Jennifer Love Hewitt has opened up about the unrealistic expectations that accompany growing up in the glamorous yet unforgiving world of showbiz. "I often feel that fans latch onto a specific image of you at a certain age, one they cherish and perceive as your essence, and they struggle to accept any deviation from that," Hewitt, now 45, shared with Fox News Digital, echoing a sentiment she once heard Taylor Swift articulate in her documentary. "For instance, during my 20s, I was that 'it' girl. People find it incredibly challenging to embrace the fact that I've evolved, that my appearance has changed," she added thoughtfully.
Best remembered for her leading roles in the thrilling 'I Know What You Did Last Summer' franchise of the late '90s and romantic comedies like 'Heartbreakers' in the early 2000s, Hewitt holds a philosophical stance on aging. "I'm embracing it. Age is simply a state of being," she mused. "I believe women in their 40s reach a beautiful stage of self-acceptance and comfort with who they are. It's a wondrous transformation."
"More than anything, one craves the liberty to be their authentic selves, regardless of the number attached to their years," she continued candidly.
In a December 2023 episode of the 'Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum' podcast, Hewitt addressed accusations that she was concealing her true appearance after posting a filtered selfie. "People were saying, 'Jennifer Love Hewitt is unrecognizable. She must be using filters to hide how she's aged in her 40s,'" she recounted to host Michael Rosenbaum, expressing astonishment at the criticism. "Isn't that insane?"
Hewitt stands among a chorus of female actors speaking out against ageism in Hollywood. Earlier in March, Kirsten Dunst revealed to Marie Claire that she took a two-year acting hiatus due to being typecast and offered only roles as a "sad mom." In September, Kathy Bates told Variety that her longevity in the industry was partly due to not conforming to societal beauty norms. "I sometimes find it ironic when I see former beauty queens struggling to find work because of ageism, while I've continued to thrive, perhaps because I don't fit that mold," she remarked with a hint of irony.
However, ageism is not exclusive to Hollywood; it permeates other professional realms as well. A June 2023 Harvard Business Review study of 913 women revealed that female leaders encounter workplace age discrimination across all age brackets. According to a 2020 report by AARP (formerly American Association of Retired Persons) and the Economist Intelligence Unit, discrimination against older workers cost the U.S. economy an estimated $850 billion in GDP in 2018.
A representative for Hewitt did not respond promptly to a request for comment from Business Insider, received outside regular business hours.
