Why Kate Winslet Says She Needed “Proper Help” After Mare of Easttown

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Kate Winslet is getting candid about a difficult period in her life. 

After finishing the HBO series Mare of Easttown, where she played a detective investigating a murder while dealing with personal loss, the Academy Award-winning actress realized she needed professional support.

Kate recently described how challenging it can be to play a demanding role – she used Mare of Easttown as an example, saying it was incredibly draining. She explained that after finishing such a role, she needs time to readjust to her normal life – what she calls ‘re-entry.’ This involves reconnecting with friends, falling back into family routines, and emotionally separating herself from the character she’s been playing.

Filming Mare of Easttown took a long time, which made things particularly challenging for Kate Winslet, who is known for her role in Titanic.

The shoot was originally scheduled to take six months, but after five months, the COVID-19 pandemic caused major delays. When production resumed, what was supposed to be a final five weeks stretched into ten. Kate said that by the end of it all, she’d been playing the character for more than a year and it really took a toll on her mental state.

The 50-year-old described the experience as “really strange,” adding that it was the first time in their life they needed professional support to regain their sense of self.

Although it wasn’t always simple, Kate is thankful she can draw on her experiences to support her and her former husband, Sam Mendes’, 22-year-old son, Joe Anders. He recently went through something similar after appearing in the new Apple TV+ show, Cape Fear.

Kate, who also has a 25-year-old daughter, Mia Threapleton, with her ex-husband Jim Threapleton, and an 11-year-old son, Bear Winslet, with her husband Edward Abel Smith, explained that her son is still adjusting to life after a significant experience. She feels a strong, instinctive need to support him through this time, and her motherly instincts have fully re-engaged.

For more stars who have shared insight into their mental health journeys, keep reading. 

Rapper Radric Davis, known professionally as Gucci Mane, shared in his 2025 book, Episodes: The Diary of a Recovering Mad Man, that he was diagnosed with both schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. This diagnosis followed a mental health crisis he experienced in 2020.

He explained on The Breakfast Club that the experience made him realize he needed to prioritize his health and take responsibility for himself. He’s determined to avoid future health issues and is committed to seeing a therapist, and taking medication if necessary.

Gucci Mane shared that, beyond wanting to help others, his children – Ice Davis and Iceland Davis – along with his wife, Keyshia Ka’Oir, motivated him to get help when he was struggling.

He explained that his wife was pregnant with their son, and he became worried about the impact on his mental health. He didn’t want to become a father and then experience a breakdown he couldn’t recover from, so he proactively started addressing his mental wellbeing and seeking professional help.

The former Gossip Girl star spoke about struggling with body image issues as a child, which he referred to as “body dysmorphia.”

In an April 2025 interview with The Guardian, Penn shared that they deeply disliked their body and wished they had a different one.

He explained his weight gain after his parents’ divorce, saying he went through a time where he actively and passively embraced a focus on physical appearance. He felt that being seen as more conventionally attractive might lead to greater success and a sense of worth.

Despite the mental struggles, though, Penn credited his ability to persist to his spirituality.

He explained that it helped him overcome his disappointments and challenges, and return to things with a sense of personal growth.

The Scrubs alum has been vocal about her past difficult relationship with food.

She described her struggles with food, stating on the The Funny Thing Is podcast, “Some people might label it an eating disorder, but it’s just how I lived my life.” She went on to say that food was her primary coping mechanism, and she engaged in extreme behaviors related to it.

She added, “I would over-exercise, and there was a sprinkle of bulimia in there.”

Despite admitting she finds it hard to stick to a diet, she’s also been open about the positive steps she’s making towards a healthier lifestyle.

In 2017, she told Bon Appétit that at age 23, she completely changed her lifestyle by eliminating sugar, stopping alcohol, and starting yoga, breathing exercises, and stretching. She described this combination as being more effective than the medication Ritalin.

I’m an actress who struggles with eating and body image, and that’s something I’m actively working to overcome. I’m also focusing on my overall health by nourishing my body with healthy foods.

The Full House alum reflected on her mental health journey and navigating her battle with depression.

Okay, so Candace was talking on her podcast, and it really hit me hard. She said it’s SO tough to even tell people what you’re going through, even the ones you trust the most! And honestly, I totally get it. She admitted she feels like she should be able to just handle it, be strong, but then admitting you’re struggling feels…weak? It’s like she’s beating herself up for not being perfect, and it just broke my heart. I feel like I understand exactly what she means, and it’s so relatable!

The Grammy-winning artist frequently talks about safeguarding her well-being, like blocking out negativity online, and often offers guidance to others who are struggling.

When asked for mental health advice, she told Vogue that patience is key. She emphasized being patient with herself, resisting impulsive decisions, and allowing time to pass. She believes that difficult feelings will eventually lessen with time.

As people adjusted to social distancing to help slow the spread of COVID-19, the singer of “Firework” opened up about the significant stress these kinds of situations can cause.

She tweeted about struggling with the challenges of the pandemic, saying it’s hard to decide what’s more difficult – avoiding the virus itself or dealing with the resulting depression. Katy explained that she often finds peace in her car, which has become her safe haven since there aren’t many other places to go.

The model partnered with designer Kenneth Cole to support The Mental Health Coalition and discussed her personal struggles with anxiety on Good Morning America.

She remembered that after her panic attacks started happening again, she was finally able to find the information she needed to understand them.

Kendall shared that she experiences both good and anxious days, making her energy levels fluctuate. This is why she was drawn to get involved with the movement – she wants people to know they’re not alone in their struggles.

The actor known for playing Black Adam has publicly discussed his struggles with depression and the challenges men often face when trying to talk about their mental well-being.

Everyone experiences difficult times and struggles with depression – it doesn’t pick and choose who it affects. It took me a while to learn this, but it’s important not to be afraid to talk about what you’re going through. Men, especially, often keep their feelings bottled up, but remember, you’re not alone.

Prince Harry helped reduce the shame around getting help for mental health by sharing his own experiences with therapy in an interview with the Telegraph. He explained that talking about his struggles made him realize many other people go through similar things, saying, “Once you start talking about it, you realize you’re part of a big community.”

The actress from Empire openly discusses her experiences with depression and emphasizes the importance of seeking professional help. She’s stated that talking to a therapist is essential for her well-being and how she copes with her struggles.

Honestly, Taraji is an absolute angel! She didn’t just talk about the need for mental health support in our community, she did something about it! She started The Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation – named after her amazing father – and it’s incredible. They’re working so hard to break down the stigma around mental health for Black people, and even better, they’re trying to get more of us trained as therapists. It’s like, she understands the struggle and is actively building solutions. I’m just so inspired by everything she does!

The Grammy-winning artist revealed she began a treatment involving MDMA and psilocybin therapy to cope with the effects of past eating disorder struggles and performance anxiety.

She told Rolling Stone in May 2025 that she was finally touring without feeling nervous. She described a strange sensation – almost like a change in air pressure – that she and the entire audience experienced, a deeply physical connection to the music. This made her realize how much she thrives on – and even needs – that powerful, emotional response from her listeners.

She explained that prioritizing her mental health and going off birth control helped her develop a broader understanding of her gender identity.

She explained that she decided to stop taking birth control because it felt like a break from societal expectations of how women should be. It might sound strange, she said, but she felt liberated and like she could explore new possibilities once she wasn’t bound by those expectations.

In 2017, the actress from Riverdale shared on Instagram that she battled with serious anxiety and depression in middle school, and that support from her family and a therapist was life-saving. She emphasized the importance of reaching out for help, saying it’s the first step, and reminded people that they are incredibly valuable.

The singer of “What He Didn’t Do” recently opened up about her experiences living with anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) over the past several years.

Carly shared on the Dumb Blonde podcast in August 2025 that her anxiety began around the time of her divorce during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, she also revealed she’s struggled with severe OCD since childhood.

Over the past decade, I learned to suppress my feelings and cope on my own. But a couple of years ago, I realized I needed to revisit therapy and start understanding what was going on. It wasn’t something that started recently; I’ve actually been dealing with obsessive-compulsive disorder since I was a child, around six or seven years old.

The actress known for Frozen has openly shared her mental health coping strategies for years, both in public speeches and on social media platforms like Instagram.

She encourages people to discover what works best for them, and, as she told Health magazine, that could involve things like medication, balancing negative thoughts with ten positives, and regular exercise.

The cookbook author is a mother of four and has openly discussed her experience with postpartum depression, a common but often unspoken struggle for new mothers.

She explained in a 2017 letter to Glamour that it became simpler to talk about her experience each time. Her hope was to let others know this could happen to anyone, and to assure those going through it that they aren’t alone and shouldn’t feel ashamed.

While publicizing her book, Mirror, Mirror, the model discussed her teenage struggles with depression and suicidal thoughts in an interview with The Edit magazine. She described feeling a “darkness” within herself during that period.

Cara shared with the publication, as reported by W magazine, that she used to depend on love and other people for her happiness. She realized she needed to learn to find joy on her own, and after a long journey, she’s finally able to be happy by herself.

Ariana Grande encouraged fans to prioritize their mental health after responding to a joke on Twitter about her own therapy. She shared that therapy has been life-saving for her on numerous occasions.

She encouraged me not to be afraid to ask for help. You don’t have to live with constant pain, and healing from trauma is possible. While she acknowledged she had a long way to go, she felt that simply recognizing this possibility was a good first step.

The singer has publicly shared her experiences with addiction, recovery, and mental health, and often incorporates these personal struggles into her songs.

She often encourages her fans to prioritize their mental wellbeing, emphasizing that it’s a continuous effort with both good and bad days. She previously shared on Instagram, “To anyone who’s struggling, remember that life has its challenges, but it’s important to keep going.”

The actress has explored mental health both on screen, like with her role as Rue in the show Euphoria, and in her personal life.

I remember when Zendaya first opened up about this – it was back in 2013 on her app. She shared that she actually dealt with anxiety after being on Ellen, because her microphone malfunctioned during the appearance. It was so relatable! She’s talked about how she’s learned to cope with those feelings since then, and one thing she said really stuck with me: sometimes you just need to take a break and step back so things don’t overwhelm you.

In a recent interview with WSJ Magazine, the singer openly shared her experiences with mental health, explaining that she experienced extreme emotional swings – periods of intense highs followed by weeks-long lows.

Let me tell you, discovering I was dealing with some mental health challenges was a huge turning point. Getting on the right medication? It honestly transformed my life. I feel like a completely different person, and it’s been amazing to experience that positive change. It really highlights how important it is to prioritize your mental wellbeing and seek help when you need it.

The Grammy-winning artist dedicated herself to promoting kindness and openly discussing mental health, sharing her own experiences as well.

In 2018, while accepting a Global Changemakers Award at a fundraiser, she shared that she’d been privately battling mental health challenges for a long time. She explained that she believes keeping these struggles hidden actually makes things worse, stating, ‘Secrets keep you sick.’

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2026-01-27 00:20