Taika Waititi's ex-wife has suggested that infidelity was to blame for the end of their marriage.
In an appearance on an episode of the podcast. It's personal with Anika Moahe Jojo Rabbit The director's ex-wife, Chelsea Winstanley, didn't hold back about what led to their marriage falling apart.
Winstanley explained to Moa that she began to resent Waititi when he left to work on film projects while she was left alone with the responsibility of caring for their daughters, Te Kāinga o te Hinekāhu, 11, and Matewa Kiritapu, 7. .
Throughout the 22-minute episode, Winstanley explained how his job was always secondary to Waititi's in their relationship, which also led to resentment.
“To be really brutally honest, I probably started to feel a little bit of resentment at that point,” Winstanley admitted. “You don't make a human being on your own, therefore you shouldn't have to raise a human being on your own either. When that little seed of resentment was starting to form… I want to be really honest and take my part in that, in the breakdown of our relationship.”
When Waititi was busy filming the 2017 blockbuster, Thor: Ragnarök, she and her children did not follow him to the place, but stayed in New Zealand. Winstanley said it ultimately came down to her not wanting to “sit in an apartment all day, twiddling her thumbs and taking the kids out.” She also did not want to take the girls out of school, but opted to take them with her when they occasionally visited him on set.
And she added: “That was probably the beginning of the breakdown because I was not so complacent, obedient, nor so kneeling and whatever you want. However, someone else was,” he continued. “I didn't know until many years later.”
Reflecting on other aspects of their relationship, Winstanley noted that Waititi acted like many artists, in that he was someone who “really had his own enthusiasm and tunnel vision.”
“We are all on our own journey, so to help me get through it daily, I just remind myself that I am not responsible for what anyone does. I am only responsible for how I react,” he added. “As time goes by, you get angry at yourself for not believing you deserved better.”
In 2011, sparks flew between the former couple after Winstanley interviewed Waititi for a documentary; However, they finally broke up in 2018. They both moved on, growing in their careers and personal relationships, with the thor The director made headlines in 2021 for making public his relationship with the singer and actress Rita Ora, whom he would marry the following year. Waititi also left the MCU in 2022 and is set to direct the dystopian sci-fi drama starring Jenna Ortega and Amy Adams. Klara and the sun. Meanwhile, Winstanley continues to work as a film producer, but not much is known about her romantic relationships.
The independent Representatives for Winstanley and Waititi have been contacted for comment.
