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Women are rallying in defence of acclaimed star Catherine Zeta-Jones following she was targeted by criticism on social media about her appearance at a recent red carpet event.

Zeta-Jones attended a Netflix event in LA recently where a social media clip discussing her part in the latest the 'Wednesday' show became dominated by remarks about her age.

Voices of Support

Laura White, 58, called the backlash "absolute rubbish", noting that "males escape such a timeline that women do".

"Men don't have such a timeline which women face," stated the pageant winner.

Author Sali Hughes, 50, stated in contrast to men, females are criticized as they age and Zeta-Jones should be able to appear however she liked.

The Social Media Storm

During the interview, also shared to social media and garnered more than 2.5m views, Zeta-Jones, who is from Wales, discussed the pleasure of delving into her part, Morticia Addams, in the new episodes.

But a significant number of the hundreds of comments zeroed in on her years and were critical towards her looks.

This criticism ignited a broad defence of Zeta-Jones, including a widely-shared clip from a social media user which declared: "You bully women if they undergo cosmetic procedures and attack them when they don't have enough."

Online users spoke up for her, as one put it: "She is ageing naturally and she looks stunning."

Many labelled her as "gorgeous" and "lovely", and one comment read that "she looks her age - that's called life."

Challenging Perceptions

She appeared on air recently makeup-free to "prove a point" and to show there was no set "blueprint" of how a woman of a certain age should look like.

As with others in her demographic, she said she "takes care of herself" not to appear younger but to feel "well" and appear "in good health".

"Ageing is an honour and if we can live the best we can, that's what truly counts," she stated further.

She argued that males are not judged by identical appearance ideals, noting "no-one questions the age of certain male celebrities might be - they simply are described as 'great'."

She said it was one of the reasons for entering the competition for over-45s, to "show that females of a certain age continue to exist" and "possess it".

A Fundamental Problem

Hughes, a writer and commentator from Wales, said that while Zeta-Jones was "stunning" 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 proved not a single woman is "exempt" and that women do not deserve the "ongoing theme" which says they are lacking or of the right age - an issue that is "maddening, irrespective of the individual targeted".

Questioned on whether males encounter equivalent judgment, she answered "no, never", noting women were attacked just for showing "boldness" to exist online while aging.

A Double Bind

Even with the wellness sector promoting "youthful longevity", the author stated females are still judged if they age without intervention or opted for procedures like surgical procedures or injectables.

"If you age naturally, people say you ought to try harder; when you have procedures, you are criticized for not aging gracefully enough," she added.