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Females are uniting for Oscar-winning actor Zeta-Jones following she faced scrutiny across platforms over her looks following a industry function.

Zeta-Jones attended a promotional function in Los Angeles on 9 November where an online segment about her role in season two of Wednesday became dominated by comments focusing on her age.

Voices of Support

Aged 58, Laura White, labelled the backlash "utter foolishness", adding that "men don't have this expiration date that women do".

"Men are free from this expiration date which women face," stated Ms White.

Author aged 50, Sali Hughes, said in contrast to men, females are unfairly judged for ageing and Zeta-Jones should be free to look however she liked.

Online Reaction

In the video, uploaded to Facebook and garnered over 2.5 million views, Zeta-Jones, hailing from Swansea, discussed how much she enjoyed exploring her role, the Addams Family matriarch, in season two.

Yet many of the hundreds of comments centered on her years and were disparaging towards her looks.

This criticism sparked a broad defence for Zeta-Jones, such as a popular post online which said: "You bully females when they get too much work done and attack them when they don't have sufficient procedures."

Others also spoke up for her, as one put it: "It's called aging naturally and she looks stunning."

Some called her as "stunning" and "lovely", with another adding that "her appearance reflects her years - that's called life."

Making a Point

She appeared at the studio recently makeup-free as a demonstration and to highlight that there is no fixed "template" of how a woman in her 50s is supposed to look.

As with others of her years, she stated she "looks after herself" not to look younger but to feel "improved" and be "healthy".

"Growing older is a gift and when we live gracefully, this is what is important," she stated further.

Ms White stated that men were not held to equivalent beauty standards, adding "no-one questions how old famous men are - they just look 'wonderful'."

She said it was a key factor she entered the competition for women over 45, to "show that women in midlife are still here" and "possess it".

Unfair Scrutiny

The author, an author and presenter from Wales, said that although the actor is "beautiful" this is "not the point", adding she should be at liberty to appear however she liked without her years coming under examination.

Hughes argued the digital criticism showed that no female is "exempt" and that women do not deserve the "constant narrative" that they are not good enough or of the right age - an issue that is "infuriating, irrespective of who the victim is".

Asked if males encounter the same scrutiny, she responded "absolutely not", adding women were targeted just for having the "audacity" to be present online while growing older.

A No-Win Situation

Regardless of the beauty industry emphasizing "longevity", the author stated females are still judged whether they aged gracefully or chose interventions like cosmetic surgery or injectables.

"When a woman ages naturally, people say more could be done; when you have procedures, you're accused of trying too hard," she added.