Zing Muse – The famous 1990s couple Brad Pitt and Gwyneth Paltrow were once deeply in love and engaged, but their fairytale wedding never came to be.
A forthcoming biography Gwyneth: The Biography by journalist Amy Odell reveals intimate details about the famed young romance between Gwyneth Paltrow and Brad Pitt—from their passionate courtship and romantic engagement to the reasons behind their breakup and the swirling emotions faced by the Shakespeare in Love actress as Brad moved on with Jennifer Aniston.
The Golden Couple of 1990s Hollywood
Gwyneth Paltrow and Brad Pitt met in 1994 while filming Se7en. The actress was struck by love at first sight upon meeting Brad on set. They soon became one of Hollywood’s most sought-after couples. The combination of Brad’s handsome looks and Gwyneth’s classic elegance, along with both of their rising fame, captured the public’s admiration.
They got engaged in late 1996 during a romantic getaway in Argentina. However, less than a year later, in June 1997, they unexpectedly called off the engagement. Brad Pitt’s representative stated that the split was amicable and not due to any specific incident.
Why the Romance Fell Apart
According to the forthcoming biography, the breakup wasn’t the result of a scandal or betrayal. Instead, it stemmed from underlying rifts that slowly unfolded during their relationship. While working on the film Emma, Gwyneth confided in a crew member that she was unsure whether she and Brad were truly compatible.
Gwyneth came from a wealthy, prominent Hollywood family—her father was director–screenwriter Bruce Paltrow, her mother actress Blythe Danner, and her godfather the influential Steven Spielberg. In contrast, Brad hailed from a middle-class background in Missouri—his father ran a trucking company and his mother worked as a career counselor in high school. These cultural and lifestyle differences, even in minor details (like explaining types of caviar to Brad—“This is beluga, and that’s osetra”), made Gwyneth question their long-term compatibility.
In the midst of the turmoil, Gwyneth confessed to friends that she was emotionally drawn to co-stars Hugh Grant (on Emma) and John Hannah (on Sliding Doors). At the same time, Brad reportedly felt insecure about Gwyneth’s success and fame. These tensions took an emotional toll on her, leading her to seek help from a close friend and makeup artist, Kevyn Aucoin—who allegedly bluntly advised, “You really need to end this.”
Later, in a 2015 interview with Howard Stern, Gwyneth admitted: “I really loved him. He was handsome and sweet, but I was just too young. I was 22 when I met Brad. I wasn’t ready and didn’t know what I was doing. He was too good for me.”
Heartache Over Brad’s Wedding to Someone Else
After their breakup, Brad began dating Jennifer Aniston in 1998, proposing and marrying her in 1999 in a lavish ceremony dubbed by many as the “wedding of the century.” Gwyneth reportedly felt deeply hurt and disappointed. In a 2000 interview at the Toronto Film Festival, when a journalist asked her how she felt about Brad’s marriage to Jennifer, she replied sharply—“Are you seriously asking me that?” and refused to comment further.
Though she made no public statements, she told friends she felt sad over the wedding. Reportedly, she even thought Brad had poor taste in women after marrying Jennifer. Some sources told Amy Odell that Gwyneth privately considered Brad “stupid” and “not the same person I once loved.”
Reflection on Young Love
Years later, Gwyneth looked back on the relationship with clarity. In a 2023 episode of the Call Her Daddy podcast, she reflected that their romance, though true, arrived at the wrong time. She was too immature, and Brad—nine years her senior—understood what he wanted. “In many ways, I wasn’t whole until I turned 40.”
Despite it all, Gwyneth says they remain friends and she holds deep respect for him: “He’s a wonderful man. I really do love him.”
In the same interview, when asked to compare Brad Pitt with another ex from the late 1990s—actor Ben Affleck—Gwyneth revealed that Brad was more romantic than Ben, but both were “good kissers.” When asked who was better in bed, Gwyneth laughed and replied:
“It’s really hard to compare. Brad had incredible chemistry—he was the love of my life at the time, that kind of passionate, intense love. But Ben was technically excellent in bed.”
In 2022, Gwyneth had the chance to revisit the past with Brad Pitt when she invited him to talk about fashion on her lifestyle platform, Goop. During their conversation, she brought up her late father Bruce, who had supported Brad and hoped he would become his son-in-law.
“Even though we didn’t get married—unfortunately,” she said.
Brad chuckled and responded: “Oh man, everything turned out OK though, didn’t it?”
Gwyneth replied: “Yes, it did. I finally found the Brad I was meant to marry—it just took me 20 years.”
She was referring to producer Brad Falchuk, whom she married in September 2018.
Gwyneth is now happily married to Brad Falchuk. Previously, she divorced Coldplay frontman Chris Martin in 2014 after more than a decade together; they share two children.
As for Brad Pitt, the Legends of the Fall actor divorced Jennifer Aniston in 2005, then entered an 11-year relationship with actress Angelina Jolie. After divorcing “Mrs. Smith” in 2016, he began dating jewelry designer Ines de Ramon.
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