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Females are uniting for Oscar-winning actor Catherine Zeta-Jones after she faced scrutiny online about her looks at a recent high-profile event.

The actor was present at an industry gathering in LA recently where an online segment about her character in the new series of the 'Wednesday' show became dominated because of discussion focusing on her looks.

Widespread Backing

Laura White, 58, labelled the negative reaction "utter foolishness", stating that "men aren't given this expiration date imposed on women".

"Males escape this expiration date that women do," said Ms White.

Writer and commentator aged 50, Sali Hughes, said unlike men, women were criticized growing older and Zeta-Jones should be able to appear however she liked.

The Social Media Storm

In the video, also shared to social media and garnered millions of views, Zeta-Jones, who is from Mumbles, Swansea, discussed how much she enjoyed portraying her role, Morticia Addams, in the new episodes.

However a large portion of the hundreds of comments centered on her age and were critical regarding her appearance.

This criticism ignited widespread defence of Zeta-Jones, featuring a popular post from a social media user which said: "There is criticism for females if they undergo cosmetic procedures and bully them when they don't have enough work."

Commenters also rallied in support, as one put it: "She is ageing naturally and she is stunning."

Many labelled her as "stunning" and "so pretty", while someone else said that "her appearance reflects her years - that is life."

Making a Point

Ms White arrived on air recently makeup-free to make a statement and to demonstrate there was no set "template" of how a woman of a certain age ought to appear.

As with others of her years, she said she "looks after herself" not to appear younger but in order to feel "improved" and look "in good health".

"Getting older represents an honour and if we can age as well as possible, that's what really matters," she continued.

She argued that men were not held to the same beauty standards, adding "no-one questions how old certain male celebrities are - they only are described as 'fantastic'."

She said this was part of the motivation behind her participation in the competition the classic category, in order to demonstrate that women in midlife are still here" and "retain their appeal".

A Fundamental Problem

The author, a journalist of Welsh origin, stated that while the actor is "beautiful" it was "not the point", noting she deserves to be at liberty to look as she wishes absent her years being scrutinised.

She stated the digital criticism proved no woman was "immune" and that females should not face the "constant narrative" suggesting they are lacking or youthful enough - a situation that is "maddening, no matter who the victim is".

Asked if males encounter equivalent judgment, she said "not at all", noting women were attacked merely for having the "audacity" to live online while growing older.

A Double Bind

Despite cosmetic companies advocating for "youthful longevity", Hughes said women were still face criticism regardless of if they grow older without intervention or underwent treatments including plastic surgery or injections.

"Should you grow older naturally, people say you should do more; when you have treatments, you are criticized for not aging gracefully enough," she concluded.