Kate Beckinsale Claps Back at Person Saying She Dates Men Who Could Be Her Children

Kate Beckinsale isn’t taking any criticism when it comes to who she chooses to date. The 46-year-old actress is known for her hilarious responses to people who troll her social media posts, and continued her streak of shutting haters down on a video in which she had stuck googly eyes all over her face and that of her cat.

“Nightclubs are closed but we have googly eyes and mostly it’s the same except less risk of illness and no one has wee’d all over the ladies loo seat,” she captioned the video, posted June 30. Although the post had nothing to do with Beckinsale’s romantic life, one follower decided to ask in the comment section, “Why do you keep dating guys that could be your children?”

Beckinsale made sure to respond to the curious critic, responded in a much-applauded comment, “Every relationship I have had has been solely to annoy you.” The Underworld actress has been linked to younger men in recent years, dating 26-year-old Pete Davidson, 24-year-old Matt Rife, 31-year-old Jack Whitehall, and most recently with 23-year-old musician Goody Grace.

In May, Beckinsale called out the “ridiculous” double standard women face for dating younger men in an interview with Women’s Health UK, saying it feels like “a little bit of a political act” to be a woman in her 40s “having any fun at all.” She clarified, “And by that, I don’t mean doing drugs and drinking and partying, because I never am, but being goofy, and 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.”

“And I witness men constantly doing whatever they like, whether that’s in relationships, or deciding to buy a motorbike, or getting a tattoo,” she continued. “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?’”

That doesn’t mean the criticism doesn’t get to her sometimes. “If everyone’s s—ing on you, it can make you feel kind of ugh for a minute — especially if there’s really nothing wrong,” she explained. “If you’re strangling a squirrel or hurting someone, I get it, but living one’s life in a reasonably respectful manner shouldn’t invite anyone to get too excited.”