Jasmine Guy returned to Hillman College this week as Whitley Gilbert, nearly 40 years after “A Different World” first premiered. Instead of simply celebrating the return of one of Black television’s most recognizable characters, however, some corners of the internet found something else to discuss: Guy’s appearance at 64.
Melyssa Ford has had enough.
The former video model and podcast personality took to Instagram to defend Guy and challenge what she sees as the impossible standards placed on women as they age. In the caption accompanying her video, Ford wrote, “So the internet gangsters have picked a fight with the Icon @iamjasmineguy because she had the audacity to age.”
In the video, Ford argued that women are routinely criticized regardless of what choices they make about their appearance.
“Women cannot win for losing,” she said. “If a woman gets work done, she lacks self-love. She’s insecure, she’s chasing youth. If she doesn’t, she’s letting herself go.”
Ford also pushed back on the idea that women should be praised for simply allowing themselves to age naturally.
“She gets praised for being brave for letting her face do what faces do,” Ford said. “Brave for aging. Aging naturally is not an act of bravery. It’s a privilege.”
The comments come after theGrio reported on the conversation surrounding Guy’s return to “A Different World,” noting that the actress had become the subject of online commentary about aging rather than simply being celebrated for reprising her iconic role. TheGrio also reported on Guy’s own response to the discourse, in which she acknowledged that “the internet can be brutal to women as we grow older.”
For Ford, the issue extends beyond Guy.
“No one calls a f—g man brave for going gray,” she said. “A woman’s face is her f—g business. Surgery, no surgeries, something in between. Her choice.”
Her conclusion was simple: “Aging doesn’t require bravery. It needs respect. Leave women alone and let us get older in peace.”
