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Females are uniting in defence of Oscar-winning actor Catherine Zeta-Jones after she encountered scrutiny across platforms over her looks during a high-profile appearance.

She appeared at an industry gathering in Los Angeles last month during which an online segment discussing her part in the latest Wednesday was overshadowed because of discussion concerning her age.

A Chorus of Defence

This year's Miss Great Britain Classic winner, Laura White, described the online criticism "absolute rubbish", stating that "males escape such a timeline imposed on women".

"Men don't have such a timeline that women do," said Laura White.

Beauty journalist Sali Hughes, 50, said differently from men, women were unfairly judged as they age and Zeta-Jones should be free to appear in any way she chooses.

The Social Media Storm

During the interview, which was also posted on Facebook and attracted more than 2.5m views, the actor, who is from Swansea, discussed how much she enjoyed exploring her character, the Addams Family matriarch, in the new episodes.

Yet a large portion of the hundreds of comments focused on her age and were negative regarding her appearance.

The online backlash ignited widespread defence of the actor, featuring a popular post online which declared: "You bully women if they undergo cosmetic procedures and criticize them if they avoid sufficient procedures."

Others also came to her defence, one stating: "This is aging naturally and she is stunning."

Some called her as "gorgeous" and "so pretty", with another adding that "she looks her age - that is the natural process."

Challenging Perceptions

The winner attended for her interview recently without any makeup to make a statement and to highlight the absence of a "mold" of how a female in her 50s should look like.

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

"Ageing is a privilege and when we age as well as possible, this is what is important," she added.

She contended that males are not judged by identical appearance ideals, adding "people don't ask how old certain male celebrities are - they simply look 'great'."

She said that became a key factor behind her participation in the competition for over-45s, to "show that females of a certain age are still here" and "still have it".

Unfair Scrutiny

Hughes, a journalist of Welsh origin, commented that although Zeta-Jones was "beautiful" that is "irrelevant", noting she deserves to be at liberty to appear in any way she chooses without her age facing scrutiny.

She stated the online abuse proved that no female is "immune" and that it is unfair for women to endure the "constant narrative" which says they are lacking or of the right age - a problem that is "maddening, no matter the individual targeted".

Questioned on whether males encounter identical criticism, she answered "not at all", adding females are criticized merely for demonstrating the "nerve" to exist on social media while growing older.

A No-Win Situation

Even with the wellness sector promoting "age-defiance", the author stated females are still face criticism if they age gracefully or chose interventions such as plastic surgery or fillers.

"When a woman ages gracefully, others claim you should do more; when you have work done, people say you not aging gracefully enough," she added.