Kate Winslet has spoken out against the term “nepo baby,” and insisted that there is no difference between children who follow in their parents’ footsteps to become doctors and lawyers. And before you ask, yes, both of her adult children are actors.
If you need reminding, 50-year-old Kate shot to global fame when she starred in Titanic alongside her now-close friend Leonardo DiCaprio back in 1997, when she was 22 years old.
She went on to become one of the biggest stars in Hollywood, and has one Oscar, five BAFTAs, two Emmys, and even a Grammy to her name — to name just a few of her accolades.
And amid her impressive career, Kate has also somehow found time for motherhood, with the star mom to three children: 25-year-old Mia Threapleton, who she shares with film director Jim Threapleton, 21-year-old Joe Anders, who she shares with director Sam Mendes, and 12-year-old Bear, who she shares with Richard Branson’s nephew Edward Smith — who was legally known as Ned Rocknroll between 2008 and 2019.
Both of Kate’s adult children are in the acting industry, with Mia making her film debut at the age of 13 in A Little Chaos, which stars her famous mom.
In 2022, Mia garnered widespread attention when she co-starred with Kate in the episode “I Am Ruth” of the anthology series I Am….
This series was renowned for improvised dialogue and a stripped-back cast, with Kate and Mia’s episode winning two BAFTA awards, including Best Actress for Kate.
Mia had her first lead movie role in the black comedy The Phoenician Scheme earlier this year and also appears in the TV show The Buccaneers.
Joe also appeared in “I Am Ruth,” having made his movie debut in the war drama 1917, which was directed by his father.
He has recently turned his attention to writing, and wrote the screenplay for the upcoming movie Goodbye June… Which just so happens to be Kate’s directorial debut.
But despite all of this, Kate has insisted that nepotism plays no role in people being able to get roles, as she argued that both of her children have “carved their own paths” in the biz. In a new interview with the BBC, she said: “I don’t like the ‘nepo baby’ term. I just try and say to my children: ‘Just follow your heart.’ There are lots and lots of people in the world whose children go into similar family business, whether it’s being a judge or a lawyer or a doctor.”
“It doesn’t surprise me at all that my children wanted to do something creative with their lives, but that doesn’t necessarily translate to being able to actually get jobs and actually gain respect from your peers and people around you. Both of them have separately carved their own paths and been able to do that.” Kate went on.
She then concluded: “It’s just teaching them to ignore the white noise of silly terms like ‘nepo baby,’ which you can’t really do anything about.”
Needless to say, Kate’s comments have not gone down well, with one person writing on a popular Reddit forum: “Why is it so hard for people to acknowledge their privilege. People don’t want nepobabies to drop dead, they just simply want them to be grateful for the opportunities afforded to them.”
What do you make of Kate’s comments? Let me know down below!