Ashley Judd slams 'misogynistic savages' for criticizing her 'puffy' face in Elizabeth Warren's campaign video
Ashley Judd recently appeared in an Elizabeth Warren campaign video in support of the presidential candidate, but since a certain section of social media can't look at anything beyond physical appearance, the actress had to shut down the 'misogynistic savages' who mocked her 'puffy' face with accusations of her overdoing the Botox thing when the video came out on Tuesday, February 11.
The 51-year-old actress took to a Facebook essay to slam 'the patriarchy and all who participate in it' in an attempt to explain that her weight gain has been due to cutting down on exercises, which was medically advised as she has been suffering from 'siege migraines' for over four months now, resulting in her opting for Botox as an alternative. The Warren campaign video was released on Tuesday and in the video, Judd called donors to speak louder about Warren's politics. But the 'Kiss the Girls' star was immediately criticized over her physical appearance on Twitter, with most users claiming she was once 'beautiful' but is now 'puffy'.
"What has the once beautiful Ashley Judd done to herself? Good lord, she’s puffy!" one user tweeted, while another said, "I've heard of plastic surgery, but this puffy-rubber surgery is a new one to me. Yikes." A third added: "What the actual f--k happened to Ashley Judd's face." Even 'Superman' actor Dean Cain retweeted the video writing, "I’m not exactly sure what to say here ... I certainly have nothing positive to say, so I’ll be quiet."
While Cain received backlash for his statement separately, Judd also took to social media to address the debacle via a Facebook essay where she noted "Some of my reflections concerning the misogynistic hullabaloo that has recently swirled around me." Judd labels the hateful messages as a "gendered way to distract from my political speech," further continuing to discuss the reason behind her changed appearance. "What I know is that I have been sick with siege migraines for over a year, and that migraine affects one in four households in the US. It's the third most common disease in the world, she wrote, before going fully open and adding that she uses 31 injections of Botox every twelve weeks for the same.
"Have I had botox? It is a standard treatment for the ailment that I experience. My union insurance pays for thirty-one injections every twelve weeks. Earlier this year, my neurologist pain specialist banned me from anything but mild walking exercise. My last siege migraine lasted a grueling four and a half months. Along with medication, and the inevitable laziness that gathers around forced inertia, I have experienced some un-fun weight gain," she continued. This isn't the first time Judd has been the victim of body-shamers on social media; she has actively spoken out about them too, noting that both men and women participate in the patriarchy that complains about women not fitting into mainstream notions or standards of beauty.
Calling out the act, she stated how 'the misogynistic savages of both sexes have come out' to engage in 'woman bashing'. "What I know is that misogynists on Twitter have been slaughtering me compared to my pre-weight gain idealized self. My conventionally thin, athletic, "pretty" AcroYoga body, and more slender face, is merely the flip side of the same patriarchal coin," she continued. "Those of you who are talking about my female appearance, making assessments about my worth and desirability are basing your opinions on wholly gendered norms. The good news for my empowered self is I don't take compliments any more seriously than I do slurs."
Judd's ordeal resonated among other users of prescription steroids who took to social media to share their own inspiring stories along with photos of looking more swollen to join her in her statement. Along with her name, the most common prescription steroid 'prednisone' began to trend on Twitter as well as more and more people tweeted in support of Judd. "Ashley I’m no fan of @ewarren or the Democrat party but I just want you to know you’re beautiful. My son is on prednisone for autoimmune hepatitis and he had the same side effects. It’s temporary and those saying negative things are complete scum,' a user shared.
Another added: "So, disappointingly, #Prednisone is trending b/c people are making sh*tty comments about Ashley Judd's appearance. I know that prednisone can certainly cause swelling but I honestly don't even see it on Ashley Judd. Her face looks better than mine on my best day, by far." A third one wrote: "Everybody mocking Ashley Judd right now is ableist trash... People like you are the reason why everyone felt comfortable bullying me as a disabled kid who regularly took #prednisone to keep my chronic illness at bay,' offered one steroid user.