Gwyneth Paltrow has learned to let go so her now-adult children can leave the nest, spreading their wings as individuals.
“I think I really encourage them to be true to themselves and to do what feels right to them,” Paltrow, 52, told People in an interview published on Friday, May 9. “I think, like, all the mistakes I made were being talked in or out of something.”
The Oscar winner shares daughter Apple, 20, and son Moses, 19, with ex-husband Chris Martin, and is the stepparent to husband Brad Falchuk’s two children from a past relationship.
“I really want them, even if I don’t agree with it, … to be really true to their idea of their purpose and their individuality,” Paltrow stressed. “[Apple] still has another year of college, so, you know, I’m like right, soak it in, and you know, it goes really fast.”
Apple is finishing up her degree at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, while Moses recently matriculated at Brown University in Rhode Island. Since becoming an empty-nester, Paltrow has enjoyed FaceTime and in-person visits when she can.
“I’ve actually been able to see them more. They’re both on the East Coast — well, he’s on the East Coast and she’s southeast,” Paltrow told the outlet. “And I did a film [in New York City] in the fall, and it was great ‘cause I got to see my son and stepson, who were just very close by quite a lot, which was really nice.”
Paltrow further gushed that she “can’t wait” for Apple, Moses and her stepchildren to return home for their summer break later this month. Becoming an empty-nester was initially a big change for the actress.
“It’s been a major transition. I didn’t know what to expect, but I knew it would be hard because Apple and I are so close and were together all the time,” Paltrow previously told Us Weekly exclusively in October 2022. “I had no idea. It was like the worst heartbreak I’ve ever [felt].”
She added, “I felt like the love of my life broke up with me for weeks,” she added. “It was terrible. Now, I’m getting more used to it and it also helps to see her happy and well-adjusted. That makes a huge difference. And she just came home for October break, so that was good. I’ll see her for Thanksgiving.”
Paltrow later got to spend time with Apple and Moses when her firstborn daughter debuted at the famed Le Bal de Debutantes in December 2024. Paltrow and Martin, 48, attended the Parisian soirée with Paltrow’s mother, actress Blythe Danner.
