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Females are uniting in defence of Oscar-winning actor Zeta-Jones after she encountered criticism on social media over her looks following a industry function.

She appeared at a Netflix event in Los Angeles last month where a TikTok interview about her role in the latest Wednesday became dominated due to comments focusing on her age.

A Chorus of Defence

Laura White, 58, labelled the online criticism "complete nonsense", adding that "males escape this sell-by/use-by date imposed on women".

"Men don't have this sell-by/use-by date which women face," stated the pageant winner.

Writer and commentator aged 50, Sali Hughes, stated unlike men, women were criticized for ageing and the actor deserves to be able to appear however she liked.

Digital Backlash

In the video, also shared to Facebook and had more than 2.5m views, Zeta-Jones, hailing from Mumbles, Swansea, talked about how much she enjoyed portraying her part, the Addams Family matriarch, in the latest season.

Yet a large portion of the hundreds of comments focused on her age and were critical towards her looks.

This criticism ignited widespread defence of the actor, including a widely-shared clip from one Facebook user which said: "People criticize females if they undergo treatments and attack them for not having enough work."

Commenters also rallied in support, with one writing: "She is aging naturally and she appears stunning."

Some called her as "stunning" and "very attractive", and one comment read that "her appearance reflects her years - that is reality."

Making a Point

The winner attended at the studio earlier with a bare face to make a statement and to demonstrate that there is no fixed "blueprint" of how a female in midlife should look like.

As with others her age, she stated she "maintains her wellbeing" not to appear younger but so she feels "well" and appear "vibrant".

"Ageing is a privilege and if we can live as well as possible, this is what is important," she continued.

Ms White stated that males are not held to identical beauty standards, noting "people don't ask the age of certain male celebrities might be - they just appear 'great'."

She said that became part of the motivation behind her participation in the competition the classic category, to "show that midlife women are still here" and "retain their appeal".

Unfair Scrutiny

The author, a writer and commentator of Welsh origin, said that although Zeta-Jones was "stunning" this is "not the point", adding she should be at liberty to look as she wishes without her age facing scrutiny.

She stated the social media vitriol proved not a single woman is "exempt" and that females should not face the "perpetual story" which says they are insufficient or youthful enough - a problem that is "galling, regardless of the person involved".

Questioned on whether men experience identical criticism, she answered "absolutely not", adding females are criticized simply for demonstrating the "boldness" to be present on the internet while aging.

A No-Win Situation

Regardless of the beauty industry promoting "youthful longevity", she commented females are still judged if they age gracefully or chose interventions like cosmetic surgery or injections.

"If you age naturally, people say you should do more; if you undergo treatments, you are criticized for not aging gracefully enough," she concluded.