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Women are rallying in defence of acclaimed star Catherine Zeta-Jones following she faced scrutiny on social media regarding her looks following a red carpet event.

The actor was present at a promotional function in Hollywood recently where a social media clip about her character in the new series of Wednesday was eclipsed by remarks focusing on her appearance.

A Chorus of Defence

Laura White, 58, labelled the backlash "utter foolishness", stating that "men don't have this sell-by/use-by date imposed on women".

"Males escape this sell-by/use-by date imposed on women," said Laura White.

Beauty journalist aged 50, Sali Hughes, commented differently from men, females are unfairly judged growing older and the actor deserves to be able to appear however she liked.

The Social Media Storm

Within the clip, uploaded to social media and had more than 2.5m views, Zeta-Jones, who is from Mumbles, Swansea, talked about how much she enjoyed delving into her role, Morticia Addams, in season two.

Yet a large portion of the online responses centered on her age and were negative towards her appearance.

The negative remarks ignited a broad defence for Zeta-Jones, such as a popular post from a social media user which said: "You bully females for having treatments and bully them when they don't have sufficient procedures."

Others also spoke up for her, one stating: "She is growing older naturally and she appears stunning."

Some called her as "gorgeous" and "so pretty", while someone else said that "she appears her age - that's called the natural process."

Making a Point

She appeared on air recently makeup-free as a demonstration and to highlight there was no set "blueprint" for what a woman in midlife ought to appear.

As with others her age, she said she "maintains her wellbeing" not to look younger but in order to feel "better" and look "healthy".

"Ageing is an honour and if we can age the best we can, that's what is important," she added.

She contended that men were not judged by equivalent aesthetic benchmarks, noting "people don't ask the age of certain male celebrities might be - they just are described as 'great'."

Ms White noted this was a key factor for entering the pageant's division for over-45s, in order to demonstrate that females of a certain age are still here" and "retain their appeal".

The Core Issue

The author, a writer and commentator from Wales, commented that although the actor is "beautiful" it was "beside the point", adding she should be able to appear however she liked free from her age being scrutinised.

Hughes argued the social media vitriol proved no woman was "protected" and that females should not face the "ongoing theme" which says they are lacking or of the right age - a problem that is "maddening, regardless of the person involved".

Questioned on whether men experience identical criticism, she said "absolutely not", explaining women were attacked just for showing "audacity" to exist on social media while growing older.

An Impossible Standard

Regardless of the beauty industry advocating for "longevity", the author stated women were still criticised whether they aged naturally or underwent treatments including surgical procedures or injections.

"When a woman ages gracefully, commenters state you should do more; if you undergo treatments, you're accused of not aging gracefully enough," she added.