Reese Witherspoon: 'Remarks about Zellweger's face were cruel and rude'

Reese Witherspoon has attacked the media critics who poked fun at pal Renee Zellweger's new look, insisting the reporting was "cruel and rude".

The actress was appalled by the remarks made about the Cold Mountain star's fresh-faced appearance at Elle magazine's 21st annual Women In Hollywood Awards ceremony last month (Oct14), and she thinks the journalists who insisted Zellweger had undergone major surgery should be ashamed of themselves.

Witherspoon tells The Hollywood Reporter, "It's horrible. It's cruel and rude and disrespectful, and I can go on and on and on. It bothers me immensely.

"Why do they have to tear women down? And why do we have to tear other women down to build another woman up? It drives me crazy. Like, this one looks great without her makeup but that one doesn't look good without her makeup, and it's all just a judgment and assault.

"Men are prey to it as well. I just don't think it's with the same sort of ferocity."