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Females are uniting behind acclaimed star Zeta-Jones following she was targeted by scrutiny online about her appearance at a recent high-profile appearance.

The actor was present at an industry gathering in Hollywood last month where a social media clip discussing her part in season two of Wednesday became dominated due to comments focusing on her looks.

Voices of Support

Aged 58, Laura White, called the backlash "absolute rubbish", noting that "males escape this expiration date imposed on women".

"Men don't have such a timeline imposed on women," argued the pageant winner.

Author aged 50, Sali Hughes, stated in contrast to men, females are unfairly judged as they age and the actor deserves to be free to appear in any way she chooses.

Online Reaction

Within the clip, which was also posted on social media and had over 2.5 million views, the actor, originally from Mumbles, Swansea, discussed the pleasure of portraying her character, the Addams Family matriarch, in the new episodes.

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

The online backlash ignited a broad defence of the actor, such as a widely-shared clip from one Facebook user which stated: "People criticize females when they get treatments and criticize them for not having sufficient procedures."

Online users rallied in support, one stating: "She is aging naturally and she appears stunning."

Many labelled her as "beautiful" and "very attractive", with another adding that "her appearance reflects her years - that is reality."

Making a Point

The winner attended on air recently without any makeup as a demonstration and to demonstrate that there is no fixed "blueprint" of how a female in midlife should look like.

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

"Growing older is a gift and if we can live as well as possible, that is what truly counts," she added.

She argued that men aren't held to equivalent appearance ideals, adding "people don't ask the age of famous men might be - they just look 'fantastic'."

She said this was one of the reasons behind her participation in the competition for women over 45, in order to demonstrate that females of a certain age are still here" and "retain their appeal".

Unfair Scrutiny

The author, a journalist of Welsh origin, commented that while the actor is "stunning" this is "not the point", stating further she ought to be able to look as she wishes absent her age facing scrutiny.

She said the digital criticism showed 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 - an issue that is "maddening, irrespective of the person involved".

Questioned on whether men face the same scrutiny, she answered "no, never", explaining females are criticized simply for having the "audacity" to exist on the internet while aging.

A No-Win Situation

Despite the beauty industry promoting "age-defiance", Hughes said females are still face criticism regardless of if they grow older gracefully or underwent treatments like surgical procedures or injections.

"When a woman ages gracefully, people say more could be done; if you get work done, people say you not aging gracefully enough," she concluded.