LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 07: Melyssa Ford arrives at 57th NAACP Image Awards Nominees Brunch at Nya Studios on February 07, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Unique Nicole/Getty Images); ATLANTA, GEORGIA - SEPTEMBER 21: Jasmine Guy attends A DIFFERENT WORLD Special Screening on September 21, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Derek White/Getty Images for Netflix)
Melyssa Ford is defending Jasmine Guy after the reboot of ‘A Different World’ premiered on Netflix. Guy reprises her role as Whitley Gilbert-Wayne on the series, and Guy shared a statement earlier this week after her appearance was critiqued nearly 40 years after the show’s 1987 debut.
Folks tried it when they came for the fabulous Jasmine Guy for aging, but Melyssa Ford isn’t havin’ it. Ford clapped back after people criticized the actress for her appearance following the premiere of ‘A Different World’ on Netflix. The debut was on Thursday, September 24, and the reboot comes nearly 40 years after the original show premiered back in 1987. Guy was in her early 20s when the original show premiered, but that didn’t stop social media users from criticizing the 64-year-old actress’s appearance and commenting on her aging.
Guy later responded to the criticism, but Ford also took to Instagram to further defend the actress. Ford shared a video along with the caption:
“So the internet gangsters have picked a fight with the Icon @iamjasmineguy because she had the audacity to age,” she wrote. “Mmmm k. Some of you dont deserve the privilege of getting older. Edit: And just to be clear, Im aware that quite a few disparaging comments came from women. They should be ASHAMED of themselves. Thats some gender traitor s**t right there. Fix your internalized misogyny, ladies. It aint cute.”
In the video, Ford minced no words when she shared her opinion on the criticism while defending Guy.
“You internet gangsters get on my f*cking nerves,” she began. “Jasmine Guy is the latest woman being picked apart for her age, and it’s the same bullsh*t every f*cking time. If a woman gets work done, she lacks self-love,” Ford continued. “She’s insecure, she’s chasing youth. If she doesn’t, she’s letting herself go, or she gets praised for letting her face do what faces do. Brave, for aging!”
She went on to say that aging is a privilege, not an act of bravery, before she aptly added:
“The alternative is death,” she said. “If you wanna die and leave a good-looking corpse, that’s on you….. No one calls a f*cking man brave for going gray… A woman’s face is her f*cking business! Leave women alone and let us get older in peace. F*ck!”
Fans reacted to Ford’s video after it was shared on TSR‘s Instagram page, and many Roomies agreed with her comments.
User @petty_ma112 co-signed Ford’s statements. “I say this all the time. Growing old is a privilege!!! Denied to many.”
@tania.middleton_ added, “You either age or you die young ..a privilege not given to all”
User @kagephil replied with a sentiment felt by many folks. “Tf yall say about Jasmine Guy? Are yall crazy?”
@laydinelle added, “Shes 64. What do people want her to look like. People annoy me.”
@myn___mynnnnn____ added, “Aging is a privilege Jasmine didnt butcher her face to look young like the majority of Hollywood does . She looks amazing .”
@jadoresiwoh replied, “I pray that I can look that good at 60+.”
User @vickiirvin wrote, “I dont get how a person types the mean comments knowing shell see it. Thats the part that gets me. Cruelty.”
@jaealize_ wrote, “But if she got her face pulled to the back of her nape area like Kris did she still would be talked about .. for her age shes stunning !”
@keishalulumeansbusiness added, “Shes still beautiful whats the issue here??”
User @_same_chick88_ replied, “The Goal is to grow old yall thats literally the goal . .”
@miss_jaechanel noted, “And she still BOOKED n BUSY Hello..”
The Shade Room reported that Guy responded to the critiques about her aging following the premiere of ‘A Different World.’ Earlier this week, Guy reacted to the internet critics with a statement on Instagram, along with several photographs of her slaying in the process.
The ‘Harlem Nights’ star was wearing a gold, off-the-shoulder evening gown in the pictures, and she looked goodt! She also noted that the internet is “brutal” to women as they age.
“The internet can be brutal to women as we grow older. It asks us to celebrate life while criticizing every sign that weve lived it,” she wrote. “Growing older brings change, and I wont pretend every change is easy. But beauty, style, and joy dont have an expiration date. Lets spend less time judging ourselves and each other, and more time loving each other, making memories, and living the life were here to live Makeup @geishaboii Hair @derekjhair Costume designer @provifulp Nails @imnails #jasmineguy #adifferentworld #netflix #atlanta #hillmancollege.”
