It was the split so big it brought a new term into the nation’s vocabulary: conscious uncoupling.
On March 25, 2014, Gwyneth Paltrow took to her Goop website to announce her split from her husband of 11 years, Coldplay front man Chris Martin.
"We have been working hard for well over a year, some of it together, some of it separated, to see what might have been possible between us, and we have come to the conclusion that while we love each other very much we will remain separate," Paltrow wrote in a post on her site. "We have always conducted our relationship privately, and we hope that as we consciously uncouple and co-parent, we will be able to continue in the same manner."
But the announcement left fans and frankly anyone who turned on their TV or radio musing, what the heck is “conscious uncoupling?” Not to worry, Paltrow followed up her original post with a lengthy piece quoting various doctors about the meaning of the phrase.
The announcement surprised not only because the couple, who are parents to children Moses and Apple, seemed solid enough, but more so because the split announcement was seen as being pretentious and high-brow—just giving her critics to another reason to declare that Paltrow is a snob.
Honorable mentions
There were some other big splits in 2014. High school sweethearts Robin Thicke and Paula Patton went their separate ways, and Captain & Tennille admitted that in the end it wasn’t as simple as “Love Will Keep Us Together.” But for their annoying announcement and even more annoying tendency to spend copious amounts of time together since their breakup, Gwyn and Chris earned the title of our Most Shocking Celebrity split of 2014.
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