From the Golden Globes to Goop! Gwyneth Paltrow’s time in the spotlight has been anything but predictable.
The California native rose to prominence in the ’90s, starring in films including Se7en, Emma, Sliding Doors and Shakespeare In Love, the last of which earned her a Golden Globe and the Academy Award for Best Actress in 1999. Paltrow got emotional while thanking her parents, Blythe Danner and Bruce Paltrow, during her Oscars acceptance speech.
“I would not have been able to play this role had I not understood love of a tremendous magnitude and for that I thank my family,” she said through tears at the time.
After cementing herself as a formidable actress, Paltrow broadened her horizons, taking her talents to television, fashion and business. She became the face of iconic brands like Coach and Estee Lauder fragrances and even founded her own wildly popular lifestyle brand, Goop, in 2008. The company has weathered its fair share of controversial moments since its inception, including backlash for promoting vaginal steam and coffee enemas and for encouraging readers to pursue their “leanest livable weight.”
In April 2013, Star dubbed Paltrow the most hated celebrity in the world. Years later, the Emma star reacted to the distinction during a July 2018 interview with the New York Times.
“I remember being like, … ‘Me? Really? Wow,'” she recalled. “It was also the same week that I was People’s Most Beautiful Woman. For a minute I was like, ‘Wait, I don’t understand. Am I hated to the bone or am I the world’s most beautiful?'”
Over the years, the businesswoman has maintained a sense of humor about Goop’s perception. In May 2022, the brand shared a faux advertisement for disposable diapers priced at $120 per pack of 12.
“Meet The Diapér. Our new disposable diaper lined with virgin alpaca wool and fastened with amber gemstones, known for their ancient emotional-cleansing properties,” the post — which turned out to be a collaboration with nonprofit Baby2Baby intended to shed light on the high cost of diapers — read.
In addition to facing criticism in her professional life, Paltrow has endured heartache in her personal life. After marrying Coldplay singer Chris Martin in December 2003 and welcoming their two children, Apple and Moses, in 2004 and 2006, respectively, the couple announced they were separating in March 2014. Their statement became an instant meme, as the eccentric exes used the term “conscious uncoupling” — — coined by author Katherine Woodward Thomas — to describe their split.
The same year that she and the “Fix You” singer called it quits, Paltrow began dating TV writer Brad Falchuk, whom she married in September 2018.
“I think [it’s] wonderful for people who had a marriage or a relationship that didn’t work out to understand that it’s really possible to meet your dream man halfway through your life,” the Royal Tenenbaums actress said during an October 2021 appearance on Today.
Scroll to look back at some of the Goop goddess’ biggest ups and downs — from consciously uncoupling to finding her happy ending.
