Kate Winslet Takes On Men’s Rights Activists Fathers4Justice

Kate Winslet just welcomed a new baby boy with her husband, Ned Rocknroll, and should be basking in the feel-good warmth of new motherhood. Instead, in a move that is decidedly not in the holiday spirit, men’s rights organization Fathers4Justice has targeted her parenting style in a planned Christmas ad, dragging her name into the press, and the Oscar-winning actress is threatening to sue.

Winslet, who has three children from three different fathers, recently told British Vogue that her children don’t split time with their fathers. “None of this 50/50 time with the mums and dads — my children live with me, that is it,” she said in the magazine’s October issue.

In response, Fathers4Justice created a campaign feature with a full-page, black-and-white picture of Winslet’s face and her quote, plus the text, “Kate, every child deserves a father this Christmas.”

Winslet’s lawyers issued a legal letter to the group, claiming the proposed ad is "misleading and seriously defamatory." Instead of backing down, the organization responded, “We are running this advert as part of a campaign to highlight the sensitive issue of four million children waking up on Christmas Day without their father. It is clear from what Kate says that she does not support ‘shared parenting.’”

Unfortunately, this isn’t Winslet’s first run-in with Fathers4Justice — in 2004, her first husband, Jim Threapleton, voiced his support for the organization after going months without seeing their daughter Mia, 13, while Winslet was filming in the States.

But, her other ex-husband, Hollywood director Sam Mendes — with whom she has a 9-year-old son, Joe — has already stepped up to defend her, saying Fathers4Justice knows “nothing of our personal circumstances.” He said, “Whilst I fully support fathers’ rights, I can happily state this has never been a concern for me or my son.” Winslet has not yet issued any personal comments.

Hey, the holidays always come with some family dysfunction. But, Winslet has always been one of Hollywood’s classiest ladies, and it’s pretty lame to use her as the scapegoat for a much bigger societal issue. For now, let’s keep the drama in the family, and let Kate get back to living life her way.