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Females are uniting for Oscar-winning actor Zeta-Jones after she encountered criticism on social media regarding her appearance following a red carpet event.

The actor was present at a promotional function in Hollywood recently where an online segment about her character in the new series of Wednesday became dominated by comments about her looks.

A Chorus of Defence

This year's Miss Great Britain Classic winner, Laura White, labelled the negative reaction "complete nonsense", stating that "men aren't given this expiration date which women face".

"Men don't have such a timeline that women do," argued the pageant winner.

Author Sali Hughes, 50, said unlike men, women were unfairly judged for ageing and Zeta-Jones should be at liberty to look as she wishes.

Digital Backlash

Within the clip, also shared to Facebook and attracted more than 2.5m views, Zeta-Jones, originally from Swansea, talked about how much she enjoyed delving into her part, the Addams Family matriarch, in the latest season.

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

This criticism sparked widespread defence of the actor, featuring a popular post from one Facebook user which declared: "People criticize women if they undergo treatments and attack them for not having sufficient procedures."

Online users rallied in support, one stating: "This is growing older naturally and she looks beautiful."

Others described her as "beautiful" and "lovely", and one comment read that "her appearance reflects her years - that is life."

Making a Point

The winner attended at the studio recently makeup-free to "prove a point" and to highlight that there is no fixed "blueprint" of how a woman in midlife should look like.

Similar to numerous females her age, she stated she "looks after herself" not to appear younger but to feel "improved" and appear "in good health".

"Ageing is an honour and provided we do it gracefully, that is what really matters," she stated further.

She argued that males are not judged by equivalent beauty standards, noting "nobody scrutinizes the age of certain male celebrities are - they only are described as 'wonderful'."

Ms White noted it was a key factor for entering Miss Great Britain's category the classic category, to prove that midlife women continue to exist" and "retain their appeal".

A Fundamental Problem

Hughes, a journalist of Welsh origin, stated that although Zeta-Jones was "stunning" it was "beside the point", stating further she should be free to look in any way she chooses free from her years facing scrutiny.

She stated the online abuse demonstrated not a single woman is "immune" and that it is unfair for women to endure the "constant narrative" which says they are lacking or young enough - a problem that is "galling, irrespective of the person involved".

Asked if men experience identical criticism, she said "absolutely not", noting females are targeted just for having the "boldness" to be present on social media while aging.

A No-Win Situation

Regardless of cosmetic companies emphasizing "age-defiance", she commented women were still criticised whether they aged naturally or chose interventions including cosmetic surgery or injections.

"Should you grow older naturally, others claim you should do more; if you undergo treatments, people say you failing to age well," she added.