Gwyneth Paltrow recently spoke about her past relationship with Brad Pitt, describing their romance as "heady" and admitting she was "so bummed" when they broke up.
Paltrow, 53, made the rare comments on the "Friends Keep Secrets" podcast, reflecting on her "love at first sight" connection with Pitt, whom she met while filming "Se7en." The couple began dating in 1994, became engaged two years later, and ultimately ended their relationship in 1997.
"I was just young, and we were working all over different parts of the world," Paltrow recalled of the "hard" split. "The press aspect and all that makes it feel larger than life in a way. You have to carry this faux cultural importance piece, this extra burden and extra shame that it didn’t work out."
She described Pitt, 62, as a "great guy" and someone she "love[s] to this day," adding, "He’s a friend."
Paltrow, who was 22 when she met the then 31-year-old Pitt, noted that the relationship was her first in the public eye. She found it "overwhelming" to be "getting famous on [her] own" while also becoming "famous as [Pitt’s] girlfriend."
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Paltrow also touched on her past comments comparing Pitt's bedroom skills to those of ex-fiancé Ben Affleck, referencing a 2023 appearance on "Call Her Daddy" where she praised Pitt's "major chemistry" and Affleck's "technical excellen[ce]."
During the podcast, co-host Benny Blanco humorously linked Paltrow's past description of her divorce from Chris Martin as a "conscious uncoupling" to her breakup with Pitt.
Paltrow also discussed her amicable relationship with Martin, with whom she shares daughter Apple, 22, and son Moses, 20. She noted a particularly difficult brunch early in their separation but said they managed to "stayed a family" despite no longer being a couple.
Paltrow is now married to Brad Falchuk, and Blanco joked that she "only date[s] guys named Brad" to avoid confusion.
In a 2025 interview with Variety, Paltrow had previously stated that she generally does not dwell on past relationship choices, saying, "I really embrace the roads that I take. I almost never go back and noodle about choices."