Exes Gwyneth Paltrow and Brad Pitt reunited for Goop, and even though the interview is pegged to cashmere, it’s a delightful trip down memory lane for anyone who remembers their romance 25 years ago. And it’s clear the two look back at their time together fondly.
Gwyneth and Pitt met in 1994 filming Se7en. He proposed in 1996, but they split the following year. Pitt was very close to Gwyneth’s late father, actor Bruce Paltrow, throughout their relationship. In the interview posted on Tuesday, Pitt credits the Paltrows with introducing him to some of the luxuries of life.
“Bruce taught me about cashmere, what a nice bottle of red is — what a fine bottle of wine means and how to experience it. And I really value that. Hanging out with both of you sanded off some of my rough country edges,” the Oklahoma native shared. “It tickled my luxury gene that I always had somewhere in there but didn’t have access to.”
Although Pitt was promoting his new venture God’s True Cashmere, available on Goop of course, the interview quickly turned personal.
“Since it’s almost Father’s Day, I’m going to ask you about Bruce. I’ll never forget when we were engaged and he came to me one day, his eyes full of tears, and he said, ‘You know, I never really realized what they mean when they say you’re gaining a son. Like, I’m gaining a son.’ What impact did he have on you? Why did you love him, even though we didn’t get married, unfortunately,” Gwyneth asked.
“Yeah, right,” Pitt laughed. “Oh man, everything works out, doesn’t it?”
“Yes, it does. I finally found the Brad I was supposed to marry. It just took me 20 years,” Gwyneth quipped. The Talented Mr. Ripley star wed writer Brad Falchuk in 2018.
Pitt said “it’s lovely” to have the actress “as a friend now” and she agreed.
“And I do love you,” Pitt added.
“I love you so much,” Gwyneth replied.
Pitt praised Bruce for his style of parenting, telling Gwyneth “he really fostered your voice, your independence.
“He carved the way for you guys to be who you are. And I think that’s so important to parenting, you know? So the child is free to find out who they are and what they love and what they don’t. You guys were just so free in your conversations. And witty. And intelligent. And funny as f***,” Pitt recalled. “You guys were so funny together, ripping across the table, which was a rarity that I hadn’t experienced much, and I loved it. The fun you guys had was infectious. You could just see just how much he adored you.”
Apparently, Gwyneth’s 18-year-old daughter Apple, whom she shares with ex-husband Chris Martin, is “funny like Bruce.”
Gwyneth has spoken before about how much Bruce adored Pitt.
“My father was so devastated when we broke up,” she told Howard Stern in 2015. “My father loved him like a son.” Gwyneth wouldn’t confirm she was the one who dumped Pitt, but said, “I was such a kid.
“I was 22 when we met. It’s taken me until 40 to get my head out of my ass. You can’t make that decision when you’re 22 years old,” she recalled. “I wasn’t ready, and he was too good for me … I didn’t know what I was doing.”
