Gwyneth Paltrow Reveals She Knew The Exact Moment Her Relationship With Chris Martin Was Done
In 2014, Gwyneth Paltrow and Coldplay’s Chris Martin surprised the world by announcing their “conscious uncoupling” after a decade of marriage. Despite their split, the pair, who share two children, have remained close and navigated their breakup, focusing on family unity. Both have since found new partners and happiness, with Gwyneth marrying director Brad Falchuk and Chris getting engaged to actress Dakota Johnson.
At the time, the couple had been married for 10 years and shared two children: daughter Apple, now 20, and son Moses, now 18. From the outside, it appeared that all was well – until Gwyneth announced on her Goop website that she and Chris had called it quits.
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The couple released a joint statement saying, “It is with deep sadness that we announce our separation. Despite our deep love for each other, we have decided to remain apart. The fact remains that we are and always will be a family, and in many ways are closer than ever.”
During “this difficult time,” the former couple requested privacy from the public, saying they were “parents first and foremost” and coining the now legendary term for breakup: “We have always conducted our relationship privately, and we hope to continue in the same manner as we consciously uncouple and co-parent.”
In the years since their split and divorce in 2015, Gwyneth and Chris have been seen vacationing together, celebrating birthdays and Christmases as a family. Both have moved on to meet new partners. In 2018, Gwyneth married ‘American Horror Story,’ ‘Glee’ and ‘Scream Queens’ director Brad Falchuk. Chris, now 47, has fallen in love with 34-year-old Dakota Johnson, who also hangs out with Gwyneth. Following six years of dating, Dakota and Chris were engaged in March, according to the Mirror.
Gwyneth has since reflected on the moment she knew her marriage was over, even though they are both happy in their new relationships now. In an essay for British Vogue, she wrote, “It was my birthday, my 38th. My ex-husband [Chris] and I were tucked away in the Tuscan countryside, on a hill in a beautiful cottage with a view of the forest. Fall was coming; the leaves were just loosening their grip on bright green.”
According to her, the cottage’s interior was just right for a birthday getaway: a cosy living room with a fireplace and a kitchen table overflowing with produce from the nearby farm – peaches, tomatoes on the vine, basil, eggs. Gwyneth couldn’t remember exactly when it happened or what day or time it was. Even with long walks, longer lie-ins, big glasses of Barolo, and hands held, she knew it was over. Despite the pain of her realisation, Gwyneth kept it to herself.
She shared her “funny bones humour” and “utter silliness” with Chris since they were kids. According to Gwyneth, “We were close, though we never fully settled into being a couple. Something was missing between us. There was always a sense of unease and unrest. But man, did we love our children.”
She said they tried their best to keep their family together before calling it quits, noting that she had only ever seen bitter, acrimonious, unending divorces growing up, which she didn’t want “with all my heart.” Instead of Gwyneth and Chris coining the term, ‘conscious uncoupling’ was suggested by their therapist, which they tested out privately for a full year before announcing their separation.
Gwyneth continued, “Was there a world where we could break up without losing everything? Even though we were not a couple, could we be a family? We decided to try.” Despite their announcement causing a stir in the media, she said, “The public’s surprise gave way to a strange mixture of mockery and anger I had never seen before.” Nowadays, instead of ridiculing her, people ask her how she did it.
