Piers Morgan says Aniston's tabloid shaming is hypocritical

NEW YORK (AP) — Jennifer Aniston's takedown of tabloid culture is winning support among fellow celebrities but criticism from at least one tabloid journalist.

"Ghostbusters" star Melissa McCarthy tells Entertainment Tonight that she agrees "one hundred thousand billion percent" with Aniston's essay for the Huffington Post in which she writes constant paparazzi coverage contributes to a "dehumanizing view of females, focused solely on one's physical appearance."

"It's a ridiculous thing," McCarthy said Tuesday. "I just hope it gets to the point where it's embarrassing for people to have such a shallow thought."

Aniston also used the piece to shoot down pregnancy rumors, writing that she is "not pregnant" but often gets congratulated on being so "a dozen times in a single day."

"If I am some kind of symbol to some people out there, then clearly I am an example of the lens through which we, as a society, view our mothers, daughters, sisters, wives, female friends and colleagues. The objectification and scrutiny we put women through is absurd and disturbing. The way I am portrayed by the media is simply a reflection of how we see and portray women in general, measured against some warped standard of beauty," wrote Aniston.

The column also has received positive mentions on Twitter from actor Jason Bateman and comedian Margaret Cho .

Tabloid journalist and former CNN host Piers Morgan has responded with a column in Britain's Daily Mail in which he calls out Aniston's stance as hypocritical.

Morgan writes that he sympathizes some with Aniston's complaints about nonstop scrutiny of her physical appearance, but adds his belief that the former "Friends" star helped create the attention by posing for dozens of magazine covers over the years that he says have been airbrushed to improve her looks.

"I do think the least stars like Jennifer Aniston can do in return for the massive financial and career boost these fake covers bring them is to stop pretending it's all everyone else's fault that impressionable young girls struggle with their own beauty and body images as a result of seeing perfect photos of Jennifer Aniston," Morgan writes.

He says paparazzi photographers are "setting the record straight" by showing Aniston without airbrushing.

Morgan worked as the editor of several British tabloids before turning to television. CNN canceled "Piers Morgan Live" in 2014.