The internet is once again reminding people that women in their 30s aren’t elderly after a news outlet praised Hilary Duff for “still looking great” at 35 years old.
On Tuesday (6 December), popular online news outlet Daily Loud faced backlash on Twitter when they posted images of the Disney Channel alum with the caption, “Hillary Duff still looking great at age 35”.
The pictures, which were taken from Duff’s photoshoot for Women’s Health Australia’s January 2023 cover story, shows the smiling How I Met Your Father star posing in a royal blue bodysuit with her hands behind her head.
In another snap, Duff tilts her head towards the camera as she puts on a subtle expression. The mother of three is dressed in a similar blue bralette, with pieces of her slicked-back hair falling in front of her face.
Daily Loud’s tweet received more than 7,000 quote tweets and over 3,000 responses. The tweet prompted many users to call out the unfair beauty standards and expectations of women – let alone women over the age of 25.
“How old do you think 35 is?” one person tweeted in response.
“Maybe because 35 is still young…???” said someone else.
“for the love of christ, 35 is not 80,” a third person wrote.
“Is 35 supposed to be old?” one user asked, while another person said: “Can someone please explain to me, when and why was it decided that your 30s are somehow considered old?”
Others took the opportunity to comment on how the media praises younger women, while women who are older are often overlooked due to ageism. Some of Hollywood’s most famous actresses have since spoken out against this trend, such as Nicole Kidman, Meryl Streep, and Melanie Lynskey.
“the way we talk about women over the age of 30 is really gross,” one user replied.
“What a deeply upsetting world we live in,” said another.
Of course, many people also took the moment to crack jokes about how society treats women as they age, writing, “breaking news: hot woman looks hot at an age when women look hot. more on this story as it develops”.
Comedian Caleb Hearon tweeted: “a woman aged thirty five years should be horrendous to behold or frankly even dead. doctors can’t explain how this woman is not only alive but also out of the house.
“Usually when a woman turns 35 she is banished to the woods so people don’t have to look at her,” another person said. “But she isn’t even covered in spider webs or anything. Incredible.
Despite the backlash, Hilary Duff is still speaking up about body image in Hollywood. In a recent interview for Women’s Health’s “Body Issue”, the former child star revealed that she sometimes felt pressured to look a certain way as a woman in the entertainment industry.
“Because of my career path, I can’t help but be like, ‘I am on camera and actresses are skinny,’” she said, before adding that she struggled with a year-long “horrifying” eating disorder at the age of 17.
However, the Lizzie McGuire star expressed that she’s now in “a place” where she’s proud of her body and everything it has given her, including her three children. Duff shares her 10-year-old son, Luca, with her ex-husband Mike Comrie, and she shares two daughters, Banks, three, and Mae, one, with her current husband Matthew Koma.
“I’m proud of my body,” she said. “I’m proud that it’s produced three children for me. I’ve gotten to a place of being peaceful with the changes my body has gone through.”
