Gwyneth Paltrow admits that her wellness brand Goop ‘spent a long time dodging bullets’ amid accusations of toxicity.
The actress and wellbeing guru, 52, spoke to The Times about claims made by Amy Odell in her biography of the star and how she treated staff.
She admitted: ‘Goop spent a long time dodging bullets’, hot on the heels of allegations that her perfectionism caused a ‘noxious’ atmosphere at the brand.
Goop has often been marred with controversy, with everything from vagina-scented candles to inside secrets hitting headlines since its 2008 launch.
Shedding light on the inner workings of the business, Amy wrote in her book: ‘While Gwyneth presented a polished, happy image of Goop in the media, the office culture was often noxious and chaotic, some employees from the time said….
Gwyneth Paltrow admits that her wellness brand Goop ‘spent a long time dodging bullets’ amid accusations of toxicity
The actress and wellbeing guru, 52, spoke to The Times about claims made by Amy Odell in her biography of the star and how she treated staff
‘The problems stemmed from the executive suite, where a group of high-powered women struggled to navigate Gwyneth’s impatience and perfectionism.’
Sources claimed staff would be waged against each other based on whom Gwyneth was favouring at a given moment. Employees who worked up the nerve to go into her office were often met with impatience.
The insider revealed that if an employee replied to one of her emails with ‘Thanks’ or ‘On it’, she’d tell them not to send those emails, because they were a waste of time.
Gwyneth was rarely harsh with a subordinate, but her ‘capricious, indirect leadership style led to resentments’. She was also frugal when it came to expenses. Lacking budget for freelancers, editors were overworked and underpaid.
Amy went on: ‘Not only was the pace and breadth of work unsustainable for employees, it would also prove unsustainable for Goop.’
In September 2024 Goop announced that it would cut 18 per cent of its 216-person staff – or 40 people – and focus only on beauty, fashion and food.
The money-losing parts of the brand she loved in the 2010s, like travel and wellness, would be deprioritised. In November, Goop underwent a second round of layoffs.
In an interview in March this year for Vanity Fair, Gwyneth seemed to be trying to take control of the narrative about Goop’s apparent decline.
She admitted: ‘Goop spent a long time dodging bullets’, hot on the heels of allegations that her perfectionism caused a ‘noxious’ atmosphere at the brand (pictured in 2023)
Speaking candidly, she said: ‘I. Don’t. Care. My business is a good business and it’s a strong business and the brand is strong.’
Despite claiming she would ‘literally never’ return to acting, news broke in September 2024 of her casting in Marty Supreme, a movie inspired by table tennis player Marty Reisman, with Gwyneth starring opposite 23-years-younger Timothee Chalamet.
When the brand launched in 2008, Gwyneth wrote in an introductory essay: ‘My life is good because I am not passive about it…
‘I want to nourish what is real, and I want to do it without wasting time. I love to travel, to cook, to eat, to take care of my body and mind, to work hard.
‘I love being a mother who has to overcome my bad qualities to be a good mother. I love being in spaces that are clean and nice.
‘Whether you want a good place to eat in London, some advice on where to stay in Austin, the recipe I made up this week, or some thoughts from one of my sages, Goop is a little bit of everything that makes up my life.’
Sources claimed staff would be waged against each other based on whom Gwyneth was favouring at a given moment. Employees who worked up the nerve to go into her office were often met with impatience (pictured in 2019)
