Apparently, ageing happens to everyone, even celebrities, and its most recent ‘victim’ is Bridget Jones star Renée Zellweger.

After her appearance at the Elle Women in Hollywood Awards, the disbelief which burst over the internet confounded me.

Critics raged that she did not look like the fresh faced beauty of thirteen years ago.

Is this really surprising considering she is now a forty-five year old woman and has gone through a lot since she graced our screens as Bridget?

Rather than celebrating her recovery from an eating disorder, the public accused her of having undergone plastic surgery and looking unrecognisable.

The double-edged sword of celebrity culture has struck again; criticism for accepting age, condemnation for wanting to look younger due to the unattainable standards of the media.

The actress Julia Roberts has also spoken out to You magazine over the importance of aesthetics in the industry.

She said: “By Hollywood standards, I guess I’ve already taken a big risk in not having had a facelift.”

It’s a terrible shame that well known people who are excellent in their work are judged solely for the way they look.

Renée has rightly put the rumours to rest in People magazine.

Commenting on her appearance change she said: “People don’t know me in my 40s… perhaps I look different. Who doesn’t as they get older?”

She has also expressed her joy at living a healthier lifestyle. She added: “I’m glad folks think I look different! I’m living a different, happy, more fulfilling life, and I’m thrilled that perhaps it shows.”

If the focus must be on her personal life at all, it should be on her newfound happiness and not that she (unsurprisingly) looks different from when she was thirty two.

I think it’s outrageous that at an awards ceremony that celebrates the work of women, the focus was on Renée’s ‘new’ face, instead of more pressing matters such as the achievements of some of the most inspiring and influential women in Hollywood today.

Should we expect a further backlash when the third Bridget Jones movie is produced? Critics may argue that Renée’s new look may not be true to the Bridget Jones character.

I personally think she looks happy and enjoying her new sense of self, with or without the media’s approval.

Hannah Kane

October 31, 2021

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