Gwyneth Paltrow is pushing back against the “double standard” that celebrates men but devalues women as they age.
In a new interview with British Vogue, the Goop founder made it clear that she welcomes growing older, while reflecting on the “weird” cultural expectation that women should resist aging.
“I think it’s culture’s problem. It’s not ours,” said the Oscar winner, who noted how women are judged more harshly for getting older than men.
“As women, we want to be healthy, we want to be [aging]. This idea that we’re supposed to be frozen in time is so weird.”
The wellness guru gave credit to stars who are “embracing” growing older, like Andie MacDowell, who stopped colouring her hair after the Covid-19 pandemic began.
“I love it when I hear somebody like Andie MacDowell, with her beautiful grey curls, talking about embracing aging and the difference between how we handle a George Clooney [versus an aging female star],” Gwyneth said.
She added: “It’s handsome to go grey [as a man], but for women it’s like, ‘What do you plan to do about your wrinkles and your aging skin?’”
The Marvel actor, who said she enjoys seeing “examples of how you can age,” encouraged women to age “how they want to do it”.
“Some women want to address every single thing aesthetically, and some women want to be a fabulous French grandmother who doesn’t ever do anything. Everybody should be empowered to do it how they want to,” she declared.
Gwyneth isn’t the only star to call out sexist double standards.
Just last week, actor Gabrielle Union slammed ageist internet trolls who criticised her for being “too old” to wear a thong bikini at age 50.
In September 2022, Gwyneth, whose Goop brand produces several anti-aging products, admitted that she’d made peace with her wrinkles.
“I accept. I accept the marks and the loosening skin, the wrinkles. I accept my body and let go of the need to be perfect, look perfect, defy gravity, defy logic, defy humanity. I accept my humanity,” Gwyneth said in a self-published essay on Goop’s website.