Actress Jennifer Love Hewitt, 45, recently shared that she’s feeling hurt by Hollywood’s obsession with youth as she ages, but she remains optimistic.
Some of her followers on social media accused her of having a facelift to cope with aging.
For example, a user wrote: “Is this really you. Look so different.”
A fan posted: “I love the face lift but it wasn’t necessary—you’re still so gorgeous and talented.”
Another said, “Who did her facelift, eyes, nose, mouth and chin, too!”
Still, Hewitt maintains a positive attitude.
“Age is age,“ she said. ”I think women really come into this acceptance of themselves and comfortability in their 40s. That is beautiful.
“The times that it’s hard for me though … I feel like fans pick … this age that they love that they think represents you, and you’re never supposed to grow beyond that.”
Social media followers who age-shame celebrities are likely fans who can’t accept inevitable change, according to Chris Hite, a professor at Allan Hancock College in Santa Maria, California, who teaches courses about world cinema history, screenwriting, production, American films, and the Hollywood system.
“It means they aren’t fans of Jennifer’s as a person,” Hite told The Epoch Times on Dec. 26. “They are fans of a fictitious character that she played, which they might associate with a meaningful period of their lives or look to as a part of their personal identity.”
Hewitt rose to international fame after starring in box office hits in her teens, such as “I Know What You Did Last Summer,“ ”I Still Know What You Did Last Summer,“ “Party of Five,” and “Ghost Whisperer” when she was in her 20s.
The actress recently starred in her first Christmas movie, “The Holiday Junkie,” with her husband, Brian Hallisay, 46, who is also an actor.
Released on Lifetime on Dec. 14, “The Holiday Junkie” is about a business owner trying to find love while navigating her first Christmas alone after losing her mother. It’s Hewitt’s directorial debut.
After marrying in 2013, Hewitt has three kids with Hallisay, who is known for roles in the CW Network series “Privileged,” the Lifetime drama “The Client List,” and the ABC-TV series “Revenge.”
While male actors like Hewitt’s husband are often praised for aging gracefully, actresses may feel as if they are being pushed aside, according to Dr. Michael Kane, who specializes in family medicine and psychiatry and is the chief medical officer at the Indiana Center for Recovery in Indiana.
“For someone like Jennifer, who’s been in the spotlight since her youth, this shift can feel like losing a piece of her identity,” Kane told The Epoch Times on Dec. 26. “On the bright side, aging can bring opportunities to take on more meaningful and layered roles that reflect life experience.
“Aging isn’t the end of the story; it’s simply the next chapter.”
Hewitt previously discussed her frustration with the aging process on the podcast “Inside of You” hosted by actor, comedian, and writer Michael Rosenbaum.
“Aging in Hollywood is really hard,” Hewitt said. “It’s really hard because you can’t do anything right.”
Given the instances in which famous actors and actresses have died young, being an aging working actor is viewed as a privilege by some.
“Many would kill to be actors having the problem of getting old working in the film and television industry,” actor and director Scott Hamm Duenas told The Epoch Times on Dec. 26.
“The great thing about film and TV is that there will always be a need to cast men and women of all ages, just maybe not roles that call for sexy underwear scenes and high-flying martial arts choreography.”
Hewitt did not respond to requests for comment by publication time.
“The confidence that comes with age and experience allows veteran actors to deal with the challenges of Hollywood in a more relaxed manner and accept their journey and how they define success in it,” Steve Carleton, licensed clinical social worker at Porch Light Health, told The Epoch Times on Dec. 26.
