Why Did Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow Divorce? Inside the Details of Their Split

There have been plenty of Hollywood splits that have completely captivated the public’s attention — and one of them involves Academy Award winner Gwyneth Paltrow and Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, and their infamous “conscious uncoupling.” But what exactly led to their divorce? Let’s revisit the split.

After meeting the previous year in October 2002, Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin officially married in December 2003 in a small ceremony at the Santa Barbara County Courthouse. They welcomed their first child, Apple, six months later, in May 2004, and their son, Moses, in April 2006.

In March 2014, after over 10 years of marriage, Chris and Gwyneth ushered in a new phrase into the pop culture lexicon when they announced their divorce on Gwyneth’s Goop website in a post titled “Conscious Uncoupling” to describe their split.

“It is with hearts full of sadness that we have decided to separate,” the post began. "We have come to the conclusion that while we love each other very much we will remain separate. We are, however, and always will be a family, and in many ways we are closer than we have ever been."

“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. Love, Gwyneth & Chris,” the post concluded.

In April 2015, their divorce was finalized, and the two again stressed that they were still very close friends despite ending their marriage. "This is a natural evolution for Gwyneth and Chris as friends and as a couple," a source told PEOPLE at the time. "They remain close, and they remain totally committed to Apple and Moses as they find their way forward as individuals."

In the divorce announcement on Goop, Gwyneth tapped Dr. Habib Sadeghi and his wife, Dr. Sherry Sami, to break down what the term actually meant.

A “conscious uncoupling is the ability to understand that every irritation and argument [within a marriage] was a signal to look inside ourselves and identify a negative internal object that needed healing,” the explanation read.

“From this perspective, there are no bad guys, just two people, each playing teacher and student respectively,” the post continued. “When we understand that both are actually partners in each other’s spiritual progress, animosity dissolves much quicker and a new paradigm for conscious uncoupling emerges, replacing the traditional, contentious divorce. It’s only under these circumstances that loving co-parenting can happen.”

“It’s conscious uncoupling that prevents families from being broken by divorce and creates expanded families that continue to function in a healthy way outside of traditional marriage,” the post said.

In the years since their divorce, Gwyneth has remarried; in September 2018, she tied the knot with Hollywood producer Brad Falchuk. Meanwhile, Chris was in an eight-year relationship with Dakota Johnson, but the two officially split in June 2025.