‘I feel sorry for the trolls’: Thorn Birds’ Rachel Ward, 68, hits back after her looks were criticised

by

Actress Rachel Ward, known for her role in “The Thorn Birds,” has responded to online criticism about her looks while promoting Farmthru, her business focused on ethically sourced meat.

The 68-year-old actress used Instagram last month to express her gratitude to customers for their support during 2025.

Rachel and her husband, Bryan Brown, have run a beef cattle farm in Australia since they married in 1983. They met just months earlier while working on the set of the mini-series, The Thorn Birds. Bryan is 78 years old.

The actors who portrayed Luke O’Neill and Meggie Cleary, a married couple on TV, later had three children of their own: Rosie, now 42, Matilda, 39, and Joe, 34.

While promoting her farm work, Rachel’s post was met with some cruel comments from followers.

One person commented that they read the woman is 68, but she appears much older, especially considering the commenter is 62 and only a few years younger. Another user bluntly asked what happened to her appearance, recalling that she used to be very attractive.

Another critic claimed that Rachel’s appearance was due to ‘years of neglect’.

Many people rushed to support Rachel, with one commenter writing, “Seriously, these comments are awful – she’s always been beautiful and is doing a fantastic job.”

You know, I was reading the comments on the video, and it really struck me how much negativity there was about someone’s appearance. Honestly, it made me feel sad for anyone getting criticized like that. It’s just not okay, and I really feel for those people who are on the receiving end of that kind of judgment.

‘Thanks, you dear lady, coming to my defence,’ Rachel wrote.

I feel bad for people who are really afraid of getting older. They’ll eventually realize that a woman gains true freedom when she stops worrying about youth and beauty.

It was a good experience, but there’s a whole world of other things to enjoy. You’ll discover those joys when you reach them.

In 2019, Rachel talked about the clear connection she shared with Bryan while filming The Thorn Birds.

She acknowledged he was in good shape, saying, ‘It’s mostly just genetics, really. Pretty simple, when you think about it.’

‘There’s not much thought goes into it. I fancied him. You know, that was about it.’

When asked who made the first move, Rachel couldn’t resist throwing her husband under the bus.

‘He was slow as a wet week. Really took forever. I think I probably did,’ she said.

Read More

2026-01-13 03:22