that is "galling, irrespective of the individual targeted".

When asked if males encounter the same scrutiny, she answered "no, never", explaining females are criticized merely for showing "nerve" to exist online while aging.

An Impossible Standard

Even with the beauty industry promoting "age-defiance", the author stated females are still criticised if they age naturally or opted for procedures such as surgical procedures or injectables.

"If you age gracefully, people say you should do more; if you undergo procedures, people say you trying too hard," she concluded.