Anne Hathaway opens up on how 'women have really borne the brunt' of the pandemic

Anne Hathaway reveals the hardships women have faced during lockdown

HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA - MAY 09: Anne Hathaway is honored with star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on May 09, 2019 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)
(Image credit: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/Getty Images)

The star of The Devil Wears Prada and The Princess Diaries has opened up about the female experience during the lockdown. 

In an interview with Tyla, Anne spoke about her new film Locked Down and how women have particularly struggled with the Pandemic.

Anne voiced her dismay about a report that showed in 2020, many of the jobs lost in the US were held by women. "We've lost so much in terms of what has been gained up to this point," she said. "I very much hope that it becomes a priority to all of us to ensure that everybody gets back to work but with a special emphasis on women. Because women have really borne the brunt of the pandemic."

She continued to speak about the female experience in lockdown as she spoke about resonating with her character Linda in her film Locked Down. Anne said, "It felt great to [portray] someone who was just losing it, someone who had just put so much pressure on herself to make herself appear a certain way and be so contained."

She continued to say that she, too, used to be busy before lockdown and had to adjust to the different pace of life in lockdown. "Before lockdown, there was this speed to life that we were all living - rush off to the thing, rush off to that thing. And when you didn't have all that rushing around, it was amazing when you took a step back and looked at your life, which parts resonated with you as something you enjoyed... and which parts you're like 'I don't miss this, do I even like this?" she said.

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Locked Down

(Image credit: Warner Bros)

Anne also told Glamour recently that she suffered from anxiety during recent months. She revealed that a zoom call with her friends caused her to suffer from an anxiety attack. “Early on in lockdown, I was supposed to be on a group zoom, and I had an anxiety attack. I couldn't make it,” she said. 

She continued to reveal that she found support from her friends during this difficult time.“I just had to write everyone afterward and just be honest about what had happened. My people were there for me, and they opened up and shared their own experiences with it. They shared with me their tips. They offered, they reached out, they followed up, and I just realized that I was more loved than I had actually realized because of that,” she said.

Anne gave sage advice to her fans and implored other people in similar situations to try and find support from their loved ones. Anne said, “If I just papered over and said, "Oh no, everything's fine. Something came up, or the kids needed me." If I'd done that, I wouldn't have had that understanding of how extraordinary the people that are in my life really are.”

She continued to say that suffering in lockdown is normal. She said that people should try and enjoy themselves when they feel happy because restlessness and anxiety are normal during the Pandemic.

“Look, some days we are fine, and you know what, enjoy those days, because as we've learned from this past year, it's really natural that we're going to have days where we're not, and we know that those days are coming too. So do your best to enjoy the ones where you feel like, "Okay, I'm actually on top of the water today," said Anne.

Besides giving great advice about mental health in lockdown, Anne Hathaway has also continued to be a style icon. Anne's 'French Girl' bangs haircut has been pegged to be the most requested haircut of 2021, and her obsession with gold eye masks from Amazon became an instant trend.

Laura Harman

Laura is the Entertainment Editor for woman&home who primarily covers television, film, and celebrity news. Laura loves drinking and eating and can often be found trying to get reservations at London's trendiest restaurants. When she's not wining and dining, Laura can also be found travelling, baking, and hiking with her dog.