Jennifer Love Hewitt Discusses ‘Hurtful’ Ageism In Hollywood

Jennifer Love Hewitt recently discussed ageism in Hollywood, sharing how difficult it is for fans to accept that she’s getting older.

Despite public criticism, the actress embraces midlife, valuing self-acceptance and growth.

Jennifer Love Hewitt also expressed concern about the negative comments affecting her children, particularly her daughter.

In an interview with Fox News DigitalHewitt opened up about how ageism has impacted her long career in Hollywood and how she embraces the journey of self-love and aging with grace.

The 45-year-old actress shared, “I feel like fans pick this age that they like that they think represents you, and you’re never supposed to grow past that. For It was like me and my 20s. People seem to have a hard time accepting that I don’t look like that anymore.”

She continued: “It’s hard because I think as humans we want to evolve… we want to have wrinkles on our faces, and you know, our breasts are lower because of the breastfeeding our children, or you know, our butts are bigger.”

“No matter what, you just want to have the freedom to be who you are at this age. And it’s hurtful sometimes when people reject you like you do verbally on Instagram or the internet because they have having a hard time adjusting to it,” Hewitt added.

Hewitt, who shares children Autumn, 11, Atticus, 9, and Aidan, 3, with her husband, Brian Hallisay, has expressed concerns about how the negative comments are affecting her children.

“I have a daughter, I’m sensitive to it because I don’t want my kids to read these things and feel that way…or worry that it’s going to hurt me…it’s hard to do that sometimes,” she said. explain.

However, despite public reaction to her aging, Hewitt shared that she is at peace with her situation in life.

“Age is age,” she noted. “I think women are really getting into this… the self-acceptance and comfort in midlife is beautiful. I love being in my 40s. I really do.”

During the conversation with Fox News DigitalHewitt shared the advice she would offer her younger self.

“I was always worried,” she said. “I was just always worried…I was having so much fun at work, and [thought] It was going to be my last one or this… people were going to kick me out of Hollywood and not let me act anymore.”

She acknowledged that despite these concerns, she had a good time and was present in the moment.

“But I wasted a lot of time worrying,” Hewitt continued before adding, “And I think I would just tell him, ‘Look, it’s going to work. You’re going to start getting older, and they’ll will always let you do things…it’s okay, you’re okay.

In 2023, Hewitt responded to critics who called her “unrecognizable” after sharing a makeup-free photo with a filter on Instagram. Many commenters noted that she looked different.

“The photo ended up somewhere. And a lot of people were like, ‘Jennifer Love Hewitt is unrecognizable,'” the actress recalled on the “Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum” podcast.

The actress continued, “She’s unrecognizable and so she opted for filters because she doesn’t want us to know how bad she looks now that she’s in her 40s.” And I was like, “This is crazy. ” RIGHT?”

Hewitt joked: “I was a beauty”, but admitted she lacked self-confidence at 23, 24 and 25.

“I felt like I was being watched. I felt like I had to be everything to everyone all the time,” the actress explained, according to the New York Post. “I was called sexy before I even knew what being sexy was. I was 17 on the cover of Maxim and I didn’t know why.”

Hewitt’s career took off when she was young. She started on “Kids Incorporated” before landing her role as Sarah Reeves on “Party of Five” at age 16.

She became a household name after starring in the 1997 slasher film “I Know What You Did Last Summer” and its sequel.

In addition to a successful television career, which includes roles in “Ghost Whisperer” and “The Client List,” Hewitt has also released four studio albums.