Kate Winslet criticized what she called the "devastating" rise of plastic surgery in Hollywood, warning that appearance standards are pushing actors toward increasingly extreme measures.
In an interview with The Sunday Times, the actor said that cosmetic procedures and weight-loss drugs have become routine across the industry and among the public.
She said young actors have "become obsessed with chasing an idea of perfection to get more likes on Instagram," adding, "It upsets me so much."
Winslet said attitudes toward appearance vary widely at industry events but noted she is alarmed by how routine cosmetic procedures have become.
"It is devastating," she said. "If a person's self-esteem is so bound up in how they look, it's frightening."
Winslet said it was "puzzling" because at times she found it "better" when actors at events "dressed how they want, whichever shape."
"But then so many people are on weight-loss drugs. It's so varied," she continued. "Some are making choices to be themselves, others do everything they can to not be themselves. And do they know what they are putting in [their bodies]? The disregard for one's health is terrifying. It bothers me now more than ever. It is f*cking chaos out there."
Winslet said the issue is not limited to actors, noting widespread pressure on women to pursue cosmetic procedures.
She said many people now "save up for Botox or the sh*t they put in their lips" and added that she values physical signs of aging.
"My favorite thing is when your hands get old," she said. "That's life in your hands. Some of the most beautiful women I know are over 70, and what upsets me is that young women have no concept of what being beautiful actually is."
Her comments come as she continues to speak publicly about the body shaming she experienced after "Titanic" made her internationally recognizable in 1997.
She said the scrutiny heightened during the film's awards season, when an entertainment host mocked her appearance on live television.
"It's absolutely appalling," she said in an interview last year, according to Variety. "What kind of a person must they be to do something like that to a young actress who's just trying to figure it out?"
Winslet said she directly challenged some journalists who had made repeated disparaging comments.
"I did get face to face. I let them have it. I said, 'I hope this haunts you. It was a great moment because it wasn't just for me, it was for all those people who were subjected to that level of harassment. It was horrific. It was really bad,'" she said.
Winslet has said criticism of her body began before the release of "Titanic."
She told The Sunday Times in 2022 that she was once advised to seek "fat girl" roles in acting school.
She later recalled that viewers used the film's final scene to make comments about her weight.
"Apparently I was too fat," she said. "Why were they so mean to me? They were so mean. I wasn't even f*cking fat. 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. That's bullying, you know, and actually borderline abusive, I would say."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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