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Fans and detractors alike seem to be asking the same question:
Is Olivia Wilde okay?
A recent video — alongside other recent glimpses at the actress — has people mixing body-shaming, concern trolling, and old-fashioned worry.
Other fans are rushing to her defense, saying that she’s doing just fine.
Is she okay?
In late April, Wilde stopped to chat with SFGate for quick red carpet interview.
The 42-year-old actor and director was there for the San Fransisco International Film Festival.
Specifically, she was promoting The Invite, her newest film.
Unfortunately, much of the focus on social media had nothing to do with her creative works.
Instead, the attention fell upon her appearance.
To say that she looked “slimmer than usual” would arguably be to miss the point of much of the discussion.
Wilde has always been a strikingly beautiful actress.
While that is still the case, her facial features appear to be both exaggerated and, some argue, sunken.
Her famously prominent cheekbones stand out even more than usual, which is saying a lot.
Is she sick? Is this the result of some sort of ill-advised cosmetic change? Or are people being concern-trolls just to give a famous woman a hard time?
Fans don’t agree on what’s going on
When a flurry of commenters across social media criticized or expressed worry about Wilde’s appearance, some took that as an insult.
A number of fans have expressed the belief that lighting, angles, and unflattering lighting were at play.
(That actually seems likely.)
Others have pointed out that Wilde’s other recent appearances — including photos that she herself has shared to social media — display similar features.
(We cannot dispute that, either.)
Ultimately, we do not know if this is natural aging, illness, or something else.
We do know that online discourse is almost never careful.
Yes, every now and then, a celebrity will admit that social media feedback got them to see a dermatologist about an urgent issue, or helped them to kick a bad habit.
The vast majority of the time, it looks and sounds like body-shaming — no matter the intention. The comments do not help, and could even cause someone to double down.
As a society, we need to feel less entitled to “worry” about someone’s looks. If Wilde is getting this kind of chatter, what chances to the rest of us have?