Already have an account?
Get back to the
Entertainment

Kate Beckinsale Dishes on the Double Standard of Dating Younger Men

The actress also shares some hilariously refreshing marriage advice.

Tags:

On top of being one of the most gorgeous actresses in the industry, you can count on Kate Beckinsale to be upfront and honest about her life. That’s why it comes as no surprise to hear she recently opened up about the double-standard she’s faced for dating younger men. 

You’ve probably seen Beckinsale, 46, featured in headlines over the past few years, all focused on the men in her life. She’s been linked to comedian Pete Davidson, 26, and is currently reportedly dating musician Goody Grace, 22. In all cases, she’s had to deal with backlash on social media, most notably in the comments of her Instagram page

“If everyone’s s***ting on you, it can make you feel kind of ‘ugh’ for a minute — especially if there’s really nothing wrong,” she explained to Women’s Health. “Living one’s life in a reasonably respectful manner shouldn’t invite anyone to get too excited.” 

Even if she’s not being photographed with one of her beaus, Beckinsale has been chastised for just getting out and having a good time. “It can feel like a little bit of a political act to be a woman over 32 who’s having any fun at all,” she said. “And by that, I don’t mean doing drugs and drinking and partying — because I never am — but being goofy, going out, and not going, ‘Oh my god, I’m going to sit home and anticipate menopause while crocheting.’ Unless you’re doing that, it somehow seems to be risqué, which is just ridiculous to me.” 

Beckinsale makes a good point, especially when she compares the level of criticism she receives to that of her male counterparts. “I witness men constantly doing whatever they like,” she observed. “Whether that’s in relationships, or deciding to buy a motorbike, or getting a tattoo. It hasn’t been interpreted as ‘Why hasn’t he had more children?’ or ‘Is he ever going to decide to become a parent? or ‘Why has he had so many girlfriends?’” 

It’s hard to argue with her. In fact, we bet you can think of at least 10 male celebrities right off the top of your head who have dated younger women and gone out partying well into their golden years without most people so much as blinking an eye! 

We’re glad to know Beckinsale isn’t letting anyone’s opinions of her change the way she chooses to live her life — and hope that it inspires more women to feel just as free to do the same. She also offered a hilariously refreshing marriage tip: “I think more people would do well married if they didn’t have to live in the same house. Being married is kind of easy, but the living-with-the-person thing is a lot.” Probably not the easiest advice to actually follow for most married couples, but we can certainly see the logic behind it.

You can follow Beckinsale on Instagram for more of her delightfully honest outlook on the world (or just enjoy the silly videos she frequently shares of her pets).

Use left and right arrow keys to navigate between menu items. Use right arrow key to move into submenus. Use escape to exit the menu. Use up and down arrow keys to explore. Use left arrow key to move back to the parent list.