Many celebrities surprise the public with their friendships. One of them was Gwyneth Paltrow and Winona Ryder, who for a long time were known for being close friends. However, from one day to the next, that friendship faded.
Towards the end of the 1990s, the actresses became best friends, frequently seen together and partying. At that time, Gwyneth Paltrow was in a relationship with Ben Affleck, and she did not hesitate to introduce his best friend, Matt Damon, to his dear friend Winona. The Beetlejuice actress was in a relationship with the actor for two years, so for a long time, the quartet often spent time together.
It should be noted that both actresses were living their best professional moment. Winona Ryder already had an established name in the industry thanks to her work in films such as Beetlejuice, Heathers, Little Women, Bram Stoker's Dracula, The Age of Innocence, among others. For her part, Gwyneth Paltrow had just starred in two great hits: Se7en and Emma.
But the relationship between the two actresses suddenly took an unexpected turn when, in 1998, the actresses stopped speaking. What was a beautiful friendship became an enmity from which they have not yet overcome. But what happened that made them stop talking so suddenly?
According to rumors, it all started when one afternoon, Gwyneth Paltrow found the script for Shakespeare in Love at her friend's house. The blonde was so fascinated by the story that she did not hesitate to call her agent and ask to be considered for the role of the protagonist, Viola de Lesseps.
Not only did she end up getting the role, but she also took home the Oscar for Best Actress for her performance. Apparently, all this made Winona Ryder very angry, who was in negotiations to get the role of her. The actress felt so hurt and betrayed by her friend that she ended up ending the relationship. Since then, they were never seen together again.
In 2009, Paltrow once again revived rumors of enmity and confrontation with the protagonist of Stranger Things after she published a message in the newsletter of the Goop website, a company of which she is the owner. “Many years ago, I had a “frenemy” who was very determined to bring me down. She that person did everything she could to hurt me. “She was very sad and angry,” commented the actress. “One day I heard that something unfortunate and humiliating had happened to that person and my reaction was one of deep relief and happiness,” she concluded.
Although the message never mentions Winona Ryder's name, many thought it was dedicated to her, especially considering that a few years earlier, the actress had been arrested and accused of robbing a clothing store. Even so, the 51-year-old actress never spoke about her former friend's comments.
The same can't be said for Paltrow, who raised the topic again in 2015 during a chat with host Howard Stern. When asked if she had stolen the role of Shakespeare in Love from Winona, the actress assured that it was an urban myth. “I swear to God I didn't do it, I say it by putting my right hand on the Bible. “I swear to God,” she said.
In 2019, the blonde spoke about it again, ensuring that the proposal to star in the film had come to her from the film's producers themselves. “Julia Roberts was going to be the protagonist, but that couldn't happen. Then Miramax became interested in the story and I was the first person they offered to star in it, but I turned it down,” she confessed.
At the time, the actress was dealing with her recent breakup with Brad Pitt, so she didn't feel like going to London to film the movie. After rejecting the offer, the studio offered the role to Kate Winslet, and when this also failed to materialize, they insisted again with Paltrow, who gave the script a new chance and she was fascinated.
The truth is that we will never know what really happened between Winona Ryder and Gwyneth Paltrow, nor will we know if the blonde really took the role from Winona as she alleges, or if it was the other way around, as other rumors suggested. What is known is that the actresses have not seen or spoken to each other in years, and everything seems to indicate that they will choose to continue like this.
