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There is a groundswell of support for acclaimed star Zeta-Jones following she encountered disparaging remarks online regarding her looks following a red carpet appearance.

She appeared at a Netflix event in LA recently during which a TikTok interview featuring her role in season two of the 'Wednesday' show was overshadowed by comments focusing on her looks.

Voices of Support

This year's Miss Great Britain Classic winner, Laura White, called the negative reaction "complete nonsense", adding that "males escape this expiration date imposed on women".

"Males escape this sell-by/use-by date that women do," argued Laura White.

Writer and commentator Sali Hughes, 50, said in contrast to men, females are criticized growing older and she ought to be at liberty to appear in any way she chooses.

Online Reaction

In the video, also shared to Facebook and attracted more than 2.5m views, Zeta-Jones, hailing from Wales, spoke of the pleasure of portraying her role, Morticia Addams, in the latest season.

Yet many of the hundreds of comments zeroed in on her age and were disparaging towards her appearance.

The online backlash triggered significant support for the actor, including a widely-shared clip from a social media user which declared: "You bully women if they undergo cosmetic procedures and criticize them if they avoid enough work."

Commenters also spoke up for her, as one put it: "It's called growing older naturally and she looks beautiful."

Some called her as "stunning" and "lovely", with another adding that "she looks her age - that is the natural process."

Making a Point

She appeared at the studio recently makeup-free to make a statement and to demonstrate there was no set "blueprint" for what a woman of a certain age ought to appear.

Like many women of her years, she explained she "takes care of herself" not for a youthful appearance but so she feels "better" and be "vibrant".

"Getting older represents an honour and provided we live the best we can, that is what truly counts," she continued.

Ms White stated that men were not subject to identical appearance ideals, stating "people don't ask the age of Tom Cruise, George Clooney or Tom Jones might be - they only appear 'great'."

Ms White noted this was a key factor for entering the pageant's division for over-45s, to prove that women in midlife are still here" and "retain their appeal".

Unfair Scrutiny

Sali Hughes, a writer and commentator from Wales, commented that although Zeta-Jones was "gorgeous" this is "irrelevant", adding she ought to be able to appear however she liked without her age being scrutinised.

Hughes argued the online abuse demonstrated no woman was "protected" and that women do not deserve the "ongoing theme" suggesting they are insufficient or young enough - an issue that is "galling, irrespective of the person involved".

Questioned on whether males encounter the same scrutiny, she responded "absolutely not", noting women were attacked simply for showing "nerve" to live on social media while aging.

A Double Bind

Even with cosmetic companies advocating for "longevity", the author stated women were still judged if they age gracefully or underwent treatments like cosmetic surgery or fillers.

"If you age naturally, people say you ought to try harder; when you have treatments, you are criticized for failing to age well," she added.