Gwyneth Paltrow Opens Up About Ex-Boyfriend Ben Affleck in Rare Remark

Gwyneth Paltrow casually mentioned her past with Ben Affleck during a recent chat, and it quickly caught attention. The moment happened on Tuesday’s episode of Amy Poehler’s podcast, “Good Hang,” which is the main source of her comments.

While talking about the late Robin Williams, Poehler asked Paltrow how well she knew him. That question led Paltrow to briefly bring up an old relationship.

She explained that she got to know Williams better when “Good Will Hunting” came out in 1997 because she was dating one of the people involved in the movie. She did not say Affleck’s name, but it was clear who she meant since he co-wrote and starred in the film. Paltrow said, “I only got to know him a bit when ‘Good Will Hunting’ came out because I was dating one of the people who wrote that movie and was in that movie.”

Poehler quickly joked that everyone knew exactly who she was talking about and added that Affleck was great in the film. Paltrow agreed and shared her love for it, saying, “I love that movie. It’s a perfect movie. I love it so much.”

Paltrow and Affleck started dating in 1997, not long after her breakup with Brad Pitt. They worked together on “Shakespeare in Love” in 1998 and later on “Bounce” in 2000. Their relationship ended that same year. Over time, more details about their time together have come out from other sources, including author Amy Odell.

In her book “Gwyneth: The Biography,” Odell described the relationship as difficult at times. According to the book, Affleck was dealing with alcoholism and gambling issues when they were together.

Odell claimed Paltrow’s friends were worried because they felt he did not always show the same level of care. The biography also says he often chose to hang out with friends instead of staying in, even when Paltrow made an effort to spend time together. These details come directly from Odell’s reporting and interviews included in the book.

Paltrow herself has spoken openly about Affleck in the past. In a 2023 appearance on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast, she described him as “technically excellent” in bed. Years after their breakup, she moved on and later had two children, Apple and Moses, with Coldplay singer Chris Martin.

They split in 2016. She is now married to TV writer and director Brad Falchuk. Affleck, meanwhile, was married to Jennifer Garner and later to Jennifer Lopez, with both marriages ending in divorce.

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