When Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin decided to “consciously uncouple” back in 2014, the world became consciously confused because:
a) After 11 years of marriage, what brought on this conscious uncoupling?
b) What does conscious uncoupling even mean?
Well, (as we discovered) the couple, who are parents to Apple, 13, and 11-year-old Moses, divorced, going their separate ways in seemingly amicable, friendly even, fashion.
However, as the goop founder explains to THE EDIT, this split was in no way as simple as it may’ve appeared. In fact, according to Gwyneth, it was “the most difficult thing I’ve ever done in my life”.
“I wanted to turn my divorce into a positive,” Gwyneth, 44, began.
“What if I didn’t blame the other person for anything, and held myself 100 per cent accountable? What if I checked my own s**t at the door and put my children first? And reminded myself about the things about my ex-husband that I love, and fostered the friendship?”
“What I put myself through to get there was the most difficult thing I’ve ever done in my life.”
She then goes on to address the (organic/sex-dust-owning/vagina-crystal-wielding) elephant in the room: consciously uncoupling may sound “dorky”, but, to be frank, she couldn’t care less.
“I know it’s a dorky term, but it’s very worthwhile,” she continues.
“I’m always the person who gets s**t at first, but then later people say, ‘Hey, maybe that’s a good idea’. I don’t mind.”
Her words, not ours.
“I’ve had an extraordinary life, where things have happened in a huge way – huge success, huge joy, huge pain, huge loss,” Gwyneth continues.
“And the reason I feel happy today is because I’ve milked the f**k out of every opportunity. I haven’t made one mistake that I haven’t used as a stepping stone to get somewhere else.
“I’m ruthless when it comes to using the hard things.”
PREACH.