Gwyneth Paltrow believed her own hype at 27, so her dad called her an a–hole

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Gwyneth Paltrow covers the latest issue of Marie Claire UK, and while the photos are kind of terrible (lol), the profile is actually a great read. The MC journalist goes to Gwyneth’s Hamptons home for the interview, and there are tons of details about how Gwyneth and her many staffers interact with the peasant “reporter.” There are also details about Goop’s Hamptons home, like this: there was an “airy, immaculate lounge filled with low, pale furniture, a grand piano and vast, muted works of modern art. There’s no twee beach chic here.” It might be a Hamptons home, but Gwyn would never be so gauche as to decorate with – GULP – rattan, wicker or anything beach-friendly. The MC interviewer also made this hilarious note: “Nicholas, another staff member, fetches me a giant goblet of iced water.” The whole thing is a treat. You can read it here. Some highlights:

Goop is not all snake oil and cultural appropriation: “People love to talk about our “incendiary” wellness content, but we’re a lifestyle brand, so we have gorgeous homeware and fashion. You’re not going into the store to have an exorcism or enema.”

She speaks in absolute gibberish: Her conversation is peppered with ‘modalities’ and ‘verticals’, bumping up against the earnest discourse of the self-help industry; she’s the only non-therapist I have ever heard employ the phrase ‘family of origin’, and she refers to herself as ‘an integrity’.

She’s reading a stack of leadership books. “That’s all I read. The psychology of this, the culture of influence that, and all these f–king business books. If you saw my nightstand, you’d be like, where is the nerd?’ Two years ago, she stepped up to become CEO, and has, she says, ‘a very regular working mum routine’, when the family is home in LA. ‘I get my kids up, take them to school, exercise, then go to the office. I stay there all day.’

The horrendous New York Times profile a few months ago: She admits today that she didn’t read the piece word for word, but skimmed it – ‘I don’t like to read about myself – it’s none of my business what people think of me. Ultimately, it shows the strength of the business. There are Fortune 500 companies that aren’t in the NYT, ever. So, it means that we’re on the right track, we’re doing something important, we’re iconoclasts and trailblazers. You can love it or hate it, but we’re building something that’s changing the world, and it’s irrefutable that the world is coming along with us.’

How her dad told her, when she was 27, that she was becoming an a–hole: “I was just believing my own hype, thinking that I was super-awesome. And he was like, “You’re getting weird – you’re acting like a dick”… When you achieve the kind of fame that I did by the time I was 25 or 26, the world starts removing all your obstacles because you’re now a “special person.” You don’t have to wait in line at a restaurant, and if a car doesn’t show up, someone else gives you theirs. There is nothing worse for the growth of a human being than not having obstacles and disappointments, and things go wrong. All of my greatest achievements have come out of failure.’

Why she wanted to get remarried: ‘I think that marriage is a really beautiful, noble and worthwhile institution, pursuit and endeavour. Because 
I don’t think you get married and that’s it – I think it’s the beginning. You create this third entity, this third being that you have to nourish and look after. For a while, I thought, I don’t know if I’d ever do it again. I have my kids – what’s the point? And then I met this incredible man, who made me think, no, this person is worth making this commitment to. I’m very much the marrying kind. I love being 
a wife. I love making a home.’

What she misses about acting: ‘Nothing. It’s so weird. It was such a part of my identity for so long… I went out to LA for a couple of days, and I actually didn’t hate it. But I just don’t miss it. The level and breadth of creativity that I have in this job is so bananas, and I’m very fulfilled.’

[From Marie Claire UK]

She talks about going out to LA “for a couple of days,” like it happens so rarely, but earlier in the interview she talks about her home being LA. Which is it, Goop? I thought Moses and Apple go to school in LA, so wouldn’t she spend most of the year in LA? Wasn’t that the point of Chris Martin buying a home close to hers in LA too? And doesn’t Brad Falchuk live and work full-time in LA? That being said, I can understand why she wants to more closely associate herself with the Hamptons, because that’s more her core audience than LA. As for the rest of it…SHE REFERS TO HERSELF AS AN INTEGRITY. And she didn’t even bother reading that scathing NYT article.

Cover and Instagram courtesy of Marie Claire UK.

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92 Responses to “Gwyneth Paltrow believed her own hype at 27, so her dad called her an a–hole”

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  1. Aephra says:

    She still believes her own hype…

    • Digital Unicorn says:

      Still does and she still is an a-hole.

      Her skin and hair look awful, she really does look like a low rent CBK.

      • minx says:

        Yeah, her skin, hair and posture are all terrible in those pictures.

      • Jan90067 says:

        Oh dear Lord, the pretension is still running high with this one. She is “AN integrity”?? Uhm, honey, no. When you try and sell someone an $800 vaginal “egg” or “steam cleaner”, you don’t HAVE integrity. When you try and sell subscriptions to a monthly supply of camel milk, yeah, no. You not only still believe your own hype, but you’re still getting high off the stink of your sh!t.

        Check this paragraph from an article about her Goopiness:
        ~”In the past year, both Goop and Paltrow herself have received extensive criticism from a variety of publications like The Atlantic, Jezebel, and The Outline for shilling pseudoscience from non-medical experts and inviting commentary from actual medical experts trying to shill their own products. In August 2017, consumer advocacy group, Truth in Advertising, urged two California attorneys to take action and investigate Goop for unsubstantiated products and claims—over 50 instances, in fact. But Goop isn’t apologizing, and it’s not stopping. In fact, this detox guide, with its extravagance, shows that they’re not backing down from their pedestal. Goop, it seems, is kookier than ever!”

        https://qz.com/quartzy/1173239/the-zaniest-products-on-gwyneth-paltrows-2018-goop-detox-list/

      • Apalapa says:

        If someone is into GOOP sh!t-it tends to tell me a lot about them.

        Like are they rich and white or are they trying to assimilate into elite or wealthy spaces. And also that they are anxious about being perceived as a peasant/social climber.

        GOOP’s entire business model is built on existence of a rich/ superrich white class with $ to waste.

      • Ctgirl says:

        Goop is a Botox Betty.

      • EllieMichelle says:

        More like Botox Becky 🙂

    • derpshooter says:

      Especially after reading these latest excerpts of a Paltrow interview (cause no way am I reading the whole article), I think goopy Goop was a real miss for Scientology. Goop instead of Cruise/Miscavige reminds me of the Galadriel quote when she’s wrestling with the psychic influence of Sauron’s ring: “Instead of a Dark Lord, you would have a queen, not dark but beautiful and terrible as the dawn! Tempestuous as the sea, and stronger than the foundations of the earth! All shall love me and despair!”

  2. BooRadley says:

    I would too. You’re an a-hole goop and I love it!!!!

  3. Feedmechips says:

    In other words, nothing has changed.

  4. minx says:

    Hoo boy, that article did not disappoint: “I’ve always been the person who introduces wellness ideas into the culture.” The person who calls her an “elitist charlatan” pretty much nailed it.

    • Mabs A'Mabbin says:

      Omg right? That woman believes she brought us yoga. Has she ever ‘exercised’ a cursory skip through yoga history in America? No. Because she’s not mentioned ANYWHERE. I have the taste of bile in my mouth after reading her memorized-non-chalant-but-superior-learned-worthy prattle.

      • Pandy says:

        Seriously. I come from a small hamlet in rural Nova Scotia (village would be giving it airs) and my friend’s mother was a practicing yogi back in 1976 … so yeah, you go ahead and claim you introduced yoga, Charlatan.

      • ChillyWilly says:

        Yeah, she is so full of shit. My mom did yoga in the early 1970’s in small town Ohio.

      • angry bird says:

        My “family of origin” practice yoga not only because our ancestors did, but also because yoga is part of our culture and philosophical traditions and has been for oh, I dunno, at least the last 10,000 years.

      • EllieMichelle says:

        My mom’s been doing yoga since the 70s too. Goop is such a pretentious nitwit.

      • Kitten says:

        FFS how old is the The Bhagavad Gita?

  5. Nev says:

    Love goop!!!! Gorgeous spread in Marie Claire.

  6. Lana says:

    Guys if u haven’t watched “Web therapy” episode with Goop playing her own pumped up version, I recommend!…. and Lisa kudrow uses the words “modality” all the time 😀

  7. sally cook says:

    I like the photos but boy is she insufferable.

    • Esmom says:

      I like the photos, too, although the cover seems too heavy on the photoshop — her face looks distorted.

      As for her insufferable comments, she honestly sounds like a lot of business (tech, media, advertising) people I know. I have sat in conference calls that almost seem like a competition to deploy as many as these BS buzzwords as possible. It’s insanely pretentious, imo, but they are so stuck in their bubbles they don’t realize it. I’m sure Goop is the same way.

      • quiet says:

        True that… She sounds like startup or consulting people, wtih the buzzwords:-)

      • mx says:

        LEVERAGE CONTENT STAKEHOLDERS BARF

      • Kitten says:

        I work in a very large high rise in downtown Boston and even the short-but-crowded elevator rides up to the office in the AM can be excruciating. Business people are the WORST to listen to.

  8. Steff says:

    She’s what I expect an alien to act like when trying to pass as human.

  9. Chrissy says:

    Nothing ever changes with Goop. Pretentious and full of it as always. How about be facing the fact that she can’t carry a movie anymore so she had to find something else to fill her time? How about her stealing another woman’s husband (although of course he cheated as well)? I guess that’s what she means by a “noble endeavour or pursuit”. Her dad was right, she’s still an a**hole and she’s learned nothing. I guess she’s beyond soul-searching…who calls themselves an “iconoclast”?

  10. Antanina says:

    She is so full of shite. I bet if you look up the words “oblivious” and “privileged” in the dictionary, there must be a photo of her next to it.

  11. Nancy says:

    There are so many victims of too much fame too soon. She had a close relationship with her dad and he called her out. I think it is awesome. Too bad she lost him so soon.

    • L84Tea says:

      I have often wondered how ‘possibly’ different she would be now if her father had not passed away when he did.

      • Nancy says:

        I think that’s a fair statement for anyone who loses their parent(s) young. She was around 30, I think, when he passed. That’s not necessarily young, but he seemed to be her anchor and the opposite of a yes man they all seem to be surrounded by. He was her date when she won her Oscar in that ever so pink dress. She was close to her grandfather as well. I’m not a big fan of her work or silliness, but have respect for those who keep family first.

  12. helonearth says:

    What I shame she didn’t pay attention and change then.

  13. gingersnaps says:

    She’s so full of herself that it’s funny, annoying and sad at the same time.

  14. SM says:

    1. What she needs on her night stand is not nerd, but “philosophy for dummies” for starters. It may help her get out of her own ass. Might be too late for that though.
    2. You can tell poor goopy lost her father a long time ago, clearly no one told her what a dick she is for years.
    3. Brad whatever his name is deserves some award for putting up with this mess that is so extra every second of the day on the daily basis.
    4. I feel sorry for her kids.
    5. She looks terrible. The skin, the hair. How come is is still some wellness guru?

    • Aurelia says:

      I think she needs some omega 3 and some sunblock. Her skin is PARCHED. Not even the photoshop could disgiuse it. She needs to give up the ciggs and stop frying her hair with bleach. Not even olaplex can save it. It’s done.

  15. another someone says:

    just another version of donald trump – builds all this persona and cons people. she’ll be president of US in the future.

    • Medusa says:

      Yes and no. Yes, she is a narcissist even though she pretends to be so mindful. No, because his brand of narcissism is malignant. Hers is pretty harmless and easily ignored. I might be harsh but if you can’t figure out that paying 66 dollars for a magic stone to push up your ladybits is a dumb idea then maybe you deserve to get ripped off (and/or develop an infection).

  16. Beer&Crumpets says:

    She has the delusion that she possesses The Power Of Thought Made Manifest- where if she thinks or feels that something is true, it *becomes* true because she thinks or feels that it is. My ex husband is like that. The only difference between them is that he’s a functionally illiterate, financially bereft redneck moron, and she’s Gwyneth Paltrow. Other than that, they’re basically the same person.

  17. Mara says:

    They said on Radio 4 that Goop was promoting crystals a cure for infertility. That’s not just wrong, it’s cruel and I can’t even enjoy making fun of her anymore.
    She’s just the same as any othercon man.

  18. OriginalLala says:

    I read the article and …do people actually speak like that about themselves?! holy cripes..that is NUTS!

  19. Darla says:

    She is so ridiculous.

  20. GoPlacidly says:

    Of course she is completely ridiculous, as are the people who buy what she’s selling, but I can’t agree that she looks bad or that there’s anything wrong with her skin and her hair. I can’t with her fashion choices but think she looks damn good. I didn’t look that good at 46.

  21. Lindy says:

    Oh my god, could this woman sound any more pretentious and insufferable? She’s awful.

  22. Murphy says:

    ….so is she pointing out that she’s still the asshole she was when she was 26?
    Like she mentions it and discusses it but then doesn’t offer any ways she has evolved or changed

  23. Morrissey says:

    She is forever doing this exact same thing; she gives an interview talking about how she used to do/be/say things that were not great, and it’s all to show how much more awesome she is now, and so totally *not* the gaping maw of a-hole that she is. But it’s all a humble brag anyway because she was/did/said the things at the time because she was so famous and so amazing and so talented that she got away with it.

    I still think she’d be an absolute blast to get sh*t faced with.

  24. chlo says:

    …does anyone really believe that she didn’t read that article several times?

  25. Amelie says:

    That cover is terrible! The middle part she has sported for years has never been kind to her. I’ve always thought she vaguely looked like an elf for some reason.

    And at least her dad called her out all those years ago, I wish her mom would do the same! Because she hasn’t changed. She still believes her own hype and that what she is doing is changing the world. A lot of people must be buying what she’s selling because Goop just seems to be thriving.

    No wonder Chris Martin left her! I would too if I had to listen to the way she talks all the time.

  26. Guest says:

    @Kaiser ~ this needs to be said. ‘Family of Origin’ counselling was incredibly, exceptionally helpful to me. In the ’80s I was a Supervisor of 13 people. They said to my boss (in my evaluation) that I seemed to leak anger…..my boss suggested counselling. The counselling was based on a book “Family Ties that Bind” by Ronald W Richardson and it was such an eye opener. Learning about how one’s place in the family, and one’s responses to the ebbs and flow of family dynamics helped me immeasurably to change my responses and manage my emotions …. first, by recognizing where they came from, then by learning how to move past them into conscious responses vs unconscious responses. I have referred folks to that counselling, and the book ever since, cause it really is an amazing eye opener, especially if you come from a distraught family dynamic. And I use the phrase, and am only occasionally an a$$hole

  27. Cay says:

    The problem she has is the same one Kristen Bell mentioned recently in an interview. (And I’m sure it’s a common trait to most actors in Hollywood.) They both have said they don’t read or listen to anything negative about them. They believe in positive thoughts. Well, that’s all well and good, but that is an incredibly isolated, narcissistic, warped, and idealized version of oneself. Can you imagine if the average person (you and me) could go a day or a week without someone chiming in about how we could improve our work performance or our household? Most of us are constantly taking in criticism. I think it’s one of the things that keeps us humble and grounded. These people surround themselves with only sycophants.

    (And, by the way, her version of events about when she decided she would be willing to get married again. Yeah, babe, you were both still married to your first partners when you started your affair with your current husband. Revisionist history at its best.)

    • Sharon Lea says:

      Really good point Cay, the average person, or people lower on the totem pole are constantly taking in criticism in a normal work place on a daily basis. We are expected to adjust, accommodate and improve. She has that early Martha Stewart, above the fray vibe that I don’t connect with (pre Snoop Dogg!).

      • jwoolman says:

        Criticism by people you actually know and work with and who have to look you in the face and you know where they live is quite different from the vicious garbage all over the internet by people who don’t know you personally. That’s one reason letting kids become YouTube/internet stars is a huge mistake. It will be garbage overload and can be very damaging at any age.

        It’s bad enough when kids have net-based discussions with people they know in realspace – many people can’t turn off that sense of “I’m anonymous and I can say anything I want and you can’t hit me because I’m In front of a computer ha ha”. I remember when one conversation online was published between two of the Palin kids (including Bristol, who was old enough to know better) and fellow students of the younger Palin. It was bullying and damaging and I would have confiscated computers and phones over it if in charge of those kids. This kind of crap has led to suicide in vulnerable people.

        It makes great sense for Goop or any celebrity to not read what is written about them. Staff can scan it for anything worth looking at and bypass the garbage.

    • quiet says:

      Except, the negativity directed at them is not the same as the negative feedback we get, is it? No one can survive with that amount of vitriol, starting from criticism about the hair part to bad skin etc.. we as women need to do better-Steve Jobs said the same thing about not taking others criticism seriously and following your own vision. It’s believing in your vision and not letting others criticism steer you away from it..

      • Cay says:

        Fair enough, but The New York Times isn’t social media and Gwyneth Paltrow isn’t a child who doesn’t know how to synthesize internet gossip.

        Unfortunately, I’m a “boss” and I still don’t have the luxury of a type of job that allows me to believe in only my vision without having to listen to criticism. Steve Jobs, I am not.

      • Kitten says:

        You and OP both make great points.

    • EllieMichelle says:

      ITA but with social media and the internet I think there’s a lot more hateful vitriol out there so I do get celebs trying to ignore that. However, critical articles or negative reviews etc are things that I do think people should read. Yes us non famous people have to read yearly reviews at work or get criticism from bosses, or even the public in online business reviews. People aren’t being nasty to her, the criticism is totally valid.

    • insertpunhere says:

      I’m not a fan of Gwyneth Paltrow (and I think GOOP is incredibly terrible), but I get what she (and Kristen Bell) are saying about not reading things that are negative. Although in real life I’m a social worker, I also write a lot. I started posting what I wrote online a while ago, and it’s amazing what people will say about you based on the “art” that you produce, especially when they can do so anonymously. At first, I struggled with even the constructive criticism because I was young, and I was nervous. I’ve gotten okay with that, but people still say some incredibly hurtful things. It’s like they can pretend that I’m not really a person because it’s all online. I don’t think I’m an amazing writer, but my writing has improved, and I have a small (loyal) following. I get someone feeling like something isn’t their cup of tea. We all have preferences. What I don’t get is when people feel the need to attack me personally based on what I wrote or just be vicious in their criticism without any constructiveness at all.

      Plus, there’s a difference between saying someone seems like they have their head up their @$$ and getting personal. Gwyneth could choose to not sell snake oil, but even here, a lot of people are criticizing how she looks. We’ve all done it, myself included, but imagine having to read a bunch of people who have never met you but feel free to pick apart your physical imperfections pore by pore. It would be brutal.

  28. Meg says:

    ‘we are trailblazers’
    honey, you’re in the NYT because you were in movies

  29. Sansa says:

    I love when you point your sharp eye wit and write a proper takedown for someone who really needs it.

  30. holly hobby says:

    Her parents always came off as no nonsense people so yeah I believe Bruce Paltrow said that to his daughter. Too bad none of her parents’ qualities rubbed off on her.

    • Dee Kay says:

      I will always and forever think it’s tragic that Gwyneth Paltrow had the fame that her mother, Blythe Danner, should have had. Blythe Danner was such a phenomenal, astounding actress (and probably still is), but just didn’t break out the way that Gwyneth did. Gwyneth has a tenth at most of her mother’s talent, but got a hundred more lead movie roles and a thousand times as much fame.

  31. Whatever Gurl says:

    I recall reading an interview in which Blythe goes on to reassure her daughter that she is despised because others envy her!

  32. Green Is Good says:

    She must be exhausting to live with. She’s pretentious to the Nth degree.

  33. Enough S Enough says:

    Her mother was a successful actress, her father was one of the most successful TV producers of his time, her early professional mentors were family friends like Spielberg and later Harvey at his most powerful….

    …and she thinks her success is a meritocracy.

    That says it all.

    • minx says:

      Bruce Paltrow produced The White Shadow and St. Elsewhere and that was pretty much it. I liked both shows but I wouldn’t call him a titan of television.

      • Enough S Enough says:

        He was a well-respected, well-liked, well-connected member of MTM. It didn’t get hotter or more prestigious in the 70s and early 80s

      • holly hobby says:

        Bruce Paltrow was a very big name on tv in the 70s and 80s (so says the child raised during that era). Of course he wasn’t as popular as Aaron Spelling (and he didn’t crank out as many as Spelling) but his shows were considered Emmy worthy.

      • minx says:

        Steven Bochco produced Hill Street Blues, L A Law, NYPD Blue. He was far more prolific than Paltrow. Look up IMDB and you can see how few listings Paltrow has.

      • perplexed says:

        I think she was able to benefit from the connections he had though. Steven Spielberg was her godfather.

  34. mx says:

    Gwyneth confuses me. I absolutely loathe her pretentious Goop voice, her pseudoscience bullshit, her elitist upper class stuff, BUT I kind of love her in podcast/radio/tv interview form? Like I think she would be a good hang, as long as she didn’t talk about crystals and clean eating. IDK. I’ve been love/hating GP for 20 years now.

  35. Anon33 says:

    This is an old story. She’s talked about this several times before and always puts a different spin on it.

  36. Courtney says:

    I don’t think “family of origin” is that unusual of a phrase?

  37. tealily says:

    “That’s all I read. The psychology of this, the culture of influence that, and all these f–king business books. If you saw my nightstand, you’d be like, where is the nerd?” Hahaha, no I’d think “Who’s this a**hole… oh right.”

  38. Ann says:

    I would never spend money to look like Gwyneth Paltrow. There are a lot of women I’d love to look like but ol’ Goopy isn’t one of them. She looks dry and like she’s had one too many colonics.

  39. Ren says:

    She’s so unbearable. Congrats on the nepotism Oscar, Gwen. Too sad you have literally zero good movies.

  40. bug says:

    I ran in to her an Chris Martin in Primrose Hill 11 years ago. He said hi and came over to chat and took his sunglasses off. She walked by smirking, ahead of him, like me and my friend were a lower form of life. He stayed and chatted with us.

  41. Newmoon says:

    Gee, I guess I’m the only one who likes her.

  42. Catt Berlin George says:

    Can someone please explain to me how she is building something that is changing the world? And the world is coming along with her? Where? When? How? I really envy her because and only because I would LOVE to be that delusional about my place in the scheme of things. No wonder she is never depressed and so ‘fulfilled’. She truly believes all that crap about herself she says. Unbelievable.

  43. Anare says:

    She gets her kids up, feeds them, gets them to school then goes to the office and stays there ALL DAY. Wow! That is F*ing awesome Goop. Who else could do such an amazing thing? 😂🙄

  44. Philo says:

    Damn, shame daddy died so early because she obviously needed to be told a few more times.

  45. truth hurts says:

    Gwenyth looks more like her mom now. She and Brad Pitt are soul mates and should forever be together. They have the same mind set. I think she was his equal. Both of them are full of themselves and asssholes. And think they are the smartest people on the planet completely ;ive in their own pretentious world..
    I think he got with Aniston for his image. He got with Jolie because she was tempting and the aftermath put him in entertainment bracket.
    Back to Goop. She is really sad and image driven. She has the dry, arrogant, air about her that is so unwelcoming.

  46. Annie says:

    News flash: she’s still an asshole.