Brad Pitt and Gwyneth Paltrow were one of those 'golden couples' of the 90s. Brad was 31 then and already a star. Paltrow was 22 and just stepping foot into the world of entertainment. They dated for 4 years and got engaged. They called it quits in 1997 and went their separate ways. Each found love elsewhere, leaving a trail of beautiful memories behind, as well as some rumors.
They had a nice love story, even though they didn't end up together.
A world-class actor-producer who owns Plan B Entertainment, Brad Pitt is one of the most handsome superstars in the world. He's won several important awards. Brad is a father of five, he is still going strong as an actor, and he is always in the news for professional and personal reasons.
Gwyneth Paltrow is an actor-singer-author and entrepreneur. Winner of a series of accolades for her work, she is most famous for her performance in Shakespeare in Love, which won her an Oscar. She shares two children with her former spouse, Chris Martin.
Here is a quick recount of Brad and Gwyn's romantic liaison, back in the 90s:
14 The Beginning
It started on the set of the David Fincher thriller, Se7en, in 1995. They were, during the mid-90s, one of the most talked-about celeb couples. Brad formally proposed to Paltrow in 1996. They would be seen everywhere together, looking pretty. They even had twinning hairstyles at some point.
Both were excited about the romance in their life, and Brad even talked about having kids with her in the future.
13 The Grand Proposal
The couple had many fans. One big admirer of the duo was Meryl Poster, the movie exec. She told Us Magazine that Brad was completely besotted with Paltrow and the two had immense love for each other...enough for all in the room.
Brad called his proposal to Paltrow "one of the greatest" moments of his life.
12 The Engagement
While accepting a Golden Globe Best Supporting Actor award in 1996, for 12 Monkeys, Brad called out to Paltrow, thanking her and addressing her as "the love of my life". The same year, Paltrow informed the media of their engagement. Things seemed to be going really well, didn't they?
11 The 90s Obsession
Brad and Gwyneth were perhaps the hottest 'it couple' of the 90s. They were thought to be obsessed with each other, so much so that Paltrow would drink from a mug etched with Brad's face when she had to be away from him.
Brad used to brag about her all the time, saying he had never been happier. He told people that his girlfriend had 'class'.
10 Faith In The Relationship
Paltrow had a lot of faith in the relationship. She told the media that the engagement was not a rash decision - they had been together for a long time and they meant to make things work in the future.
She added that there had been no divorce in her family ever, so she took the institution of marriage seriously.
9 The Heartbreak
When they broke up in 1997, a heartbroken Paltrow commented: "When two people are not supposed to be together, they're not supposed to be together." To her, it was a matter of destiny.
In an interview years later, she revealed that her father, Bruce Paltrow, was devastated at the news of their split. She said her father loved Brad as though Pitt was his son.
8 The Charm Of Brad Pitt
In 2015, Paltrow told Howard Stern in an interview that the two split when she was only 22. Basically, she was too young and just not ready to wed. Brad had been too good for her, but she was just a kid.
She was certainly in love, yet she lacked the maturity to hold the relationship together. She added that she found him gorgeous and sweet. He was Brad Pitt, after all.
7 The Public Couple
Brad Pitt and Paltrow got engaged on the 20th of December in 1994. For both, this was the first very high-profile relationship. Paltrow called the relationship 'surreal'.
They did things together and were constantly under the public gaze. She said later that to be a public couple was a strange feeling.
6 Messed Up Relationship
The romance between Brad and Paltrow was such an affair to remember. This is why they are still asked about it. In 2018, while speaking to Sophia Amoruso, during an episode of Girlboss, Paltrow faced the usual questions and commented that she had '"f..ed it up'".
She called herself a pro when it comes to messing up romantic affairs and her relationship with Brad was no exception. She said that she messed it up herself!
5 Moving On
After the breakup, both moved on. Brad got together with Jennifer Aniston, whom he later married, and Paltrow began a romance with Ben Affleck, whom she dated until 2000.
Paltrow won an Oscar for her performance in Shakespeare in love in 1999, launched her immensely popular lifestyle brand, Goop, and is currently married to writer/producer Brad Falchuk.
Brad Pitt rose to superstardom, had a fall out with Jennifer, and then married and divorced Jolie.
Brad Pitt Avoids Gwyneth Paltrow
There are mixed reports about how things are between Paltrow and Brad today. A source went on to tell the Globe that Brad had no interest in catching up with her now, the way he enjoys catching up with Jennifer Aniston. He said Brad had turned down requests from Paltrow to hang out, but she didn't seem to take the hint, ever.
Another insider mentioned that Brad would quietly exit the area when Paltrow approached him.
4 Friends Now
When Gossip Cop checked with Brad Pitt's spokesperson, to see if the rumors of Brad avoiding Paltrow were true, the rep denied it, calling it 'totally false'. Paltrow mentioned to Harper's Bazaar that she was on friendly terms with her ex-boyfriends, including Brad.
A sister outlet of the Globe, Radar Online, stirred things up. It claimed on a blog sometime back that the two were in some 'secret relationship'.
3 When Brad Became The Savior
Back in the '90s, during their romantic spell, Brad Pitt saved his then-bae, Paltrow, from sexual advances from the infamous Hollywood producer, Harvey Weinstein. The producer had called Paltrow to his hotel room and asked for a massage. This was after she had signed for roles in Emma and Shakespeare in Love. Brad defended Paltrow in that situation.
2 Brad's Recent Revelation
In a recent interview with CNN, Brad spoke about the incident. He revealed that he threatened to kill Weinstein for hitting on Paltrow and warned Harvey to never make her feel uncomfortable again.
She had signed on for two films already, so Brad had to stand by her. Paltrow was all praise for her ex, who protected her at a time when she was new to the industry and vulnerable.
1 The Toxic Split
The surreal relationship started falling apart eventually. There was gossip about Paltrow cheating on Brad with actor, John Hannah, who appeared with Paltrow in the film, Sliding Doors.
Brad's bestie, Jean Black, once claimed Paltrow's behavior did raise suspicion at that time. Though Paltrow never admitted to anything, she did take the entire blame for turning her romance with Brad into a toxic relationship. She said she had cold feet about marriage and messed things up.