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Females are uniting behind Oscar-winning actor Catherine Zeta-Jones after she encountered scrutiny online over her looks following a high-profile event.

She appeared at an industry gathering in LA on 9 November where an online segment discussing her role in the latest the 'Wednesday' show became dominated by remarks concerning her appearance.

A Chorus of Defence

Laura White, 58, described the online criticism "absolute rubbish", noting that "males escape such a timeline that women do".

"Males escape this sell-by/use-by date that women do," said Ms White.

Beauty journalist aged 50, Sali Hughes, said in contrast to men, females are criticized growing older and Zeta-Jones should be able to look in any way she chooses.

The Social Media Storm

Within the clip, uploaded to social media and attracted over 2.5 million views, Zeta-Jones, originally from Mumbles, Swansea, discussed how much she enjoyed portraying her role, the Addams Family matriarch, in season two.

But a significant number of the hundreds of comments zeroed in on her age and were critical about her appearance.

This criticism ignited a broad defence for Zeta-Jones, featuring a widely-shared clip from one Facebook user which declared: "People criticize females when they get cosmetic procedures and criticize them for not having enough work."

Online users spoke up for her, one stating: "This is aging naturally and she looks stunning."

Others described her as "gorgeous" and "so pretty", while someone else said that "she looks her age - that is life."

A Statement Arrival

Ms White arrived on air recently without any makeup to "prove a point" and to highlight that there is no fixed "blueprint" for what a woman in midlife ought to appear.

Similar to numerous females of her years, she explained she "maintains her wellbeing" not to appear younger but to feel "better" and appear "healthy".

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

She argued that males are not subject to equivalent aesthetic benchmarks, adding "people don't ask the age of famous men might be - they just look 'fantastic'."

Ms White noted that became one of the reasons behind her participation in the competition for women over 45, to prove that females of a certain age are still here" and "retain their appeal".

A Fundamental Problem

The author, an author and presenter of Welsh origin, commented that although Zeta-Jones was "gorgeous" it was "not the point", adding she should be at liberty to look in any way she chooses without her age facing scrutiny.

She stated the online abuse demonstrated that no female is "protected" and that women do not deserve the "constant narrative" suggesting they are insufficient or young enough - a situation that is "galling, regardless of the person involved".

When asked if men experience equivalent judgment, she responded "absolutely not", noting women were targeted just for showing "nerve" to exist online while aging.

A No-Win Situation

Regardless of the beauty industry advocating for "longevity", she commented females are still face criticism if they age without intervention or chose interventions including surgical procedures or injections.

"When a woman ages gracefully, people say you ought to try harder; if you get treatments, people say you not aging gracefully enough," she remarked further.