Yahoo News Gwyneth Paltrow explains why she gets on so well with ex Chris Martin
Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin's separation was such a pivotal moment in pop culture that it even birthed a new term to describe relationship breakdowns – 'consciously uncoupling'.
When the actress made her now-famous statement announcing the couple's intent to divorce after 11 years of marriage in 2014, they had actually been separated for a year at that point, as she revealed in the latest issue of ES Magazine.
The Goop founder also explained in the interview why it is that she and the Coldplay frontman continue to have such a positive relationship. It follows the conversations she had with friends, whose parents had divorced, about what the worst part of it was.
"We were separated for a year before we announced we were separated. We kept it very quiet, and in that time I asked adult friends with divorced parents what they remembered," she told the magazine.
"There was this resounding theme – 'It was really hard because for the first two years my parents didn't speak.' 'It was awful for a while,' or 'My parents hated each other.' And I thought, 'I would really love to skip that part.' Those kids felt they were constantly betraying one parent by being with the other."
Paltrow said she doesn't believe divorce has to be "devastating" either: "It doesn't have to be the end of your relationship with somebody. I think Chris and I were meant to be together and have our kids. But our relationship is much better like this: friends and co-parents and family."
A post shared by Gwyneth Paltrow (@gwynethpaltrow) on Nov 26, 2017 at 12:59pm PST
The former couple have led an exemplary model of co-parenting since their divorce with both of them regularly spotted out and about with their children Apple and Moses, supporting each other's work like when Paltrow watched Coldplay headline Glastonbury from the side of the stage, and speaking of each other highly at all times.
Paltrow has since remarried, marrying director Brad Falchuk in September. The couple were even joined by Martin and their children for their honeymoon in the Maldives. Back in 2017, she shared a picture of Martin and Falchuk having breakfast at her house together on Instagram, with the hashtag "Modern Family".
Paltrow, Falchuk, Martin and Dakota Johnson, who is in a relationship with Martin, reportedly spent both Thanksgiving and New Year's together with the children, further cementing their approach to co-parenting and continuing as a modern family without acrimony.
The full interview appears in this week's edition of ES Magazine, out Thursday, January 17, 2019.
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