Winslet Separates From Husband

September 4, 2001 -- Sexy British actress Kate Winslet created an enduring cinematic image of storybook love when she promised to "never let go" of her passion for co-star Leonardo DiCaprio at the end of Titanic.

But Winslet's real-life marriage, to British director Jim Threapleton, appears to be going down with all hands. After just three years of marriage, Winslet and Threapleton have agreed to an "amicable and respectful" separation, according to a statement released Monday by Winslet rep Robert Garlock.

Garlock also said that the pair's 11-month-old daughter, Mia, will be a "first priority" for both of them. His statement did not address the $1.17 million riverside estate in the south of England that Winslet and Threapleton moved into in August 2000.

The two became engaged shortly after meeting on the set of Winslet's Hideous Kinky in 1997 — Threapleton was an assistant director on that project — and were married in a low-key ceremony at a church in Reading, England, in November 1998. Winslet, who'll be 26 next month, was just 23 at the time.

Their marriage appeared to be a happy one, though British media outlets report that the young spouses had argued frequently in recent weeks.

Titanic brought Winslet international stardom in 1997 after she'd gained critical acclaim with a starring role in Peter Jackson's Heavenly Creatures (1994) and well-reviewed supporting turns in Ang Lee's Sense and Sensibility (1995) and Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet (1996). She'll next be seen in the World War II drama Enigma.

Reuters contributed to this report.