Give Mia Break by Sean Hoare
March 10, 2002

It seems that Mia, however, can sometimes find that shopping with mum is a bit of a drag.

Kate gives her tot a piggy-baccy ride

Poor Mia Winslet must have thought she was in a disaster movie. Eyes stinging as smoke billowed in her face while she clung on to her precariously high perch.

But it wasn’t a remake of Towering Inferno – it was her mum, actress Kate, puffing away on a cigarette as she took her daughter shopping in a backpack. The star-who is dating director Sam Mendes-lit up while roaming around Santa Monica in California, oblivious to the fact that 17-month-old Mia would be breathing in all the smoke. An onlooker said: “We were amazed that she was smoking a cigarette with her child so close.

Stressful

Butt out mum! Mia turns away from the smoke.

“Mia was only a few inches away. The wind must have been blowing it in her face. But obviously Kate was finding things stressful and was in need of a quick puff.”

Mia’s dad Jim Threapleton-who split from 26-year-old Kate last year two years after their marriage-has accused her of not being a good mother.

He claimed the star-nominated for an Oscar for her role in Titanic-had neglected him and their baby while she furthered her career in Hollywood.

Director Jim-who met the sexy blonde on the set of Hideous Kinky-spends much of his time as possible with his daughter. Kate’s friends say they both dote on the youngster.

Source: Sunday News of the World

Scans and text: by my great friend, dk-Regular Guy, Allan.