Former Emmerdale actress Sammy Winward has been locked in a heartbreaking family rift with her daughter for almost two years, it has been revealed. The star, best known for playing Katie Sugden on the ITV soap, has not spoken to her daughter Mia since 2024 following a disagreement over Mia's decision to create content on the adult subscription platform, OnlyFans.
The Source of the Family Rift
The sad feud between Sammy Winward and her 20-year-old daughter, Mia Winward-Dunn, began in early 2024. Reports first emerged in August of that year that the actress had cut ties with Mia four months prior, after Mia began selling explicit photos on her OnlyFans account. At the time, Mia claimed to be earning an impressive £30,000 a month from the platform.
Mia previously stated that her mother "said some pretty mean things" during their last conversation. She told The Sun in 2024, "I absolutely love my mum and I love all of my family but none of them speak to me now." The fallout was so severe that it extended to other family members, leaving Mia isolated from most of her relatives.
A Bittersweet Pregnancy and Hopes for Reconciliation
Nearly two years on, the situation remains unresolved, but there is a significant new development. Mia has announced she is expecting her first child, news she describes as 'bittersweet'. She revealed that neither of her parents, Sammy Winward nor her footballer father David Dunn, are aware of her pregnancy.
"I am emotionally vulnerable while I’m pregnant and I really don’t want a big, stressful situation," Mia explained. The impending motherhood has made her re-evaluate the estrangement. She said, "Now that I have my own baby inside me, I just couldn’t imagine not speaking to my child."
Despite the ongoing feud, Mia is in contact with one unnamed family member. She has also expressed a desire to reconcile with her parents, acknowledging "they've got a lot to work on" and that "There’s a lot to forgive and that process hasn’t even started yet."
Life After OnlyFans and a New Chapter
Mia has stated that she stopped creating content for OnlyFans 'the moment' she discovered she was pregnant. However, she does not regret her time on the platform, calling it the "best year or two of my life" which allowed her to travel the world for photoshoots.
She has since adopted a quieter lifestyle, moving away from her former 'party girl' image. Mia now lives in a rural home in the Lake District with her partner, the father of her child, whom she has been with for a year. She has chosen to keep his identity private.
The core of the disagreement, according to Mia's past comments, stemmed from her belief that her mother was "jealous" of her rapid financial success. She speculated, "I think she is maybe just jealous about me doing so well and so quickly." As Mia prepares for motherhood, the door to a potential reconciliation appears to be ajar, though significant hurdles remain.
