Gwyneth Paltrow Biography Reveals Brad Pitt, Weinstein Drama

A new biography by Amy Odell offers an unflinching look at Gwyneth Paltrow’s life and career, from Hollywood royalty to wellness mogul. “Gwyneth: The Biography,” out now, traces the Oscar-winning actor’s journey from childhood — as the daughter of actor Blythe Danner and director-producer Bruce Paltrow — to addressing the infamous allegation that she stole the “Shakespeare in Love” script from Winona Ryder. Odell draws on more than 200 interviews with people who know or have worked with Paltrow. Notably, Paltrow herself did not participate in the interviews.

Variety has reached out to Paltrow’s rep for comment.

Read on for 11 of the biggest revelations from “Gwyneth: The Biography.”

1. Paltrow’s father, director-producer Bruce Paltrow, was furious when she signed with her first manager, Joanne Horowitz, who, at the time, repped a then-unknown Kevin Spacey.

Shortly after graduating from high school in 1990, Paltrow appeared in a stage production of “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” with Chad Lowe in the title role. Though her part was small, talent manager Joanne Horowitz — a friend of Lowe’s — was in the audience and noticed Paltrow’s performance. She found her backstage after the show and said, “You were amazing in the show. I’d love to represent you.”

At the time, no other agents were pursuing Paltrow, according to Horowitz, so she was thrilled by the offer. Bruce Paltrow, however, was furious about the detour because he had expected his daughter to begin college at UC Santa Barbara that fall. Nonetheless, Horowitz followed through and worked on securing her an agent at Creative Artists Agency — the same agency that represented Bruce.

2. Paltrow borrowed money from her “High” co-star after her father cut her off — and never paid him back.

After filming the 1993 movie “Flesh and Bone,” Paltrow returned to L.A. and took a job waiting tables at Enterprise Fish Co. in Santa Monica. During that time, she was visited at the restaurant by “High” co-star Tyagi Schwartz and his wife. (The 1989 TV movie was directed by her father.)

“Listen, can you guys do me a favor?” Paltrow asked. “My dad’s being really a pain in the ass. He’s making me work, and he’s not giving me money. Can I just borrow a few dollars?” Schwartz, who was earning money at the time, handed her $20. “Sure, no problem,” he said. Looking back, Schwartz joked: “I always tell people Gwyneth Paltrow owes me twenty dollars. I’m like, What’s the interest on that?”

3. Paltrow chose “Seven” over “Feeling Minnesota” — based on who she wanted to date.

When Paltrow was offered the role of Tracy Mills in David Fincher’s “Seven,” she had a tough decision to make — because she also had an offer to co-star with Keanu Reeves in “Feeling Minnesota.” To help her choose, she turned to a friend for advice, who told her: “Well, who do you want to date, Brad Pitt or Keanu Reeves?”

Paltrow ended up choosing “Seven” — and Pitt. (The two dated from 1994 until their split in 1997.) Meanwhile, Cameron Diaz stepped into the role opposite Reeves in “Feeling Minnesota.”

4. Paltrow met with Harvey Weinstein to audition for “The Prince of Jutland” (aka “Royal Deceit”).

Although Paltrow had prior encounters with Harvey Weinstein, the now-disgraced producer who co-founded Miramax, her audition for “The Prince of Jutland” with him in the early 1990s had not been previously reported. The audition took place at the Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills, where Paltrow met with Weinstein and then-Miramax producer Meryl Poster. However, according to a source familiar with the meeting, Weinstein decided not to cast Paltrow because the role involved nudity, and he didn’t want to subject Bruce Paltrow’s daughter to that because she seemed like “a nice girl.” The film, which was released as “Royal Deceit” in 1994, starred Christian Bale, Kate Beckinsale, Gabriel Byrne, Helen Mirren and Brian Cox.

5. Weinstein suggested Paltrow wear something sexy from Gucci by Tom Ford to the 1996 VMAs; she chose a pantsuit.

Harvey Weinstein wanted Gwyneth Paltrow to attend the 1996 MTV Video Music Awards and instructed then-Miramax executive Marcy Granata, “She has to look like the VMAs.” Specifically, he pushed for her to wear something sexy by Tom Ford, who was then the creative director of Gucci. Granata agreed that Paltrow should attend — her film “Emma,” an adaptation of the Jane Austen novel, was about to be released, and the VMAs offered valuable exposure to its target teen demographic.

A passage from the biography reads, “Gwyneth had just been on the cover of Vogue, and the VMAs were comparatively lowbrow. But Granata knew that if Gwyneth had her sights set on winning an Oscar, she had to be a star. And to be a star, her movie had to open. And to open, this movie needed teen enthusiasm. Gwyneth agreed to go. ‘Just do it your way,’ Granata said, ‘and Tom Ford will figure it out.’”

Paltrow and Ford ultimately settled on a 1970s-inspired red velvet tailored pantsuit. Weinstein was furious: “Look what she’s wearing,” he said. But despite his anger, the look went on to become one of the most iconic celebrity fashion moments of the ’90s.

6. Weinstein told Paltrow she was “robbed” when she wasn’t nominated for an Oscar for 1996’s “Emma.”

When the 1996 Academy Awards nominations were announced, Weinstein took a call from Paltrow. “Gwyneth Paltrow got robbed,” he repeated into the phone to Paltrow. “Gwyneth Paltrow got robbed.”

The biography recounts: “Miramax staff who overheard the conversation didn’t know what he was talking about. They had been focused on promoting ‘The English Patient,’ nominated for 12 awards, and ‘Sling Blade.’ They hadn’t thought of Gwyneth as much of a contender for ‘Emma.’ But the conversation made it seem like Weinstein had promised Gwyneth a nomination, and now he’d failed her.”

7. Paltrow allegedly blocked Russell Crowe from being cast as the lover in “A Perfect Murder” because they had previously had a fling.

In 1998’s “A Perfect Murder,” a remake of Alfred Hitchcock’s “Dial M for Murder,” Paltrow’s family friend Michael Douglas plays Steven Taylor, a Wall Street trader who hires his wife’s lover to kill her. Director Andy David originally wanted to cast Russell Crowe as the lover, but Gwyneth reportedly refused. “I think they had had an affair, and she didn’t want to have him in the movie,” David claimed. The part ultimately went to Viggo Mortensen.

8. Some clarity surrounding the rumor about Paltrow stealing the “Shakespeare in Love” script from Winona Ryder

A longstanding Hollywood rumor alleges that Gwyneth Paltrow stole the script for “Shakespeare in Love” from Winona Ryder’s home: She spotted the screenplay on Ryder’s coffee table, loved it and then pursued the role of Viola de Lesseps herself.

But according to the biography, Paltrow had received the “Shakespeare in Love” script directly because director John Madden was interested in working with her (she had previously auditioned for his 1994 film “Golden Gate.”) Paltrow turned down “Shakespeare in Love” though without fully reading it.

Multiple versions of how she eventually came to star in the 1998 film — which earned her the Oscar for best actress — have circulated. One version claims that after she passed on the role, she ran into producer Paul Webster, who was surprised by her decision. He told her, “It’s this incredible script that Tom Stoppard was involved in, and John Madden’s directing, and it’s an amazing part. I just don’t know why you wouldn’t do it.” Paltrow replied, “I haven’t read it. I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Webster then ensured she got another copy of the script, and she ultimately accepted the role.

“According to someone else who was close to her, Gwyneth turned down the movie without reading the script. Winona Ryder’s name had also been bandied about for the role. Supposedly, Gwyneth picked up the script from Ryder’s coffee table, read it (perhaps after the encouragement from Webster), and decided to do the movie,” the biography reads.

“It was never sent to Winona as an offer, but Winona wanted to do the part and Gwyneth had recommended her for the part,” said Weinstein. “Even though I thought Winona was great I just had my mind on Gwyneth and said I wouldn’t make the movie without her.”

9. Paltrow wanted to earn more money, which was partly why she stopped doing so many films with Miramax.

The biography recounts that at the end of filming 2005’s “Proof,” Paltrow requested a meeting with Weinstein and asked that one of his producers join them. According to a source familiar with the meeting, the producer initially assumed Paltrow wanted her there because she and Weinstein were arguing. However, after Weinstein’s sexual harassment of Paltrow came to light in 2016, the producer wondered if there was another reason Paltrow had asked her to attend. During that meeting, Paltrow revealed to Weinstein that she was pregnant, marking a turning point in her decision to distance herself from a career closely tied to Weinstein and Miramax.

“I had a really rough boss for most of my movie career at Miramax,” Paltrow later said. “So you’re like, I don’t know if this is really my calling.”

A passage from the biography offers a contrasting perspective: “However, a friend from the time remembered it differently: ‘She wanted to make a lot of money.’ Gwyneth had transformed from a friendly and accessible newbie to a star who was highly transactional. She became ‘money, money, money-hungry. I think she was always kind of money-hungry. I think her father did instill that in her.’ Weinstein recalled that Miramax films had a budget cap of $25 million, and that ‘if we paid Gwyneth $10 million which she deserved, it limited what we could do on the film so in a way her success outpaced her from working on independent films.’”

10. Many board members and investors of Goop, Paltrow’s wellness and lifestyle brand, didn’t care about any of the health misinformation controversy she generated.

According to the biography, Paltrow advised her team during moments of controversy that the brand’s goal was to spark thought-provoking conversations, not to offer definitive answers. One passage reads: “Plus, neither Gwyneth nor Goop’s board nor its investors were concerned about these controversies. ‘This is what drove her to do the business. She thought, I’m going to research things, recommend things, and if you want to go traditional, go see your GP. That’s not what I’m going to do. I’m not going to tell you to get a checkup,’ said a former executive. They viewed the audience as opting into Goop to hear what Gwyneth had to say, and if they wanted to hear traditional medical advice, they could go elsewhere.”

11. Paltrow is returning to acting, partly to boost Goop’s visibility and sales.

Though Gwyneth Paltrow had previously vowed never to return to acting, she is set to star in the upcoming sports dramedy “Marty Supreme” alongside Timothée Chalamet. One passage reads: “When paparazzi photos of Chalamet kissing Gwyneth during a scene came out in the fall of 2024, they were a useful distraction from stories about Goop’s layoffs. While the work led her to fall back in love with acting, said someone familiar with her thinking, she also knew that the added visibility would only boost Goop’s sales.”