Overview
- Gwyneth Paltrow told the Friends Keep Secrets podcast on Saturday that an unnamed therapist introduced the concept of "conscious uncoupling" when she and Chris Martin separated in 2014.
- Paltrow said the approach was meant to keep the family unit intact for their children by avoiding tense interactions and preserving routines like Sunday brunch.
- She described a tense moment after the move to Los Angeles that was defused with a hug and a fist bump as an example of how they tried to stay a functioning family.
- Paltrow has said the phrase became a cultural catchphrase that generated backlash and that the negative response later cost her a movie role.
- Their divorce was finalized in 2016, Paltrow remarried Brad Falchuk in 2018, and the episode updates the public record about why the couple adopted the therapist's wording and how it has followed her publicly.