Entertainment
Gwyneth Paltrow ‘never wanted to divorce Chris Martin’ but admits she learned so much’ from split
Gwyneth Paltrow consciously uncoupled from ex-husband Chris Martin in 2014, but she admits she ‘never wanted’ to get divorced.
The Iron Man actress, 48, shares two children with Coldplay frontman Chris, daughter Apple, 16, and Moses, 14, and the former couple were married for 10 years.
They confirmed their split nearly seven years ago and their divorce was finalised in 2015, with both Gwyneth and Chris moving on with new partners.
Gwyneth, who remarried and wed Glee co-creator Brad Falchuk, has reflected on her past relationships and said that getting divorced was something she wanted ‘least in the world’, but the process helped her to ‘learn so much’ about herself.
Speaking on Anna Faris’ Unqualified podcast, the Goop founder explained: ‘Getting divorced, I’ve learnt so much from something I wanted least in the world. I never wanted to get divorced. I never wanted to not be married to the father of my kids, theoretically.
‘But I have learned more about myself through that process than I could have imagined.’
Gwyneth explained how her split with Chris paved the way for her to find something that she has ‘never had before’ with husband Brad.
She said: ‘Because I focused on accountability, I was then able to find the most amazing man and build something that I’ve never had before with Brad, my husband.’
The Shallow Hal star said that it took her a while to realise how great Brad was for her in a partner, adding: ‘We were friends first for a long time and then once I was like, “Are we going to date? Is this happening?”
‘I was scared because he is a person who demands presence and intimacy and communication in a way that I just didn’t know how to [do]… I like to fight by shutting down, I leave the room and he was like, “No,” he’s like, “Absolutely not, we are sitting down and we are figuring this out.”‘
Gwyneth said: ‘He demands that I am honest with myself in a way that is hard for me but which really helps me grow.’
She and Brad first began dating in 2014 and later married in September 2018 in a small and private ceremony. They have been known to spend time with musician Chris, who Gwyneth now co-parents with, and his girlfriend Dakota Johnson.
Her relationship with Brad came shortly after Gwyneth and Chris announced their split by famously stating they were ‘consciously uncoupling’.
Last year, Gwyneth addressed the brutal backlash she and Chris had faced at the time for their use of terminology.
Writing for British Vogue, Gwyneth said she was shocked by how much their split statement was mocked: ‘The public’s surprise gave way quickly to ire and derision. A strange combination of mockery and anger that I had never seen.’
‘The intensity of the response saw me bury my head in the sand deeper than I ever had in my very public life,’ she admitted.
Gwyneth also wrote about the moment she knew her marriage with Chris was over – three years before they eventually decided to separate.
‘I knew it. It was in my bones. We just didn’t quite fit together,’ she wrote.
‘There was always a bit of unease and unrest. But man, did we love our children.’
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