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Females are uniting behind acclaimed star Zeta-Jones after she faced scrutiny across platforms regarding her appearance following a high-profile function.

The actor was present at a Netflix event in LA on 9 November during which a social media clip about her character in season two of Wednesday became dominated because of comments focusing on her appearance.

Voices of Support

This year's Miss Great Britain Classic winner, Laura White, labelled the negative reaction "absolute rubbish", 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 that women do," said Ms White.

Writer and commentator Sali Hughes, 50, said unlike men, females are subject to unfair scrutiny as they age and she ought to be able to appear as she wishes.

Digital Backlash

During the interview, which was also posted on Facebook and garnered over 2.5 million views, Zeta-Jones, originally from Mumbles, Swansea, talked about how much she enjoyed portraying her role, Morticia Addams, in season two.

Yet a large portion of the numerous remarks centered on her years and were critical about her appearance.

The online backlash ignited a broad defence of the actor, including a widely-shared clip from a social media user which stated: "You bully women if they undergo too much work done and criticize them if they avoid enough work."

Others also came to her defence, as one put it: "She is growing older naturally and she is gorgeous."

Many labelled her as "gorgeous" and "lovely", with another adding that "she appears her age - that is life."

A Statement Arrival

The winner attended at the studio earlier makeup-free as a demonstration and to demonstrate that there is no fixed "template" of how a female in her 50s should look like.

Similar to numerous females in her demographic, she said she "maintains her wellbeing" not to look younger but to feel "well" and look "in good health".

"Getting older represents an honour and if we can live as well as possible, that is what is important," she stated further.

She argued that men were not held to the same beauty standards, noting "people don't ask how old certain male celebrities are - they simply are described as 'wonderful'."

She explained it was part of the motivation for entering the pageant's division for over-45s, in order to demonstrate that women in midlife remain relevant" and "still have it".

The Core Issue

Sali Hughes, a writer and commentator from Wales, said that while the actor is "gorgeous" that is "not the point", noting she ought to be able to appear however she liked free from her age being scrutinised.

She said the online abuse demonstrated no woman was "immune" and that women do not deserve the "constant narrative" suggesting they are lacking or of the right age - a situation that is "infuriating, regardless of the person involved".

Questioned on whether men experience the same scrutiny, she said "absolutely not", adding women were criticized just for showing "audacity" to live online while growing older.

A No-Win Situation

Even with the beauty industry emphasizing "youthful longevity", Hughes said females are still face criticism if they age naturally or underwent treatments including plastic surgery or injections.

"Should you grow older gracefully, others claim you ought to try harder; if you get procedures, people say you trying too hard," she remarked further.