Jennifer Love Hewitt Opens Up About Ageism in Hollywood
At 44, actress Jennifer Love Hewitt is bravely speaking out about the harsh realities of aging in the entertainment world. During a heartfelt conversation on the Inside of You podcast with Michael Rosenbaum, she shared the relentless scrutiny she facesâno matter what she does, critics always have something to say.
Makeup-Free Selfie Sparks Social Media Storm
Recently, Hewitt posted a natural, makeup-free selfie to reveal her new darker hairstyle, using a light filter simply to brighten the salon lighting. But the internetâs reaction was swift and harshâmany called her âunrecognizableâ and accused her of hiding behind filters.
âI had just gotten my hair done and wasnât wearing any makeup,â Jennifer explained. âI only used a simple filter because the lighting wasnât great. Honestly, I didnât think twice about it.â
Jennifer Love Hewitt Fires Back with Humor
Instead of letting the criticism get her down, Hewitt took a playful approachâposting a series of wildly exaggerated, heavily filtered selfies with the cheeky caption, âAll natural, no filter.â Her tongue-in-cheek response was meant to poke fun at the backlash, but, unsurprisingly, the negative comments kept rolling in.
âThen they came after me for that,â she joked. âPeople said, âNow sheâs just trying to defend herself.â Thatâs when I realized: no matter what I do, someoneâs going to have an issue with it.â
The Emotional Toll Behind the Laughs
When asked why negative comments still get to her, Jennifer was refreshingly honest. âBecause pretending they donât bother me would be a lie.â
Yet, she also expressed gratitude for the overwhelming support. âMost people are really kind,â she shared. âTheyâve grown up with me, and theyâre going through the same aging process. That means a lot.â
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Jennifer Love Hewittâs Concern for the Next Generation
Jennifer opened up about the damaging effects of societyâs unrealistic beauty standardsâespecially on young girls like her 10-year-old daughter, Autumn. âItâs hurtful to tell women they have to look 22 forever,â she said. âPeople just donât know how to process aging, and that message can be really damaging.â
Embracing Her True Self
Reflecting on her own journey, Hewitt confidently declared, âIâm 44, and this is what I look like.â Despite being seen as a sex symbol early on, she revealed that her younger self wasnât always confident. âAt 23, 24, 25, I didnât feel self-assured,â she admitted. âI felt like I was constantly under a microscope, always trying to live up to expectations.â
Today, Jennifer is embracing her age and choosing to move forwardâon her own terms.