In 2014, Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin 'consciously uncoupled'. She says it's made divorce 'easier' for others.

Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin were together for over 10 years, which is eons in celebrity relationship years.

But in 2014 they publicly announced their separation through a blog post on Gwenyth's Goop.

Only, they weren't talking about a split, but instead referred to their parting as a ‘conscious uncoupling.’

“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,” the blog post wrote. 

“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.”

The accompanying essay delves into human history and deconstructs why traditional marriages may not be working in modern times.

"Modern society adheres to the concept that marriage should be lifelong; but when we’re living three lifetimes compared to early humans, perhaps we need to redefine the construct,” the essay stated. 

“Uncoupling is rooted in how to part amicably, keeping mutual respect as part of the process and remembering the needs of any children involved.”

Paltrow continues to explain that ‘conscious uncoupling’ is taking those values and adding some self-reflection so that the individuals in the relationship don’t take the same issues into their next one. 

Now, eight years later, Paltrow believes her essay has had a ripple effect in society, potentially making the divorces of others easier to manage. 

The actress who’s been in headlines multiple times this year already, recently responded to a question on her Instagram Stories about the term ‘conscious uncoupling.’

Image: Instagram @gwynethpaltrow

While Paltrow is often credited with coining the phrase, it was actually started by Katherine Woodward Thomas in 2009, who Paltrow credited in her original essay. 

“I definitely did not coin the phrase,” Paltrow explained in her response on Instagram. 

“I feel despite us taking quite a lot of s**t for it when we first announced that all these years ago… I feel very proud that we were able to, maybe, make some divorces a little bit easier, happier.”

The actor is referring to the huge number of jokes that were being made at their expense online at the time. Especially on Twitter under the hashtag #conciousuncoupling. 

I love it when unintelligent celebs try and act intelligent, Separating from your husband and calling it #ConciousUnCoupling is one of them

— Alex Mills (@AlexMills) March 26, 2014

Paltrow shared that despite the jokes, people have come up to her in public thanking her for the essay which taught them a lot about themselves and their relationships. 

"It makes me feel pretty proud when people come up to me on the streets and say, "Thank you for introducing that concept because I've become good friends with my ex."

She ended with, "I'm very happy that we were able to play a small part in that cultural shift."

Both Paltrow and ex-husband Chris Martin have moved on to new relationships, but remain friends and happily co-parent their children. 

Feature Image: Getty