Kate Beckinsale schooled a troll who said she was too old to post her bikini picture, and we’re nodding along

If you’ve been following Kate Beckinsale on Instagram (and if you aren’t, we’d recommend it, because look at her dog), you’ll have seen the actor posting pics from her vacation in Mexico this week. Lots of those pictures feature Beckinsale in bikinis, because a) she was on a beach, b) she wanted to wear bikinis, and c) she wanted to take pictures of herself in her bikinis, so she did. It seems pretty simple to us.

But unfortunately, a few trolls took issue with Beckinsale, claiming that the 46-year-old’s pictures weren’t age-appropriate, or were indicative of some deeper existential crisis.

The huge majority of Beckinsale’s followers were loving her gorgeous snaps, but others seem to think that having an Instagram handle automatically gives you the right to diagnose strangers with mental health issues.

Case in point: “I feel like you are having a midlife crisis or something,” one commenter wrote. Excuse us while we go scream into a pillow.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B5i0ALDAFx7

Okay, we’re back! And we’re happy to report that Beckinsale was *not having it* with this troll. “Oh! I think that’s because you’re an annoying asshole,” Beckinsale shot back. Later, the same commenter wrote: “at least I have pretty green eyes and my youth.” To which Beckinsale said: “Yes darling at least you have that XX.”

Hundreds of commenters came to Beckinsale’s defense in the thread, showing support for the actor while calling out the troll for his insensitive and sexist comments.

But when another user claimed that Beckinsale was “too old” to be posting bikini pics, and that she was posting them to get attention, Beckinsale took the time to write out a long, thoughtful response.

“I don’t know you and I don’t know who has made you feel that if you get older you have no value, can’t be attractive or sexy or have a relationship with your body that isn’t only self loathing, but as one female to another, don’t let any of that noise bother you,” Beckinsale wrote.

She continued, addressing fears of getting older how value is tied up in being young:

"If you're young and fearing getting older, don't. It's not at all how people scare you it will be especially for a woman. You'll come into your own power in a way that feels steady and so many more things will feel possible," she wrote. "The people or press that are scaring you that your value is tied up in youth, or in fact anything that is not currently within your reach, is noise I do hope you allow yourself to ignore. If you're older and fearing less is available to you, it actually isn't, don’t let that limit you in anything."

She closed out her message with a direct shout-out to the commenters who criticized her, and honestly we wish we had her patience. “I know you have more to offer than leaving mean comments that illuminate far more about you than they do about the people you choose to comment on. Sending love x,” she wrote.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B5e4DooAq4P

Can we get a slow clap, please? This is a master class in taking the high road—and a beautiful reminder to us all that power, beauty, and self-love increase with age.