Jennifer Love Hewitt recently discussed ageism in Hollywood, sharing how it's hard for fans to accept that she's getting older.

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

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

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

The 45-year-old actress shared: "I feel like fans pick this age that they love and think represents you, and you should never grow beyond that. For me, it was like me and my 20s. People seem to find it really hard to accept that I don't look like that anymore."

She continued, "It's hard because I think as humans, we want to evolve... we want to have wrinkles on our faces, and you know, our breasts to be lower from nursing our children, or you know, our bums to be bigger."

"Whatever it is, you just want to have the freedom to be whoever you are at that age. And sometimes it's hurtful when people reject you verbally when you're on Instagram or online 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 Hallisay, 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 those things and feel that way...or worry that I'm going to be hurt because of it...it's hard to do sometimes," she explained.

However, despite the public reaction to her aging, Hewitt said she is at peace with what she has in life.

"Old age is old age," she remarked. "I think women are really coming into this... accepting yourself and being comfortable in your 40s, that's beautiful. I love being in my 40s. I really do."

During the conversation with Fox News DigitalHewitt shared the advice she would offer her younger self.

"I was always worried," she said. "I was always worried ... I was having so much fun at work and (thought) it 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 worries, she was having a great time and being present in the moment.

"But I wasted a lot of time worrying," Hewitt continued, before adding, "And I think I'd just tell her, like, 'Look, it'll work. You're going to get old, and they'll still let you 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 commentators have noted that it looks different.

"The picture ended somewhere. And a bunch of people said, '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 went for filters because she doesn't want us to know how bad she looks now in her 40s." And I said, 'This is crazy.' right?"

Hewitt joked: "I was pretty," but admitted she didn't feel confident at 23, 24 and 25.

"I felt watched. I felt like I had to be everything to everyone all the time," the actress shared, reports New York Post. "I was called sexy before I even knew what it was to be sexy. I was 17 on the cover of Maxim, and I had no idea why."

Hewitt's career took off when she was young. She got her start in "Kids Incorporated" before getting her breakthrough role as Sarah Reeves in "Party of Five" at the age of 16.

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

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