New Book Explains the Real Reason Gwyneth Paltrow Ended Madonna Friendship

Gwyneth Paltrow was the one who decided to pull the plug on her longtime friendship with Madonna, a new book reveals.

Author Amy Odell’s upcoming biography, Gwyneth: The Biography, claims that Paltrow “reached a breaking point” when Madonna “showed up” on the same island the actress was vacationing with now ex-husband Chris Martin. (Paltrow and Martin were married for more than a decade before their 2014 separation.)

“Madonna seemed to know that Gwyneth would be there, which Gwyneth seemed to find strange, a friend remembered,” an excerpt published by People on Wednesday, July 16 reads. “Madonna then insisted Gwyneth and Martin join her for a big group dinner at a long table where Madonna went off on her daughter, Lourdes. Gwyneth and Martin were disgusted by the behavior.”

Martin apparently called Madonna “awful” following the incident and stated that he “can’t be around this woman anymore.” Paltrow agreed and “ended the friendship.”

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Paltrow, now 52, and Madonna, now 66, kicked off their friendship in the late 1990s. Paltrow spoke highly about the singer before the feud rumors started swirling.

“Everything I have gone through, she went through ten times worse and ten times longer,” Paltrow said in 2006. “She gives me good advice about how to say no and take care of myself.”

While not details have ever been revealed, it’s been long-reported that the two stars had a falling out, ending their close-knit bond. It’s unclear exactly when the incident written about in Odell’s book apparently took place, but neither Paltrow nor Madonna have been photographed together since 2010.

Us Weekly has reached out to both Paltrow and Madonna’s teams for comment.

Paltrow, however, first seemingly hinted at the fracture during an April 2010 interview with British Vogue. The actress referenced business partner and celebrity personal trainer Tracy Anderson at the time.

E. Charbonneau/WireImage

“Yeah, it’s good that [Tracy] doesn’t train Madonna any more. It was too much,” Paltrow said during the interview. “She keeps people waiting — it takes up your whole day.”

A source told Us Weekly in June 2010 that Paltrow and Madonna “don’t speak” anymore after a years-long friendship. (Neither Paltrow nor Madonna have publicly disclosed further details about their apparent falling out.)

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“I can’t tell you exactly why they had the falling out, but Gwyneth can be jealous and competitive,” the insider added at the time.

Gwyneth: The Biography will be released on July 29.