Gwyneth Paltrow 'Never Wanted' to Divorce Ex Who Stood by Her through 2 C-Sections — He Is Still Her 'Family'

• Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin stayed married for ten years before they divorced.

• The actress turned 50 in 2022 and made a surprising revelation about her ex-husband and their split years later.

• The way Paltrow and the singer separated allowed them to continue being co-parents to their two children and friends.

Days before her 50th birthday, Gwyneth Paltrow took to her Instagram account to share a stunning image of herself. In the black and white picture, the actress was photographed mid-air while jumping in the grass with her hands and legs in a star shape.

The star wore a broad smile and a bikini that showed off her incredible physique. For someone who turned 50 on September 27, 2022, she looked pretty young and physically fit, and the caption that went along with the post was simple.

Paltrow noted that she was having "Musings on a milestone." One person who would probably share in her birthday celebrations was her ex-husband, Chris Martin, to whom she was married for over a decade before breaking the surprising news of their divorce.

Despite their history, the pair remained the poster couple for amicable divorces. They continued raising the standards for many who strive to establish cordial relationships with their exes.

Two days before her birthday, Paltrow was interviewed on CBS News's "Sunday Morning," where she spoke about family. At the time of their separation, the wellness entrepreneur and Chris said they were going through a "conscious uncoupling."

They remained close friends and raised their two children together. The Goop founder admitted they'd figured out how to separate healthily and described her ex-husband as her "family."

Paltrow also confessed that she loved the singer and that they both would do anything for their children. The pair ensured that their children would be unscathed from the divorce.

The businesswoman and the musician first met in 2002, when the latter's rock band "Coldplay" was on tour to promote "A Rush of Blood To The Head." During a 2013 interview, Paltrow revealed that meeting Chris was all thanks to rumors that she was dating the singer.

According to her, during one of Chris's shows, he was expecting an actress he had a crush on to show up, but she did not, and he was angry. So, out of annoyance, he said something that would send the public into a frenzy during a performance:

"Oh, this is for my girlfriend, Gwyneth Paltrow."

The public was shocked, and rumors of a relationship between the duo began circulating. For the actress, it was more surprising because she had never met the artist before, but due to the press's rumors, the duo eventually had their first encounter backstage.

A few weeks after their first meeting, Chris and Paltrow started dating. During their relationship, the couple enjoyed a lot of good times, but they also dealt with difficult situations.

One such trying time was when the businesswoman's father passed away in October 2002. It was a challenging experience for Paltrow as she battled depression, but Chris was by her side to comfort her.

The Coldplay singer even wrote songs for his wife to assist her in healing, and indeed, it went a long way to help her out of depression. Here are more details about the couple's whirlwind romance.

Martin and Paltrow's Marriage and Their First Child's Birth

Chris and Paltrow tied the knot on December 5, 2003, at an intimate ceremony in Santa Barbara, California. According to a report from People, the event was so private that not even family members were present.

The actress was already pregnant with the former couple's first child at the wedding. Not long after, they welcomed their daughter, Apple Martin, on May 14, 2004.

A source close to the actress revealed that Paltrow experienced long labor before birthing her daughter, but the mother and child were safe afterward. Fans were intrigued by the lovely news.

However, for a long time, the choice of name for Paltrow and Chris's daughter remained a mystery. However, in a 2004 interview with Oprah Winfrey, the actress revealed why she chose "Apple."

She noted that Chris had suggested the name when she was pregnant and thought it sounded lovely. According to the Hollywood icon, apples were sweet, wholesome, and biblical, hence the decision to give her daughter the name.

Aside from the name choice, another issue the actress discussed was her experience with Apple's birth. The award-winning star explained that she almost died due to challenges during labor.

Paltrow pulled through, though, and to date, she was grateful for the birth of her daughter. In her words she said:

"My daughter was an emergency. It was crazy — we almost died. It was, like, not good."

It seemed the wellness businesswoman had a difficult time with motherhood in general. Chris' ex-wife didn't have an easy time when they welcomed their second bundle of joy.

Gwyneth's Second Experience with Childbirth

Paltrow and her ex-husband welcomed their second child, a son, in 2006 at Mount Sinai Hospital, New York. The ex-couple named him Moses Martin after Chris's song he'd written for his wife in 2003.

Unfortunately, while many women would bask in the joy of motherhood, the actress's case was different. Following Moses' birth, she battled postpartum depression (PPD), with her sharing:

"I was so euphoric when Apple was born, and I assumed it would happen with Mosey, and it just… it took a while. I really went into a dark place."

Thankfully, Paltrow had her husband by her side. According to the mother of two, Chris was the one who pointed out that she was suffering from postpartum depression, as she struggled to bond with Moses and could not understand what was happening.

When the star's husband told her, it was PPD, and although Paltrow argued at first, with research, she finally understood what it was all about and how to get help. Sadly, that wasn't the only hurdle she'd have to overcome.

After a few years of dealing with postpartum depression, Paltrow endured yet another devastating experience. She miscarried her third pregnancy and almost lost her life in the process.

The terrible occurrence caused the actress to wonder if she would try to have another baby or if she was okay with her two children. Despite her difficulties, Paltrow said she'd chosen the best father for her children.

According to the actress, having children with a good man took away a heavyweight. The couple's relationship appeared to be thriving, but rumors started circulation with speculation that the pair had broken up.

Rumors of the Duo's Breakup

The musician and Paltrow's union appeared full of love and bliss, but rumors of their split began making the rounds. There were speculations of the actress' alleged affair with Entertainment Lawyer Kevin Yorn.

However, her spokesperson debunked the rumors, noting that they were utterly false. Also, Yorn's representative revealed that the speculations were categorically untrue.

Although Paltrow denied the rumors, she admitted that things were not going so smoothly in her marriage. During her 2011 Elle interview, the "Meet the Parents" star confessed:

"We go through periods that aren't all rosy. I always say, life is long, and you never know what's going to happen."

The actress also revealed difficult conversations in the union, which she learned from. Irrespective of the rough times, Chris still felt like he was lucky to have married Paltrow and once confessed:

"Let's face it. It's like winning the lottery."

In addition, the singer joked about his marriage to Paltrow being a giant leap from being a loser to going out with an Oscar winner. Soon enough, the couple announced their divorce.

Inside Chris and Gwyneth's Divorce

In 2014, Chris and his wife separated after ten years of marriage. In a joint statement shared on the Goop website, the pair said they had decided to split through "conscious uncoupling."

The actress [Gwyneth Paltrow] said Chris [Martin] was like a brother to her, and she was grateful to have borne his two children.

The term referred to ending a marriage but was viewed as a positive step by both parties. The couple who were breaking up believed they could continue remaining friends or co-parents and avoid the drama of divorce.

Years after their divorce, Paltrow revealed that there was a day she realized their marriage was over. However, it took years before she finally decided to divorce him, and although they separated, the businesswoman once made it known that she never wanted to be divorced, stating:

"I never wanted to get divorced. I never wanted to not be married to the father of my kids, theoretically."

Sadly, things did not go as planned for Paltrow, but she still maintained a healthy relationship with her ex-husband. The actress said Chris was like a brother to her, and she was grateful to have borne his two children.