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Winslet opens up about relentless media scrutiny
Actor Kate Winslet has detailed the invasive tactics used by the press after her breakthrough role in Titanic, including phone tapping, paparazzi harassment, and rummaging through her rubbish to track her diet.
Early fame and personal toll
Winslet, who shot to global stardom at 22 after starring in James Cameron's 1997 blockbuster, described the sudden attention as overwhelming. "I wasn't ready for that world," she told BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs. The media frenzy left her "terrified to go to sleep," with reporters constantly lurking outside her home.
She recalled being followed by photographers, having her phone intercepted, and even local shopkeepers questioned about her purchases. "It was horrific," she said.
Body image pressures and childhood bullying
Winslet revealed she faced criticism about her appearance from a young age, including being called "blubber" by classmates and told by a drama teacher she'd "settle for the fat girl parts." Between ages 15 and 19, she cycled through extreme diets, admitting, "It was really unhealthy."
After Titanic's release, tabloids published heavily edited images of her, which she condemned as misleading. "I don't look like that," she said, pointing to airbrushed covers. "I didn't want any young woman to think, 'I want to look like that.' That's not me."
Marriage breakdown and paparazzi harassment
During her 2010 divorce from director Sam Mendes, Winslet said paparazzi tailed her and her two young children in New York. "You just keep your mouth closed, put your head down, and keep walking," she said of coping with the intrusion. Support from friends-like a neighbor who left pasta and wine on her garden wall-helped her endure the ordeal.
Directorial debut and industry double standards
As she directs her first film, Goodbye June, Winslet noted persistent sexism in Hollywood. "They might say, 'Don't forget to be confident in your choices,'" she recounted. "That person wouldn't say that to a man." Her response? "Shut up."
While acknowledging progress, Winslet stressed the need to "unlearn" how women in film are spoken to. "There's so much we still have to change," she said.
"Life's all the better for a good meal, a shared conversation, a nice cup of coffee, a bit of Radiohead, and a good poo."
Kate Winslet, on coping with media pressure
