Jennifer Love Hewitt discusses the 'harmful' age in Hollywood

Jennifer Miles Hewitt recently discussed ageism in Hollywood, sharing how hard it is for fans to accept her aging.

Despite public criticism, the actress embraces her 40s by appreciating self-acceptance and evolution.

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

In an interview with Fox News DigitalHewitt discussed how age has affected her long career in Hollywood and how she gracefully embraces the journey of self-love and aging.

The 45-year-old actress shared: “I feel like fans pick this age that they like and that they think represents you and you should never grow out of that. It was like me and my 20s. People think I'm really hard accept that I don't look like that anymore.”

She continued: “It's hard because I think as humans we want to develop… we want to have creases in our face and, you know, our breasts are lower because we're breastfeeding, or our bottoms are bigger. “

“Whatever it is, you just want to be free to be who you are at that age. And sometimes it hurts when people reject you because you're verbally on Instagram or on the Internet because it's hard for them to adjust to that,” Hewitt added.

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

“I have a daughter, I'm sensitive about it because I don't want my kids to read these things and feel that way … or worry about me being hurt by it … sometimes it's hard to do that,” she explained.

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

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

While chatting with Fox News DigitalHewitt shared the advice she would offer her younger self.

“I was always nervous,” she said. “I was just always worried … I was having so much fun at work and (thinking) this was going to be my last or that … people were going to kick me out of Hollywood and not let me act anymore.”

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

“But I wasted a lot of time worrying,” Hewitt continued, before adding, “And I thought I'd just tell her, like, 'See, it's going to work.' You will start to age and they will. I'll still let you do things… it's okay.”

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

“The picture went 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 that's why she's gone for filters because she doesn't want us to know how bad she actually looks now in her 40s.” And I was like, “That's crazy.” Isn't it?”

Hewitt joked, “I was good-looking,” but admitted to not feeling confident at 23, 24, and 25.

“I felt watched. I thought I had to be everything all the time,” says the actress. New York Post. “I was called sexy before I knew what it was to be sexy. I was 17 on the cover of Maxim and I had no idea why.”

Hewitt's career began when she was young. She started on Kids Incorporated before landing her starring role as Sarah Reeves on Party of Five at the age of 16.

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

In addition to a successful television career that includes roles on Ghost Whisperer and The Client List, Hewitt has released four studio albums.