As the 2025 movie schedule wraps up, Kate Winslet has been promoting Goodbye June, a film that was written by her son, Joe Anders, which she directed and stars in. Along with that, the actress’s daughter, Mia Threapleton, had a big year as she played roles in Wes Anderson’s The Phoenician Scheme and the great Apple TV series, The Buccaneers. Amid all that, The Holiday star shared her take on nepo babies and how having famous parents has impacted her kids’ success. However, said comments have led to criticism.
What Kate Winslet Said About The Nepo Baby Debate
The nepo baby debate has been raging for a long time now, and many celebrities have shared their takes on having family members who are also in the industry. Meg Ryan has spoken about her son Jack Quaid’s success, and Allison Williams acknowledged the privilege that being a nepo baby provides. Along with that, Amanda Seyfried defended nepo babies, while Dakota Johnson called the whole debate “lame.” So, there are a lot of takes out there about all this, and now Kate Winslet has shared hers.
During an interview with BBC News, she opened up about Mia Threapleton and Joe Anders' success, and the nepotism commentary that can come with it. She said:
I don't like the nepo baby term. I mean, I just try to 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.
That’s true, plenty of children follow in their parents' footsteps and do a really great job. Mia Threapleton, who is 25, and Joe Anders, who is 21, have too, seeing as their mom is Winslet. Adding to that, Anders' dad is director Sam Mendes, and Mia Threapleton’s father, Jim Threapleton, also works in the entertainment industry as an assistant director and director.
Winslet went on to say that she wasn’t surprised by her kids' choices to enter the entertainment industry. She also said that their relation to her “doesn’t necessarily translate” to them getting more work. The actress said:
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 actually being able to get jobs and actually gain respect from your peers and people around you. And both of them have separately carved their own paths and been able to do that. And part of that actually is just teaching them to ignore the white noise of silly terms like nepo baby, which you can't really do anything about.
While both Joe Anders and Mia Threapleton have certainly found success, they’ve also both been in multiple projects connected to their parents. That is a big reason why Kate Winslet’s comments about nepo babies are facing backlash.
Why People Are Criticizing Kate Winslet’s Comments
After the Titanic actress made those comments, there were a lot of people who criticized her. One big reason why stems from the fact that both her children got their first roles in projects that their parents were connected to. Mia Threapleton’s first movie was her mom’s project, A Little Chaos, while Joe Anders' first role was in his dad, Sam Mendes’ film 1917.
Speaking to that point over on X, @StephanieRiou commented on how nepotism could have played into how these young artists’ careers began, explaining:
Even more wild when you realise Kate Winslet’s kids are literally nepotism’s final boss. Daughter’s first movie role was in Kate’s movie, son’s was in his dad’s… his dad being Sam Mendes. Kate is currently promoting her latest film, of which her son wrote the screenplay.
The same kind of conversation was happening over on Reddit. Many people noted that while Winslet’s children are talented and deserve to find work and success, they were also able to begin their careers from a place of privilege. Here’s what a few people said:
- What she isn’t recognising is that having a parent with connections is half the battle when it comes to getting a career in your chosen field. I say this broadly because it’s not just something that happens in acting (or politics), but acting is a public career so it’s highly visible this is happening. Introducing her kids to filmmakers/ agents is the first hurdle that she overcomes for them. Whether her kids are any good or not is their remaining hurdle. And people without parents like her have to overcome both. -PM_me_shiba_doggo
- I think that it's pretty natural to want to defend your kid from a label with a negative association like "nepobaby". However, it seems like these people are all out of touch when they don't acknowledge the privilege just a LITTLE. It feels tone-deaf and like they're purposely not reading the room. -ofboom
- She might not like the term, but they definitely are nepobabies, even if they have the talent to back it up. Their privilege was through the roof to start with and having her as a mom has given them opportunities that are extremely rare to equally talented people. Nothing wrong with it, it is what it is. -rinn 10
It’s common for people to criticize when famous folks either claim they're not a nepo baby or speak out against the term. Meanwhile, many who are either a nepo baby or are parents of one commonly defend their place in the industry. It’s been an ongoing debate for a very long time, and odds are it will continue.
As it goes on, Winslet and her kids will likely keep working on their projects, like Goodbye June (which will be available with a Netflix subscription on December 24), whether that be with each other or individually.
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