- Kate Winslet opened up to The New York Times Magazine about how she developed an eating disorder.
- The actor said Ozempic, the buzzy diabetes treatment used for weight loss, "sounds terrible."
Kate Winslet has opened up for the first time about her experience with disordered eating and shared her thoughts on Ozempic, the buzzy diabetes drug that also causes weight loss.
In an interview with The New York Times Magazine, the Academy Award-winning actor spoke candidly about how she developed an eating disorder in her 20s after she was catapulted to international fame following the success of "Titanic," the blockbuster disaster film she starred in opposite Leonardo DiCaprio.
"I never told anyone about it," Winslet said of her condition. "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."
The 48-year-old continued: "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."
She was then quizzed on what she makes of Ozempic, which dozens of A-listers, including Sharon Osbourne, Elon Musk, and Amy Schumer, have admitted to taking in the past.
"I actually don't know what Ozempic is," the "Regime" star revealed. "All I know is that it's some pill that people are taking or something like that."
For those like Winslet who are not in the know, Ozempic is a brand name for semaglutide, an injectable drug used to treat diabetes. Also sold under the brand names Wegovy and Rybelsus, semaglutide has surged in popularity since the FDA approved it as a treatment for obesity in 2021.
The drug works by suppressing appetite, but side effects such as muscle loss, nausea, and diarrhea have been reported. A doctor previously told Business Insider it was common to regain the weight after stopping treatment.
According to the NYT Magazine, Winslet appeared "appalled" when the interviewer informed her of how the off-label weight loss drug "dampened" interest in food. "Oh my God. This sounds terrible," she said.
"Let's eat some more things!" she added, with "her mouth full of pastry," according to the publication.
While looking back on her almost three-decade-long career, Winslet said that she built up a defense to the bullying and public scrutiny of her body. Famously, the acerbic late comedian Joan Rivers joked when Winslet was nominated for an Oscar for her role in "Titanic" that her weight was the reason the ship had sunk.
In the interview, Winslet said that her resilence against criticism of her appearance also helped her endure uncomfortable moments on set, including during nude scenes before the age of intimacy coordinators.
The "Mare of Easttown" star said she would've loved it if someone had been in her corner during those difficult moments as she admitted she rarely could stand up for herself.
"I would not have known how to do that without people in power turning around and saying, 'Oh, Jesus Christ, you know, her again, that complainer,'" she said.
Winslet said she experienced "huge amounts" of judgment, persecution, and bullying.
"People can call me fat. They can call me what they want. But they certainly cannot say that I complained and I behaved badly.
"I would rather suffer in silence than ever let that happen to me, even still today," she said.