London - She is ever eager to present herself as the epitome of trendy modern living.
So for Gwyneth Paltrow, going on honeymoon with only her new husband Brad Falchuk for company was always going to be far too conventional. Hence she took her ex-husband Chris Martin along too.
The Coldplay frontman, 41, who ‘consciously uncoupled’ from the 46-year-old Hollywood actress in 2014, joined her, their children, TV producer Falchuk, 47, his children and a few friends for the post-wedding celebration in the Maldives over Christmas.
Paltrow, who runs the lifestyle brand and website Goop, posted several pictures from the tropical honeymoon online – although none featured Martin. And she did not confirm reports that the British pop star had been accompanied by his new girlfriend, actress Dakota Johnson, 29.
But she was keen to explain why, rather than have a few romantic days alone, she and Falchuk had wanted to take her entire extended family.
"We had a big family honeymoon over Christmas," Paltrow told US chat show Live With Kelly And Ryan. "My new husband and his children, my children, my ex-husband, our best family friends. A very modern honeymoon."
There were no tensions, just "good conversation and lots of kids", she said, so everyone had "such a good time".
Paltrow said she included Martin in the Indian Ocean holiday for the benefit of their children, Apple, 14, and Moses, 12, who wanted to be able to spend time with both their parents together.
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A post shared by Gwyneth Paltrow(@gwynethpaltrow) on Jan 1, 2019 at 4:12am PST
"We just wanted to minimise the pain for the kids. We just want to see their parents around a dinner table, basically, so we try to keep that," she said.
Paltrow had surprised fans just before Christmas by sharing a photo of the stockings hanging up along her fireplace. Alongside those for herself, her children and Falchuk was one for Martin, to whom she was married for ten years before their split – which they labelled a "conscious uncoupling".
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A post shared by Gwyneth Paltrow(@gwynethpaltrow) on Dec 19, 2018 at 12:53pm PST
She married Falchuk, whom she met on the set of his hit TV series Glee, in September at her home in the Hamptons.