Catherine Zeta-Jones is discovering the hard way that no joke is guaranteed to translate well to today’s audiences. The 55-year-old Oscar-winning actress appeared on Late Night with Seth Meyers on Thursday, Sept. 4, and regaled viewers with a tale of a youthful admirer. What was intended as a lighthearted anecdote instead triggered a torrent of online backlash.
Zeta-Jones said Meyers also brought up a “really cute 12-year-old boy” she was at the driving range with and her husband, Michael Douglas. The boy asked for autographs, and she joked:
“And then I said ‘Aha… When I’m 70, that little boy will be like 33.’”
When Meyers made fun of “doing math like that,” Zeta-Jones replied, “Yeah, he usually assumes I’m deciding which club to visit, but I’m not. I’m calculating at that moment, he’ll just be fine.”
What was intended as a joking comment on the passage of life became online content immediately.
Responses on Social Media: “Why Would She Say This?”
Clips from the interview spread near-instantly and elicited fierce responses.
One user tweeted, “There are some conversations that need to be had about pedo women.”
Another replied: “Nothing would have surprised me more than the words that came out of her mouth… Why tf would she have done that?”
Another commented, “Yes, officer, this one right here…” Others called into question the background: “Is there some sort of context to this, or is this just as weird as it does sound?”
Not everyone was attacking the outrage. Some fans came to defend the actress, citing that the comments were being pulled out of context. “Turns out she’s saying she’ll have a new gen of FANS, not that she likes little boys,” said one such defender. “God, they take EVERYTHING out of context! Shitty people.”
A Star with Staying Power
Zeta-Jones, who was married to actor Michael Douglas, 80, in 2000, is not used to evading publicity surrounding age gap marriages. The couple has children and has avoided answering questions about how they have a 25-year age gap.
Today, she plays the lovably goth Morticia Addams on Netflix megahit Wednesday, whose second season is streaming now in its entirety. Iconic on-screen presence for many fans is forever beyond reach.
The post Catherine Zeta-Jones Recalls An Encounter With A 12-Year-Old Boy: “When I’m 70, He’ll Be 33” appeared first on Where Is The Buzz | Breaking News, Entertainment, Exclusive Interviews & More.