Kate Winslet's tearful story of calling out the press over body-shaming is a must-watch
"I hope this haunts you."
"I hope this huants you."
Over the years, Kate Winslet has solidified herself not only as an actress, but as an outspoken advocate for women. She’s been particularly outspoken about the horrendous messages women receive (starting at a very early age) on subjects relating to body image, and how to combat against them.
Often, Winslet has a plethora of real life experiences to draw from for…inspiration. She’s previously been candid about the body-shaming she received after making her Oscar winning acting debut in Titanic. Imagine hitting a career milestone like that and still being made to feel worthless (certainly not an unrelatable feeling for many women).
Still, Winslet offered a fresh glimpse into this time in her life during a recent interview for 60 Minutes. In it, she was shown an old red carpet clip from E!, where an on-air host said Winslet looked “a little melted and poured into” the dress she was wearing, and that she “needed two sizes larger and she’d be OK.”
Even the interviewer—as well as all of us now—could note how blatantly "cruel" this offhanded comment was. Winslet herself said "what kind of person must they be to do something like that to a young actress who’s just trying to figure it out.”
Then Winslet recalled that she “did get face to face” with the press.
“I let them have it. I said, ‘I hope this haunts you.’”
@60minutes Kate Winslet: “I hope this haunts you” #60minutes #katewinslet #media #harrassmentawareness ♬ original sound - 60 Minutes
Getting visibly emotional, she called the confrontation a “It was a great moment,” because it wasn’t just for her, but for “all those people who were subjected to that level of harassment.”
If Kate Winslet—a confident, smart, objectively successful woman—still gets hurt from these comments years later…imagine how damaging they must be for everyone else.
And it’s not like Winslet is now free of weird and harmful criticisms. While starring as famed World War II-era photojournalist Lee Miller in the biopic Lee, the star had to "armor" herself up for being called “brave” for wearing no makeup, and being told to "suck in and sit up" to avoid showing "lumps” by a crew member.
Though it hurts, Winslet continues to define beauty on her own terms. The happiness that comes from family, taking care of yourself, living in integrity, and yes, even wrinkles, are all markers of true beauty in her eyes. What’s more, she had come to discover that “beauty is really a feeling, I don't think it's a thing that we look at." This epiphany is how we all break the spell that society puts us under.
In some ways, we are thankfully dismantling these damaging messages. But no parent of a teenage girl with full access to social media would tell you we are free from its shackles by a long shot. So until we are, it’s important to keep letting folks “have it.”
You can watch Winslet’s full 60 Minutes interview here.