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Females are uniting for acclaimed star Catherine Zeta-Jones following she faced criticism on social media over her appearance following a red carpet function.

Zeta-Jones attended an industry gathering in Los Angeles on 9 November during which an online segment discussing her character in the latest Wednesday became dominated by remarks about her appearance.

Voices of Support

Laura White, 58, described the backlash "utter foolishness", noting that "men don't have this expiration date that women do".

"Males escape such a timeline that women do," said Ms White.

Writer and commentator aged 50, Sali Hughes, said in contrast to men, females are subject to unfair scrutiny for ageing and Zeta-Jones should be at liberty to appear as she wishes.

The Social Media Storm

In the video, which was also posted on Facebook and had more than 2.5m views, the actor, hailing from Swansea, talked about the pleasure of portraying her role, Morticia Addams, in the latest season.

However a significant number of the numerous remarks centered on her age and were negative about her looks.

This criticism triggered a broad defence of the actor, such as a popular post online which said: "There is criticism for females for having treatments and bully them if they avoid sufficient procedures."

Others also spoke up for her, with one writing: "This is growing older naturally and she appears stunning."

Many labelled her as "beautiful" and "lovely", while someone else said that "she looks her age - which is simply life."

A Statement Arrival

The winner attended at the studio recently makeup-free as a demonstration and to highlight there was no set "mold" for what a female in her 50s should look like.

Like many women in her demographic, she stated she "looks after herself" not to appear younger but to feel "better" and appear "in good health".

"Growing older is a gift and if we can live the best we can, that is what truly counts," she added.

She argued that males are not held to identical appearance ideals, noting "people don't ask the age of Tom Cruise, George Clooney or Tom Jones might be - they only are described as 'fantastic'."

She said that became one of the reasons behind her participation in the competition for women over 45, to "show that women in midlife are still here" and "still have it".

Unfair Scrutiny

The author, an author and presenter of Welsh origin, commented that although the actor is "beautiful" it was "irrelevant", stating further she deserves to be free to appear in any way she chooses without her years coming under examination.

She stated the online abuse demonstrated no woman was "protected" and that it is unfair for women to endure the "constant narrative" suggesting they are lacking or youthful enough - an issue that is "maddening, irrespective of who the victim is".

Asked if men experience equivalent judgment, she responded "not at all", adding women were criticized just for demonstrating the "audacity" to live on social media while growing older.

An Impossible Standard

Even with cosmetic companies promoting "youthful longevity", Hughes said females are still criticised if they age naturally or opted for procedures like surgical procedures or injections.

"Should you grow older without intervention, people say you ought to try harder; if you undergo treatments, you are criticized for not aging gracefully enough," she added.