Gwyneth Paltrow and Coldplay's Chris Martin split after key moment on family holiday

Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin rocked the showbiz world when they announced they were splitting after more than a decade of marriage, but the couple have remained close friends

Coldplay is gearing up for an epic stadium tour next year, which comes over a decade since lead singer Chris Martin and Hollywood actress Gwyneth Paltrow stunned fans with their announcement of "conscious uncoupling".

The duo had been married for more than 10 years when they shared the news of their separation in 2014. Their romance began backstage at a Coldplay gig in 2002, leading to nuptials the following year.

The celebrity pair have two children together, Apple and Moses. Despite outward appearances of a solid partnership, complete with shared interests and values, Gwyneth, aged 52, recognised a significant issue within their relationship.

In a personal essay, she disclosed that over time, the couple acknowledged they "didn't quite fit" together. Even after efforts to mend their bond, they chose to part ways but maintained a friendship. In fact, Gwyneth has said they grew closer post-divorce.

Here's a look back on how the Goop entrepreneur and the Devon-born musician ended their romantic journey and what brought about the famed "conscious uncoupling", reports Devon Live.

Announcing their split

When they made their split public in 2014, they expressed continued deep affection for one another, stating they "love each other very much", but had decided it was best to "remain separate". Nonetheless, they committed to co-parenting their children.

In a statement, they expressed: "It is with hearts full of sadness that we have decided to separate. We have been working hard for well over a year, some of it together, some of it separated, to see what might have been possible between us, and we have come to the conclusion that while we love each other very much we will remain separate."

They added, "We are, however, and always will be a family, and in many ways we are closer than we have ever been. We are parents first and foremost, to two incredibly wonderful children and we ask for their and our space and privacy to be respected at this difficult time. We have always conducted our relationship privately, and we hope that as we consciously uncouple and co-parent, we will be able to continue in the same manner."

'I've lived a lot since then'

Chris described the separation as a "very wonderful separation-divorce" but confessed he had "lived a lot" since the couple parted ways. The 47-year-old also admitted it was a "weird" situation.

Speaking to the Sunday Times Magazine in 2016, he said: "It's always out there in the media, but I have a very wonderful separation-divorce. I've lived a lot since then. It's a divorce, but it's a weird one."

Chris mentioned that shortly after parting ways, they decided to concentrate on their family rather than trying to assign blame. He stated, "You can come it at very aggressively and blame and blame. Or you can put yourself in the garage, so to speak. Take yourself apart and clean off the bits. Reassemble."

The frontman of Viva La Vida, has disclosed that he turned to literature to cope with his divorce, as reported by the Mirror. He found solace in books such as The Guest House by Persian poet Rumi, and Man's Search for Meaning by psychiatrist and Auschwitz survivor Victor Frankl.

On the other hand, Gwyneth referred to her ex-husband as "like a younger brother". She added: "I'm really close to him. We're a family. Even though we're not in a romantic relationship, we're a true family and we like to do things to reinforce that we're a family for the children [and] for each other.

"[The split] was a very intense time for our family. Emotions were very high and deep and all over the place. I just try to keep to myself as much as possible."

'He's up for the challenge'

Gwyneth had previously confessed that marriage was challenging, acknowledging that "dealing with things" had "directly changed" their relationship. In an interview with Self, she stated: "You're not learning anything unless you're having the difficult conversations. Dealing with things directly changed my relationships."

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"Sometimes when you get clear about who you are, others get less comfortable because they liked who you were. It's changed my marriage, too, but he's up for the challenge."

Major problem realised

The family jetted off to a luxurious cottage in Tuscany, Italy, to celebrate Gwyneth's 38th birthday. However, instead of being a joyous occasion, the entrepreneur confessed it was the moment she realised their marriage was over.

Gwyneth Paltrow opened up about the moment she realised her marriage to Chris Martin was over, recounting in an essay for British Vogue: "I don't remember which day of the weekend it was or the time of day. But I knew – despite long walks and longer lie-ins, big glasses of Barolo and hands held – my marriage was over."

She described the realisation as something deep-seated, saying: "What I do remember is that it felt almost involuntary, like the ring of a bell that has sounded and cannot be undone. The inadvertent release of a helium balloon into the sky. I tried to quell that knowing, to push it far down. I tried to convince myself it had been a fleeting thought, that marriage is complicated and ebbed and flowed. But I knew it. It was in my bones."

In her candid piece, Paltrow explained that despite their best efforts, she and Martin simply weren't meant to be romantically involved, but they continued to fight for their family: "We just didn't quite fit together. But man, did we love our children. Between the day that I knew and the day we finally relented to the truth, we tried everything."

She detailed their struggle not to give up on their relationship: "We did not want to fail. We didn't want to let anyone down. We desperately didn't want to hurt our children. We didn't want to lose our family."

Life after divorce

The article also touched on life post-divorce, noting that Paltrow and Martin's divorce was finalised in 2015. Martin has since found love with Dakota Johnson, star of 'Fifty Shades of Grey', and moved to Malibu, California.

A source told People magazine that the duo "got engaged years ago" but seem to be in "no rush to get married". Back in December 2020, she was seen sporting what looked like an engagement ring, yet remained mum on the accessory.

Gwyneth started seeing producer Brad Falchuk in 2010 after meeting on the Glee set. They made their romance official in April 2015 and declared their engagement in 2018, before getting hitched later the same year.

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