Kate Winslet opens up about same‑sex experiences

Kate Winslet has publicly reflected for the first time on having same‑sex intimate experiences during her youth.

Speaking on the Team Deakins podcast, the Oscar‑winning actress said that “some of my first intimate experiences as a young teen were actually with girls”, adding that she had “kissed a few girls” and “a few boys”, but “wasn’t particularly evolved in either direction” at the time.

Winslet, now 50, explained that this period of curiosity and exploration helped her understand the emotional intensity at the heart of Heavenly Creatures, the 1994 film in which she made her feature debut aged 17. She said she “profoundly understood” the powerful connection between the film’s two female leads - played by herself and Melanie Lynskey - noting that the dynamic echoed the sorts of vulnerabilities and intense bonds young people can form.

The actress emphasised that while she could not relate to the darker elements of the true crime on which the film was based, she recognised how strongly one person can influence another when both are young and emotionally exposed. “I was so immediately sucked into the vortex of that world,” she said, describing the depth of connection as something she personally resonated with from her own teenage years. 

Winslet said the experience of filming Heavenly Creatures left her “a different person”, having “evolved so much” during the process - a shift she partially credits to the personal understanding she brought to the role.

Her remarks have stirred enthusiastic reactions across social media — some dubbing it a “lesbian emergency” in celebratory jest.