CANNES — Gwyneth Paltrow said her divorce from Coldplay front man Chris Martin was difficult, but she’s proud of having a positive relationship with her ex for the sake of their kids.
“The Iron Man” actress, who was in Cannes this week to promote her lifestyle destination Goop, said the famous couple chose to announce their divorce on her web site but didn’t pick the now infamous “conscious uncoupling” title for the post.
“It was a difficult time in our lives,” she said. “We didn’t know that the ‘conscious uncoupling’ phrase was going to inspire so much conversation. At the time people said, these people are crazy and it’s true, but over time now I hear people saying thank you for showing there is another way.”
“You can remain a family even though you are not a couple and make it a less traumatic experience for the children,” she added. “It wasn’t my phrase, but I’m very proud of it.”
In an interview with BBC News program “HARDTalk,” Paltrow opened up about the pain of divorce and the importance of keeping a good relationship with her ex.
“As anybody who has been divorced knows, you have to put a lot aside to maintain the family and the practicalities of what that might mean and sometimes that’s quiet tough on a personal level,” she said. “It’s a commitment I make every day to my children and their father even though we’re not in a romantic relationship.”
When asked about compromises and where it happens most in her life, she said it almost always involves parenting.
“I just made that sandwich, you want it, fine,” she joked.
Paltrow also was asked about the likelihood of the first female US president.
“It’s about time. Other countries employed female leaders,” she said. “I think we still have a long way to go. There’s no reason why a woman wouldn’t be as good, or better than a man would be.”
Paltrow has been criticized for being out of touch with real people in part because of her affluent Hollywood upbringing, but the fan of healthy living said the public has a misperception.
“The moment I left college, my father said you are completely on your own. I never had a trust fund. The idea that I’m spoiled or I didn’t work for what I have, isn’t accurate,” she said.