Joe Alfie Winslet Mendes Is Now a Teen & Makes Music - Meet Kate Winslet’s Son with Sam Mendes

While Joe Alfie Winslet Mendes' parents have made a name for themselves in film, the "Titanic" actress's son has grown up out of the spotlight and has shown an interest in making music.

After a discreet wedding and birth, Kate Winslet and Sam Mendes welcomed Joe on December 22, 2003. Their publicist announced Joe's arrival on a Friday, and he weighed seven pounds and three ounces.

Over the years, the now teenager has rarely made public appearances. However, his mother shared details about how he used music to cope with the pandemic and his life in a blended family following his parents' separation.

Joe Alfie Winslet Mendes' Parents Wanted to Give Him a Normal Childhood

Although Joe's life is far from ordinary, his parents have tried to make it so as much as possible. His mother received stardom for her break-out role in "Titanic" in 1997. And his father won an Oscar in 2000 when he made his directorial debut in "American Beauty."

Even before Joe was born, his parents were notoriously private. And as a result, they raised Joe under the radar. Kate said:

"It's important to us that the children are just regular kids, so we go to the park, kick a ball around, go to a museum, watch a movie together or just hang out at home playing Monopoly."

With two parents of different nationalities, Joe grew up with homes in New York City and Costwolds, England. However, in 2001, Joe's father was scheduled to be on the flight that crashed into the Pentagon on 9/11.

Instead, Joe's father watched the horrific event happen from JFK airport in New York City after changing his flight last minute.

As a result, Joe's mom and dad's parental instincts kicked in, and they ensured they never flew together with Joe in case something happened to them both that would leave Joe an orphan.

Joe Alfie Winslet Mendes' Parents Divorced When He Was Young

Joe's parents met in 2001 during his mother's first marriage to Jim Threapleton. Joe's father approached her to work on a play, and after her first three-year marriage ended that same year, Kate and Sam began dating a few months later.

Less than two years later, Joe's parents married spontaneously in Anguilla, a Caribbean island, with a wedding guest list of three people while his mother was pregnant with him.

However, they decided to go their separate ways in 2010 when Joe was seven and after seven years of marriage. Sam and Kate's legal counsel said:

"The split is entirely amicable and is by mutual agreement. Both parties are fully committed to the future joint parenting of their children."

Joe's parents' separation was believed to have been caused when the former couple worked together on the film "Revolutionary Road." Sam directed Kate and Leonardo DiCaprio in the movie about a failing marriage.

Joe's mother said it was "weird" having her husband direct a sex scene between her and her co-star, and both of Joe's parents said they discovered parts of each other they had not known of before.

However, their legal counsel's words were proven true when Joe, his step-sister, and his divorced parents were spotted enjoying a family outing in New York City.

Joe and his family were dressed casually when paparazzi photographed him holding his father's hand as his mother and step-sister walked ahead.

Joe Alfie Winslet Mendes Is Now Grown and Is "Very Musical"

During Joe's mother's appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" in 2021, she shared how he kept busy as a teenager during the Covid-19 pandemic, including stealing his mother's croutons.

During her interview, Kate Winslet revealed that she took on baking bread during the pandemic and shared a picture of her homemade croutons, a popular dish for her son.

Joe's mother said he enjoyed her croutons so much that he would take them to school and share them with his friends. Outside of eating, Joe was working towards learning how to drive, as his mother said 17 was the legal driving age in the UK.

However, she left teaching Joe how to drive to her husband, as she admitted she would end up getting frustrated. And although Joe did not follow in his parent's footsteps and show an interest in film or acting, he did prove artistry ran in the Winslet/ Mendes family.

Joe found his passion, and it lies in making music. His mother shared that the lockdown had not been easy for him but that he had found a way to cope. She said:

"He's very musical, so he's able to Zoom with his mates and make music."

Joe Alfie Winslet Lives with His Blended Family

During Kate Winslet's first marriage in 1998, she welcomed Joe's older step-sister, Mia Honey Threapleton, on October 12, 2002.

Joe's mother remarried for the third time in 2012 to Edward Abel Smith and gave birth to Joe's younger step-brother, Bear Blaze Winslet, on December 7, 2013.

Joe and his blended family live in Sussex, and while his mother enjoyed having children with significant age gaps, she admitted that it was not without its challenges. Kate said:

"Because of the age gaps, each of my children is at such a different stage . . . And emotionally, too, they all have very different things they need from me."

While Joe enjoys music, his older sister tried her hand at acting and made her debut in the post-apocalyptic series "Shadows." She also shared that it was always a "special treat" visiting her mother on set when she was younger.

A few months after Bear was born, Kate Winslet recalled that Joe and his sister had been part of the name-choosing proceed and liked the name Bear.