Jennifer Love Hewitt is getting candid about the challenges of aging while being in the public eye, saying that no matter what she does, critics always have something to say.

The 9-1-1 actress, 44, recently sat down with Michael Rosenbaum on his Inside of You podcast, addressing recent backlash over her appearance after she debuted a darker hairstyle on social media.

“Aging in Hollywood is really tough,” Hewitt admitted. “It feels like you’re always being judged, and you can never get it right.”

Hewitt sparked a wave of online chatter when she posted a fresh-faced selfie from the salon, using a light filter to enhance the lighting. She said she didn’t think much of it—until the internet erupted with claims that she looked “unrecognizable.”

“I had just gotten my hair done, and I wasn’t wearing any makeup,” she explained. “So I threw on a simple filter because the lighting wasn’t great. I really didn’t think twice about it.”

But soon after posting, she saw comments questioning whether she had drastically changed her look.

“A lot of people started saying, ‘Jennifer Love Hewitt is unrecognizable,’” she recalled. “Then others took it further, saying I must be using filters to hide how ‘bad’ I look now that I’m in my 40s. It was insane.”

Rather than shy away from the criticism, Hewitt decided to lean into it—posting a series of exaggerated, over-the-top filtered photos to poke fun at the backlash.

“I thought, ‘Okay, let’s have some fun with this,’” she said. “So I put on these ridiculous filters and captioned them ‘All natural, no filter.’”

But instead of diffusing the situation, it only fueled more negative reactions.

“Then they came after me for that,” she said. “People were saying, ‘Now she’s just trying to defend herself.’ That’s when I realized, no matter what I do, someone will have a problem with it.”

When Rosenbaum asked why she lets negative comments affect her, Hewitt gave an honest response: “Because pretending they don’t bother me would be a lie.”

Despite the online noise, the Criminal Minds star also pointed out that the majority of her followers have been supportive.

“The truth is, most people are really kind to me,” she said. “They’ve grown up with me. They’re experiencing aging just like I am. We’re all getting wrinkles, dealing with menopause, and going through life together.”

But one reason the negativity does get to her? Her 10-year-old daughter, Autumn. Hewitt, who shares three kids with her husband Brian Hallisay, said she worries about the impact of these messages on young girls.

“The reason these comments get under my skin is because I’m a mom to a daughter,” she said. “It’s hurtful to tell women they have to look 22 forever because people don’t know how to process aging.”

At the end of the day, Hewitt says she’s embracing where she is in life.

“I’m 44, and this is what I look like,” she stated firmly.

Reflecting on her younger years, Hewitt admitted that despite being labeled a sex symbol early in her career, she struggled with confidence.

At 23, 24, 25, I didn’t feel self-assured,” she shared. “I felt like I was constantly being watched, like I had to live up to expectations.”

She recalled being featured on the cover of Maxim at just 17 years old—long before she even understood why she was considered “sexy.”

“I had no idea what I was doing,” she admitted. “That girl was insecure, confused, and just trying her best.”

Now, she’s focused on moving forward—on her own terms.