Gwyneth Paltrow Reveals Reason For Split From Chris Martin: She Tried Too Hard

Gwyneth Paltrow’s desire to have it all played a part in her split from Coldplay singer Chris Martin, and now, Gwyneth seems a bit confused about whether or not she regrets giving up on her marriage while trying to impress the world with her superwoman act.

During an interview for the February issue of Marie Claire magazine, Gwyneth Paltrow opened up about why she had to consciously uncouple from Chris Martin. Apparently trying to be a mom, a movie star, and the next Martha Stewart made it impossible for Paltrow to be the perfect wife that she wanted to be.

“There was nothing dramatic or anything. I had built my life on trying to be all things to all people, and I just couldn’t do it anymore, and I really had the sense that I wasn’t allowed to have needs, and I had to prove my specialness or self-worth by doing all this stuff and taking care of everybody else, and I just sort of hit a wall.”

Speaking of her “specialness,” Gwyneth Paltrow recently told Harper’s Bazaar that she works so hard to prove herself because her father, director/producer Bruce Paltrow, made her find her own way as soon as she left the nest.

“I grew up with the benefit of a great education and a beautiful house, but my father always said, ‘The day you leave, that’s it. You’re not getting anything,’ and he stuck to it… I’ve earned everything myself, and I’ve never taken any money from anyone.”

Unfortunately, Gwyneth Paltrow possibly lost a husband because of her intense desire to show the world that nepotism didn’t play a part in her success. However, Chris Martin doesn’t hold a grudge against her for putting her career first. Paltrow told Marie Claire that she and her ex are still close — they live across the street from each other and are often spotted together with their children. Gwyneth also claimed that she’s perfectly happy with the way things are.

“I feel like it’s, in a way, the relationship we were meant to have.”

What she said to Harper’s Bazaar was quite different. During that interview, Paltrow admitted that she has questioned her decision to consciously uncouple from her husband.

“Of course, there are times when I think it would have been better if we had stayed married, which is always what your children want. But we have been able to solidify this friendship, so that we’re really close.”

This comment makes it seem like Paltrow is still unsure about whether she wants to spend the rest of her life trying to be “just friends” with her ex.

However, Gwyneth also isn’t sure if it was a good idea to marry Chris Martin in the first place. She pointed out that he was only 25 when they wed (almost five years younger than her), and she was expecting a popular rock star to act more mature than his age.

“Men are very young at that age, and I was relying on him very heavily and I really expected him to keep being this grown man and pillar of strength – which he was and is – but it’s also quite an unfair set of criteria to give to someone who’s just 25 years old.”

If Gwyneth Paltrow is still hoping to reconcile with Chris Martin, she can’t make her move right now — his heart currently belongs to somebody else, and Paltrow’s high expectations probably played a part in helping the 37-year-old Coldplay singer choose his rebound romance, 24-year-old Jennifer Lawrence. As the Inquistir previously reported, Martin was recently photographed eating sushi with The Hunger Games actress, so it looks like the couple might be back on after a brief split. Perhaps Martin is trying to make up for his early years with Gwyneth by dating someone who isn’t looking for a “grown man and pillar of strength.”

Do you think Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin’s close relationship will ever lead to a conscious re-coupling?

[Image credit: Charley Gallay/Getty via Zimbio]