Kate Winslet has weighed in on ‘feud’ rumours between her and Titanic director James Cameron.
The actress, 48, who portrays leading lady Rose in Titanic, worked alongside James on the 1997 film, and more recently on 2022 film Avatar: The Way Of Water.
James admitted he was slightly surprised to work with the star again, revealing that she was ‘traumatised’ after filming the romance-disaster film.
Now, Kate has discussed the ‘feud’ rumours, as well as opening up on speculation about her body during a stunning photoshoot with Variety.
She said: ‘There’s a part of me that feels almost sad that stupid, speculative Titanic stuff at the time overshadowed the actual relationship I have with him. He knows I will be up for anything. Any challenge, any piece of direction you give me? I’ll try it.’
Kate Winslet has weighed in on ‘feud’ rumours between her and Titanic director James Cameron
The actress, 48, who portrays leading lady Rose in Titanic, worked alongside James on the 1997 film, and more recently on 2022 film Avatar: The Way Of Water
Kate pictured in the film with co-star Leonardo DiCaprio
James also told Variety: ‘There was never a rift between us. She had a little postpartum depression when she let go of Rose. She and I have talked about the fact that she goes really, really deep, and her characters leave a lasting, sometimes dramatic impression on her.’
It comes after James admitted that he was surprised the actress had returned to a water movie.
‘I think Kate came out of Titanic a bit traumatised by the scale of the production and her responsibility within it,’ he told Radio Times.
‘We’ve both been eager over time to work together again, to see what the other is about at this point in our lives and careers. She’s very large and in charge on set. You’d swear she was producing the film!’
Elsewhere, speaking on the harsh spotlight on her body during Titanic, Kate told the publication: ‘I actually felt a bit beaten up by it, truth be told…
‘I had a lovely family, but all my family saw is, “My God, Kate’s got work in a really big film.” One doesn’t want to turn around to your mum and dad and say, “It’s really hard, actually.”‘
On whether she is nervous for her daughter, Mia Threapleton, who’s taking her first steps as an actress, Kate added: ‘Thank God, this terrible criticism that could be actively damaging – that has stopped. If that part’s gone away, she can figure out the rest herself. She’s so emotionally robust and true to herself, I don’t worry.’
Kate has discussed the ‘feud’ rumours, as well as opening up on speculation about her body during a stunning photoshoot with Variety
In one shot, Kate oozed confidence in a racy black dress and blazer
She said: ‘There’s a part of me that feels almost sad that stupid, speculative Titanic stuff at the time overshadowed the actual relationship I have with him. He knows I will be up for anything. Any challenge, any piece of direction you give me? I’ll try it.’
Speaking on the harsh spotlight on her body during Titanic, Kate told the publication: ‘I actually felt a bit beaten up by it, truth be told…’
On whether she is nervous for her daughter, Mia Threapleton, who’s taking her first steps as an actress, Kate added: ‘Thank God, this terrible criticism that could be actively damaging – that has stopped. If that part’s gone away, she can figure out the rest herself. She’s so emotionally robust and true to herself, I don’t worry.’
It comes after Kate criticized the use of diet drug Ozempic, saying it ‘sounds terrible’ as she reflected on her own battle with weight-loss.
The actress admitted she didn’t really know what the jab was and advised that people should ‘eat some more things’.
Ozempic was first developed to treat type 2 diabetes , but has skyrocketed in popularity recently, after being used off-label in both the US and the UK, to treat obesity.
It has become particularly popular among the rich and famous, reportedly being used by a slew of A-listers like Sharon Osborne, Oprah Winfrey and Elon Musk .
But Kate was appalled upon learning about the drug, especially after facing huge amounts of public scrutiny about her body in the early days of her career.
Speaking to The New York Times Magazine , she said: ‘I actually don’t know what Ozempic is. All I know is that it’s some pill that people are taking or something like that. But what is it?’
The publication explained that the drug was injected to dampen people’s appetites so that they could lose weight.
A shocked Kate replied: ‘Oh, my God. This sounds terrible. Let’s eat some more things!’ before she was noted to make a show of tucking into her pastry.
She also spoke about the harsh criticism she has faced over her weight, and acknowledges that she previously struggled with an eating disorder.
Kate added that as a result of that she now doesn’t let people talk about weight, and calls them out if they do.
She said: ‘I never told anyone about it. Because guess what — people in the world around you go: “Hey, you look great! You lost weight!”
‘So even the compliment about looking good is connected to weight. And that is one thing I will not let people talk about. If they do, I pull them up straight away.’
Kate has criticized the use of diet drug Ozempic, saying it ‘sounds terrible’ as she reflected on her own battle with weight-loss (pictured in September)
Traumatic: James was surprised that Kate was happy for another water role after coming down with pneumonia while having to act in freezing cold water and declining the offer of a wetsuit, unlike the rest of the cast
Last month, Kate said she was happy to young stars standing up to fat-shaming and having a voice in the industry.
During an appearance on The Today Show , host Hoda Kotb called Kate a ‘champion for women,’ but added: ‘But you didn’t lead your career that way all the time because you were like a lot of young actresses’
Kate replied: ‘It’s really interesting how much it has changed. And I think about the moments I did have to kind of say, “Well look, I’m going to be myself. And I have curves. And this is who I am”.’
On fat-shaming in the industry, she said: ‘That has changed. And it’s changed because young women now, they’re born with a voice.
‘They have a voice, they’re learning how to hang on to it, they stand up for themselves. They know that they matter. They count for something. They’re great together.
‘It’s an exciting time, I think, for younger actresses to be coming into an industry like this one, which is huge. But to feel held, supported, nurtured, it’s changed so much. It’s wonderful.’
It comes after Kate revealed in an interview with Sunday Times that she dealt with harsh criticism at the start of her career.
The actress recalled being told she would be cast in ‘fat girl’ roles while she was a student.
‘It can be extremely negative,’ she told the outlet. ‘People are subject to scrutiny that is more than a young, vulnerable person can cope with.’
Kate, who shot to fame after playing Rose in 1997’s Titanic, says that the tides are changing now.
She noted: ‘But in the film industry it is really changing. When I was younger my agent would get calls saying, “How’s her weight?” I kid you not. So it’s heartwarming that this has started to change.’
In 2021, Kate spoke openly about the body criticism she experienced around the time that she starred in Titanic, at just 21.
Kate blasted the ‘borderline abusive’ bodyshaming she has suffered from obsessive fans of blockbuster movie Titanic.
The star became a household name after starring as lovelorn Rose DeWitt Bukater alongside Leonardo DiCaprio as impoverished artist Jack Dawson in director James Cameron’s 1997 rendering of the early twentieth century disaster.
Kate has since hit out against cruel trolls who claimed her weight was the reason Leo’s character couldn’t get on the floating door with Rose to ensure they both survived the catastrophe.
Kate was appalled upon learning about the drug, especially after facing huge amounts of public scrutiny about her body in the early days of her career (pictured in 1997’s Titanic)
Jack was instead forced to grimly accept his inevitable death in below freezing waters while his lover remained safely afloat.
Addressing the pivotal scene during an appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Kate said: ‘Apparently I was too fat. Why were they so mean to me? They were so mean. I wasn’t even f****** fat.’
Kate also reflected on how she wishes she’d have addressed the vile comments at the time.
She added: ‘I would have responded, I would have said, “Don’t you dare treat me like this. I’m a young woman, my body is changing, I’m figuring it out, I’m deeply insecure, I’m terrified, don’t make this any harder than it already is.
She continued: ‘”That’s bullying, you know, and actually borderline abusive,” I would say.’