When Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin decided to get a divorce, they intentionally chose to use the phrase “conscious uncoupling,” rather than the traditional separation term. In an effort to keep things amicable, the former couple decided to use the phrase, however, the public wasn’t quite sure what to think of it. Now, almost ten years later, the actress-turned-entrepreneur is opening up about how people reacted to the new vocabulary, and why she’s still “proud” of it all these years later.
To this day, “conscious uncoupling” is a term tied to Paltrow, and she still gets asked about it. While doing a Q and A on her Instagram stories, someone asked her how she feels about being “credited for coining the phrase.” The Goop founder gave a candid answer, reflecting on how the divorce terminology was received at first, and how that reception has evolved since, saying:
I definitely did not coin the phrase, but I feel despite us taking quite a lot of shit for it when we first announced that all these years ago, I feel very proud that we were able to, maybe, make some divorces a little bit easier, happier. It makes me feel pretty proud when people come up to me on the streets and say, ‘Thank you for introducing that concept because I've become good friends with my ex.' I'm very happy that I was able to, and Chris, that we were able to play a small part in that cultural shift.
Paltrow and Martin spent 11 years married, between 2003 and 2014. When they decided to get a divorce, their official announcement used “conscious uncoupling” rather than the typical word, after they learned the term from their therapist. The public took notice, and they were fascinated by the phrase. However, a lot of criticism also came with it.
As Paltrow mentioned, the couple “took a lot of shit,” for the use of the word. However, she also explained that now there are people who have also taken up using the term to help them develop a more positive mindset around a breakup.
While talking about what she learned from the divorce, Paltrow said she wanted to turn the situation “into a positive.” Considering the frontman of Coldplay and the Oscar-winning actress have to co-parent their kids, Apple and Moses, together it makes sense that they wanted their legal separation to go smoothly. Over the years, the Goop founder has been candid about her divorce, and based on her most recent comments, she’s made it clear she’s “proud” of the fact their public “conscious uncoupling” has also helped other couples separate in an amicable way.
These days, Paltrow and Martin co-parent their teenage kids, and they are both in other relationships. Paltrow has been married to TV writer Brad Falchuk since 2018, while Chris Martin has been dating Dakota Johnson since 2017.
Along with the attention surrounding the term Paltrow used for her divorce, there’s also been a lot of discourse around some of her other lifestyle choices. Recently the Iron Man star was called out on TikTok for her diet, to which she responded. She’s also been talking about how she’s saving clothes for Apple and various other topics regarding her eating habits, health and style.
Overall, it’s nice to see that “conscious uncoupling” has had a positive effect. Despite early criticism, it seems like Paltrow has heard a lot of good stories about how it helped other couples split up in an amicable manner.
While Gwyneth Paltrow might not have any movies on the 2023 movie schedule, she is always working on her brand Goop. She also frequently takes to social media to talk about topics like her “conscious uncoupling” from Chris Martin.
