Jennifer Love Hewitt made headlines this week after photos surfaced online showing the 44-year-old actress looking nearly unrecognizable with a dramatic new hairstyle. The photos prompted extensive discussion, with some fans claiming Hewitt was unrecognizable while others argued she was being unfairly judged for aging naturally. Hewitt herself has now spoken out about the experience.
Hewitt Shares Struggles With Aging In Hollywood
In an interview with ET Online, Hewitt opened up about the difficulties of aging as an actress in Hollywood. “Aging is really hard in Hollywood,” she said. “It just is.”
Hewitt recounted feeling hurt after seeing comments that she was “unrecognizable” in recent photos. “Especially on social media and all that stuff…It’s just hard. You want to look like yourself still, you know?” she told ET.
The actress acknowledged using filters on photos but said they’re not meant to intentionally mislead. “I think all of us, we like do the best we can.”
Still, Hewitt admitted feeling self-conscious after the incident: “Even this morning, I was like, ‘Wow, I just feel really bad about myself, like I did something wrong by aging.'”
Backlash Highlights Unrealistic Beauty Standards
Multiple outlets have noted that the backlash Hewitt received highlights the intense scrutiny female stars face as they age.
On social media, fans rallied around the actress with messages of support:
Jennifer Love Hewitt looks beautiful in her recent pictures. She’s aging gracefully despite the intense ageism and misogyny in Hollywood. More power to her!
— Feminists United (@FeministsUnited) December 19, 2023
Many argued that Hewitt looks great for 44 and doesn’t deserve criticism:
Leave Jennifer Love Hewitt alone! She looks amazing and natural for 44. Stop pushing unrealistic beauty standards on women as they age.
— Jessica Williams (@JessWil14) December 19, 2023
Hewitt Pushes Back On Ageism
In her ET interview, Hewitt made it clear she won’t tolerate ageism or unrealistic beauty standards.
“You just can’t win in Hollywood as a woman…You get older, you don’t look like yourself anymore, people say things,” she said. “…It’s just hard. You want to look like yourself still, you know?”
Hewitt also called out those criticizing her appearance: “All of us are getting older every second. So let’s just enjoy the journey and stop judging so hard.”
Her refreshing candor has been met with widespread praise, with fans and celebrities applauding her message. Fellow actress Kristin Chenoweth tweeted:
“You just can’t win in Hollywood as a woman…You get older, you don’t look like yourself anymore, people say things”
Jennifer Love Hewitt is right and she looks beautiful! Let’s lift each other up #AgingIsBeautiful
— Kristin Chenoweth (@KChenoweth) December 19, 2023
What’s Next For Hewitt?
At 44, Hewitt remains a popular and well-respected actress. She currently stars as Maddie Buckley on the hit Fox drama “9-1-1,” which is now in its seventh season.
According to IMDb, Hewitt also has multiple film projects in development, including the adventure movie “Mystic Quest” and fantasy rom-com “Once Upon a Song.” She continues oversight of her lifestyle company Lovescape.
While Hewitt has acknowledged struggling with aging scrutiny, she shows no signs of slowing down her career. If this week is any indication, she’ll continue speaking out about important issues like ageism and unrealistic beauty standards.
Fans can likely expect more openness and honesty from Hewitt when it comes to her experience in Hollywood. As she told ET: “Even on the days where we don’t like ourselves, we should just give ourselves a break.”
Conclusion
Jennifer Love Hewitt’s candid comments about aging as an actress come during increased scrutiny about representation, diversity and inclusion in Hollywood. Her remarks prompted largely positive reactions from fans and celebrities supporting her message. Moving forward, Hewitt seems poised to leverage the experience and her platform to call out issues like ageism and unrealistic beauty standards for women. With high-profile roles on popular TV shows plus multiple film projects in the works, fans will continue seeing Hewitt on their screens for years to come.
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