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There is a groundswell of support for Oscar-winning actor Zeta-Jones following she was targeted by scrutiny on social media over her appearance during a industry function.

Zeta-Jones attended a Netflix event in LA last month where a social media clip featuring her role in season two of Wednesday was overshadowed due to comments concerning her age.

A Chorus of Defence

This year's Miss Great Britain Classic winner, Laura White, labelled the backlash "absolute rubbish", noting that "males escape such a timeline that women do".

"Men are free from this expiration date which women face," argued the pageant winner.

Beauty journalist Sali Hughes, 50, commented differently from men, females are unfairly judged for ageing and Zeta-Jones should be at liberty to look as she wishes.

Digital Backlash

Within the clip, also shared to social media and attracted over 2.5 million views, Zeta-Jones, hailing from Mumbles, Swansea, spoke of the pleasure of delving into her character, the Addams Family matriarch, in the new episodes.

However a large portion of the numerous remarks focused on her age and were disparaging regarding her appearance.

This criticism triggered widespread defence for the actor, including a popular post from a social media user which declared: "There is criticism for females for having too much work done and criticize them if they avoid sufficient procedures."

Commenters also spoke up for her, with one writing: "This is ageing naturally and she is stunning."

Some called her as "beautiful" and "lovely", while someone else said that "she appears her age - which is simply reality."

A Statement Arrival

The winner attended for her interview earlier makeup-free as a demonstration and to show that there is no fixed "blueprint" of how a female of a certain age is supposed to look.

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

"Growing older is a gift and provided we age gracefully, that is what truly counts," she stated further.

She contended that men aren't judged by the same beauty standards, adding "nobody scrutinizes how old famous men might be - they simply look 'great'."

She said that became one of the reasons behind her participation in Miss Great Britain's category for over-45s, in order to demonstrate that women in midlife are still here" and "possess it".

Unfair Scrutiny

The author, a writer and commentator of Welsh origin, stated that while the actor is "stunning" that is "irrelevant", stating further she should be free to look as she wishes without her years facing scrutiny.

She said the social media vitriol proved no woman was "immune" and that women do not deserve the "ongoing theme" which says they are not good enough or youthful enough - an issue that is "infuriating, regardless of the person involved".

Asked if males encounter the same scrutiny, she said "absolutely not", noting women were criticized simply for having the "nerve" to live on social media while growing older.

A Double Bind

Regardless of cosmetic companies advocating for "age-defiance", she commented females are still judged if they age gracefully or chose interventions including surgical procedures or injectables.

"When a woman ages without intervention, others claim you should do more; when you have treatments, people say you failing to age well," she concluded.