Gwyneth Paltrow announced that she and Coldplay frontman Chris Martin are divorcing, in a GOOP (Paltrow's lifestyle website) post entitled "Conscious Uncoupling." The couple writes in a short announcement, "It is with hearts full of sadness that we have decided to separate. We have been working hard for well over a year, some of it together, some of it separated, to see what might have been possible between us, and 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 are parents first and foremost, to two incredibly wonderful children and we ask for their and our space and privacy to be respected at this difficult time. We have always conducted our relationship privately, and we hope that as we consciously uncouple and coparent, we will be able to continue in the same manner."
The announcement was followed by a 2,000-word essay on "conscious uncoupling," written by Dr. Habib Sadeghi and Dr. Sherry Sami, who explain that their divorce is the good kind:
"The media likes to throw around the statistic that 50% of all marriages end in divorce. It turns out that's accurate: Many people are concerned about the divorce rate and see it as an important problem that needs to be fixed. But what if divorce itself isn't the problem? What if it's just a symptom of something deeper that needs our attention? The high divorce rate might actually be a calling to learn a new way of being in relationships.
Naturally, divorce is much easier if both parties choose to have a conscious uncoupling. However, your experience and personal growth isn't conditional on whether or not your spouse chooses to participate. You can still receive the lessons he or she has to give you, resist being baited into dramatic arguments, and stand firm in your internal, spiritual support system. By choosing to handle your uncoupling in a conscious way, regardless of what's happening with your spouse, you'll see that although it looks like everything is coming apart; it's actually all coming back together."
The separation comes amid the upcoming release of Coldplay's sixth album Ghost Stories, their first album in three years. The band debuted some tracks off of the album at the iTunes festival earlier this month at SXSW. Martin is also set to join The Voice as a mentor for three weeks beginning March 31. Meanwhile, Paltrow reprised her guest role in Glee as Holly Holiday for two episodes March 18 and March 25, and just wrapped the filming of Mortdecai, with Johnny Depp.
Martin, 37, and Paltrow, 41, met in 2002 while his band Coldplay was touring. They were married in 2003, after she got pregnant. Their first child, daughter Apple Blythe Alison Martin, was born in May 2004, followed by son Moses Bruce Anthony Martin in April 2006.
