Taika Waititi’s ex-wife hints cheating was the cause of their divorce

‘I didn’t know that until many years later,’ ex-wife says

Taika Waititi’s ex-wife has hinted 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 Moa, the Jojo Rabbit director’s ex-wife Chelsea Winstanley didn’t hold back about what led to her 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 her work was always secondary to Waititi’s in their relationship, which also brewed resentment.

“To be really, brutally honest, I probably started forming a bit of resentment in that moment,” 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 own my participation in that, in the unravelling of our relationship.”

When Waititi was busy filming the 2017 blockbuster, Thor: Ragnarok, she and their children didn’t follow him on location, instead they stayed in New Zealand. Winstanley said it ultimately came down to her not wanting to “sit in an apartment all day long, f*****g twiddling my thumbs, and bring the kids out.” She also didn’t want to take the girls out of school but opted to bring the girls with her when they occasionally visited him on set.

And she added: “That probably was the beginning of the unravelling because I wasn’t that pandering, dutiful, get on my knees and whatever you want. Someone else was, though,” she continued. “I didn’t know that until many years later.”

Reflecting on other aspects of their relationship, Winstanley noted that Waititi acted like many artists, as he was someone who “really was on their own buzz and tunnel vision.”

“We’re all on our own journey, so to help me get through on a daily basis, I just remind myself that I’m not responsible for what anybody does. I’m only responsible for the way in which I react,” she added. “As time goes by, you’re actually angry at yourself for not believing that you deserved better.”

In 2011, sparks flew between the former pair after Winstanley interviewed Waititi for a documentary, however, they ultimately separated in 2018. Both have moved on, growing in their careers and personal relationships, with the Thor director making headlines in 2021 for going public with his relationship with singer-actress Rita Ora, whom he would go on to wed the following year. Waititi also left the MCU in 2022 and is set to direct the Jenna Ortega and Amy Adams-starring sci-fi dystopian drama, Klara and the Sun. Meanwhile, Winstanley continues to work as a film producer, but not much is known about her romantic relationships.

The Independent has contacted representatives for Winstanley and Waititi for comment.