Actress Bryce Dallas Howard has praised the “wisdom and courage” of Jennifer Aniston following her criticism of tabloid scrutiny of female celebrities.

The Jurassic World star said Jennifer “took a stand for people taking responsibility for their own words” after she issued a lengthy statement denying reports she was pregnant.

The Friends actress told how she was “fed up” with “body-shaming” by celebrity news outlets and branded the “objectification” of women as “absurd and disturbing”.

Bryce Dallas HowardBryce Dallas Howard (David Crotty/AP)

Bryce told the Press Association: “I think Jen approached that essay with such grace and wisdom and courage.

“There are often times a lot of people will say about celebrities, ‘We don’t want to hear it’. She had something to say that wasn’t just about someone who’s in the public eye.

“It’s about women, but also just humans in general, and the way we interact with one and other, and the ways in which judgement can actually affect a person.

Jennifer AnistonJennifer Aniston (Nina Prommer/AP)

“She really took a stand for people taking responsibility for their own words and the things they put out there. I think that was really important what she did.”

Promoting the new Disney movie, Pete’s Dragon, Bryce said having a famous father, film director Ron Howard, had helped her acting career.

“I think largely I’ve pretty much only experienced positive things,” she said.

“It’s obviously a great help to have a parent who when you ask for advice about the work you’re doing, they can actually give you a really well-informed answer.

“My parents were really supportive of me. They didn’t say, ‘Oh go and get a real job’. They did say, ‘You’ll have to get real jobs to make a living but of course we’re fully supportive of you pursuing this’.

“Just having parents who are emotionally supportive like that makes all the difference in the world.”

Pete’s Dragon, which stars Bryce and Robert Redford, is released in UK cinemas on August 12.