Oscar-winning actor and Goop founder Gwyneth Paltrow has revealed that the intense media scrutiny surrounding her divorce from Coldplay frontman Chris Martin directly cost her a film role.
The Lost Role and 'Harsh' Press Backlash
Speaking on Amy Poehler's Good Hang podcast, Paltrow, 53, recounted that shortly after she and Martin, 48, announced their split in 2014, a planned movie project fell apart. She claimed the film's distributor decided the negative headlines were too much of a risk. "There was a lot of harsh stuff in the press, and I think the distributor was like, 'This might be too hot to touch,'" Paltrow explained, without naming the project.
Poehler suggested the motive was, "We don't need the heat?" to which Paltrow agreed. The Shakespeare in Love star joked about the double blow: "Cause I was getting a divorce, and then I got fired off. It was so awesome." The couple, who were married for nearly 11 years, finalised their divorce in 2016 but continue to co-parent their children, Apple, 21, and Moses, 19.
Reflecting on the 'Conscious Uncoupling' Fallout
The pair famously termed their separation a "conscious uncoupling," a phrase intended to signify a mindful and respectful end to their marriage. The term, used in a 2014 post on Paltrow's Goop website, was met with widespread mockery and criticism.
Paltrow told Poehler she understood the personal reaction it provoked in the public. "The inference that I messed someone up. Like that's not a nice thing to contemplate. So, I do understand why it was so personal for people," she said. In a 2022 British Vogue essay, she described the response as a "strange combination of mockery and anger" that left her "pretty tattered."
From Backlash to Pride in a 'Cultural Shift'
Despite the initial derision, Paltrow now takes pride in the phrase's legacy. In a 2023 Instagram Q&A, she said she feels "very happy that we were able to play a small part in that cultural shift" towards more amicable separations. She noted that people now thank her for introducing a concept that helped them remain friends with their ex-partners.
Since the divorce, Paltrow married producer Brad Falchuk in 2018. Chris Martin's long-term relationship with actor Dakota Johnson ended in June 2025 after eight years.
