Kate Winslet Went On A Tirade About Botox And Weight Loss Drugs & We're Here For It

Kate Winslet knows what it’s like to be bullied about her looks. The Oscar-winning actor survived an onslaught of criticism for her body following her breakout hit Titanic. I hasn’t let up throughout her long Hollywood career, when even a few years ago the Mare of Easttown director offered to “touch up” her belly in post production to make it “more palatable.”

While absolutely no one deserves this treatment, it has made Winslet, who is now 50, outspoken and passionate about women, beauty, body image, self-esteem, and self-love.

Talking to The Times about her upcoming directorial debut, Goodbye June, which releases on Netflix this week, Winslet did not hold back in sharing what she thinks about the recent trends of beauty modifications like Botox, lip filler, and weight loss drugs.

When asked about women embracing their natural beauty she said, “I feel like nobody cares any more. No one’s listening because they’ve become obsessed with chasing an idea of perfection to get more likes on Instagram. It upsets me so much.”

When specifically asked about procedures like Botox and lip filler — as well as weight loss drugs like Ozempic — showing up on the red carpet and on the street, she also has strong feelings.

“Oh, it’s terrifying,” she said. “I think no, not you! Why?”

And then she really gets going.

“It is devastating. If a person’s self-esteem is so bound up in how they look it’s frightening. And it’s puzzling because I have moments when I think it’s better, when I look at actresses at events dressed how they want, whichever shape — but then so many people are on weight-loss drugs. It’s so varied. 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? The disregard for one’s health is terrifying. It bothers me now more than ever. It is f*cking chaos out there.”

Winslet stressed that it’s not just actresses altering their bodies — she recounted seeing a woman on the news the other day who represented the millions of people turning to plastic surgery to look more like some ideal image.

“She looked like a cartoon,” Winslet said. “You do not actually know what that person looks like — from the eyebrows to mouth to lashes to hair, that young woman is scared to be herself. What idea of perfection are people aspiring to? I blame social media and its effect on mental health.”

(Of course, all of this should be taken with the understanding of Winslet’s privilege — she can, presumably, afford all of the best non-invasive care as far as health and beauty go, from having resources to eat well to having access to private fitness instructors to great health care.)

She switched gears and talks about how we’re ignoring the beauty in aging.

“My favorite thing is when your hands get old,” she told The Times. “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 bottom line?

“We have to keep being real.”

This is far from the first time that Winslet has been candid about her thoughts on beauty and aging.

Last year, she had some strong words for Ozempic that she shared with The New York Times Magazine.

“Oh, my God,” Winslet, who has struggled with eating disorders, said. “This sounds terrible. Let’s eat some more things!”

And she told BBC Women’s Hour that she thinks women become more sexy in their 40s.

“I think women come into their 40s — certainly mid-40s —thinking, ‘Oh well, this is the beginning of the decline,’” she continued. “Things start to change and fade and slide in directions that I don’t want them to go in anymore. And, you know, I’ve just decided, no. We become more woman, more powerful, more sexy. We grow into ourselves more. We have opportunity to speak and speak our mind and not be afraid of what people think of us. Not care what we look like so much. I think it’s amazing. Let’s go girls. Let’s just be in our power.”

Goodbye June begins streaming on Netflix on Friday, December 12.

You can read the full interview in The Times here.