Mother-of-three Kate Winslet threatens to sue Fathers4Justice over advertising campaign attacking her for saying 'my children live with me'

  • Said her children with ex-husbands Sam Mendes and Jim Threapleton were not victims of her divorces
  • Star's solicitors issued Fathers4Justice with a legal letter claiming that an advert the group were about to publish was 'misleading and defamatory'

By Anna Edwards

PUBLISHED: 07:20 EST, 18 December 2013 | UPDATED: 07:46 EST, 18 December 2013

Actress Kate Winslet has threatened to sue parents' rights group Fathers4Justice after they planned to attack her in a campaign following reports where she said her children live with her.

The Oscar winner's solicitors Schillings have issued Fathers4Justice with a legal letter claiming that an advert the group were about to publish regarding comments the actress made in Vogue magazine about 50/50 parenting was 'misleading and seriously defamatory', the organisation claimed.

The row stems from a Vogue interview with Ms Winslet in October, where the actress claimed her children had a stable home life as they live just with her and they weren't passed 'from pillar to post'.

Mother-of-three Kate Winslet targeted by Fathers4Justice advertising campaign for saying 'my children live with me'

Mother-of-three Kate Winslet targeted by Fathers4Justice advertising campaign for saying 'my children live with me'

Fathers4Justice have reacted to this with a photo of the 38-year-old and the slogan 'Kate, every child deserves their father this Christmas' in their advertising campaign.

Despite Fathers4Justice emphasising that Ms Winslet's private arrangements did not form the basis of their advert, they have potentially unfairly used her in a campaign about fathers' access to their children.

Now Fathers4Justice say that before the publication of their campaign, they were contacted by Winslet's representatives and her former director husband, Sam Mendes, claiming the advert was 'false and damaging'.

In the October interview, the actress defended herself from any suggestion that her two children with ex-husbands Sam Mendes and Jim Threapleton may be victims in her divorces.

The mother, pictured here with third husband Ned Rocknroll, allegedly said in an interview that her children weren't passed 'from pillar to post'

The mother, pictured here with third husband Ned Rocknroll, allegedly said in an interview that her children weren't passed 'from pillar to post'

She said: ‘People go, ‘Oh, my God! Those poor children! They must have gone through so much.’ Says who?’ the actress told Vogue when asked about the criticism she’s received for her private life.

‘They’ve always been with me,’ she continued. ‘They don’t go from pillar to post; they’re not flown here and there with nannies. That’s never happened.

'My kids don’t go back and forth; none of this 50/50 time with the mums and dads – my children live with me; that is it. That is it!’

In the interview, Winslet – who moved back from New York to a 15th century manor house in West Sussex following the collapse of her marriage to Mendes – insisted that while children Mia, 13, and Joe, nine, have good relationships with their fathers she is glad that they live full time with her.

Now Fathers4Justice say that before the publication of their campaign, they were contacted by Winslet's representatives and her former director husband, Sam Mendes.

Kate Winslet, seen here with first husband Jim Threapleton, defended herself from any suggestion that her children may be victims in her divorces

Kate Winslet, seen here with first husband Jim Threapleton, defended herself from any suggestion that her children may be victims in her divorces

In a statement the group said 'In earlier email correspondence with Winslet's agent Donna Wilson, the group agreed to refrain from publishing the advert until 4pm today after representations from Kate Winslet’s ex-husband Sam Mendes.

'Donna Wilson said that Mr Mendes claimed the advert was "false and damaging"'. the campaign group alleged.

In a statement to Fathers4Justice Mr Mendes allegedly said: 'It is inappropriate for this organisation to involve my family and I when they know nothing of our personal circumstances.

'Whilst I fully support fathers rights I can happily state this has never been a concern for me or my son.'

Fathers4Justice said they agreed to delay the poster in order to allow Winslet to confirm or deny whether the quotes made in a Vogue magazine interview in October were accurate.

Campaign Director Nadine O’Connor said: 'Kate Winslet brought her children/parenting arrangements into the public domain with her comments, not Fathers4Justice.

'We believe the content of the advert is accurate, balanced and reflective of the comments she made.

In a letter to the organisation, Mr Mendes claimed the advert was 'false and damaging', the campaign group alleged

In a letter to the organisation, Mr Mendes claimed the advert was 'false and damaging', the campaign group alleged

'We do though welcome Mr Mendes comments supporting fathers' rights and find it regrettable that instead of resolving this dispute as we had agreed, Kate Winslet has sought redress through legal action.

'I would like to re-iterate that Fathers4Justice has not made any comment in our advert about the personal arrangements of Ms Winslet and the fathers of her children.

'We do not know what they are and we have clearly stated that we don't and that those arrangements are not the basis for our advert.

'What we have referred to in the advert is a direct quote from Ms Winslet herself, a statement she put in the public domain through a lengthy self promotional interview in Octobers Vogue magazine.

'The final copy of which Ms Winslet would have no doubt seen prior to publication.

'Ms Winslets comments on shared parenting were then quoted worldwide by numerous newspapers, who also took issue with them.

'Of course if Ms Winslet is now saying, through her legal team who are threatening Fathers4Justice, that the Vogue article is inaccurate and that Vogue mis-quoted her, then that is something she needs to take up with them and not us.'

Ms Winslet's agents have been contacted for a comment.

 

Comments (11)

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How would fathers4justice know that her kids have suffered? What kate clearly meant is that the kid main residence is with her some families have kids living with one parent for 6mnths and the other parent for the other 6 months that isnt good for kids they need stability regardless of wether thats with the mother or the father with regular access to the other parent! How dare they use her in that campaign as if she at all suggested that her kids dont see their father!!

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Good for you, Kate. Was this organisation thinking of the impact that their campaign could have had on your children? i think not.

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A bit of a daft statement by Kate, but F4J are their own worst enemies. I learnt the hard way they are every bit a bad as the hardcore mumsnetters, if you don't agree with them 100% you will feel their wrath, they will delete your post and block you from their group. Fathers should be a part, no, an important part of their childrens lives and no woman has the right to deny this just because they don't want it to happen. I'm not including reasons of denial of access including proven violence or other abuse towards the children. Just because you don get on and you can, is NOT reason enough.

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She should sue. No one knows anything about the details of Kate Winslet's arrangements with her exes. No organization should be allowed to get away with making wild guesses about her private life (or anyone else's) to promote their cause. In my volunteer work, I encourage fathers to get involved with their children. Home should not necessarily be with the mother. But Kate Winslet is perfectly right. It is not fair for divorced parents to push kids from pillar to post. Kids should not made to go from one house to another. It is easy for parents to push them back and forth because kids usually have no say. Parents who choose to split up should to be made to consider the best interests of the children.

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As a parent my be-end-all in life is my children s happiness. Clearly Fathers4Justice think that is just a side issue. So what if the kids are dragged from pillar to post, the important thing is that the fathers get what they want. Dad of the Year! Not

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Kate is very lucky that he calls the shots in her divorces,many mothers are not that lucky but abusive exes take them to court and get custody of the children today. 80 000 fathers ,most abusers,a year apply for custody of children in the UK alone and devastated the mothers' lives. But I do believe that children who have good fathers should have them in their lives as much as possible at weekends and holidays,if they live nearby,and the parents should keep it amicable and not fight over every single arrangemnet,like many do. I do also believe that children who grew up with one good parent from birth (like by Single Mothers or Fathers by Choice) fair far better than the children of divorced parents dragged through courts. I know a few and they are soooo happy and have the stability that children of divorced parents can only dream of. (Also,I so wish I had not had my abusive father in my life!)

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PUBLISH IT!!!!!!!!!

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Her kids do live with her though, the father has them on certain days I guess there's nothing wrong with her comment even if she did do a story for 50/50 parenting

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Winslet sounds like the typical "I'm the mother, I get the kids" type of person. I've seen a couple of former school friends and colleagues on Facebook (who I'm now no longer friends with) talk about their disgust at the idea of their children sharing Christmas day with the fathers. At all. One out right refused to even consider her son spending Christmas morning with his father. Luckily this does not go for all parents and some realise that it is about the children and not themselves...

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I like how she looks in picture 3 like a white Jlo

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