A fresh wave of celebrity revelations is rolling in with Amy Odell’s new biography, “Gwyneth: The Biography,” and this time, it sheds light on one of the most talked-about romances of the early 2000s: Gwyneth Paltrow and Ben Affleck.
The book, which dives deep into the Oscar-winning actress’s life and loves, offers new insight into why the Hollywood golden couple crashed and burned after just a few years together.
The Chemistry Was Real
In the late ’90s, Gwyneth and Ben were paparazzi magnets, co-starring in “Shakespeare in Love and Bounce” and making red carpet magic with their undeniable chemistry. But Odell’s biography reveals that what looked picture-perfect from the outside was far messier behind the scenes.
In an excerpt obtained and shared by People, Odell writes: “Their physical chemistry couldn’t overcome his self-destructive impulses, which may have even included cheating on her.” According to the information, infidelity was reportedly on the table. While the book doesn’t confirm outright that Affleck cheated, it strongly implies that it may have played a role in their split.
And if Gwyneth’s post-breakup quote is any indication, she wasn’t exactly left with warm feelings. “I love men, even though they’re lying, cheating scumbags,” she said, according to the book.
Did Ben have Demons?
Odell paints a portrait of Affleck, now 52, as being caught up in his self-destructive spiral during their relationship. The Boston native was allegedly struggling with an emotionally detached lifestyle. The book says Gwyneth’s friends weren’t big fans, partly because Affleck didn’t always reciprocate her affection.
© Ron Galella Collection via GettyOne particularly telling anecdote: “He at times seemed more interested in playing video games with the guys at his house than being with Gwyneth.”
It Was Hot While It Lasted
Still, it wasn’t all doom and gloom. According to the biography, Paltrow was openly enthusiastic about their sex life. In a moment that’s since gone viral, Odell recounts a story where the actress gushed to her friend, makeup artist Kevyn Aucoin, about Affleck’s “technical prowess.”
© Ron Galella Collection via GettyThis tracks with what Gwyneth herself said on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast in 2023 when asked who was better in bed between Ben Affleck or Brad Pitt. “That’s really hard… Brad was like the major chemistry love of my life at the time. And then Ben was like, technically excellent.” So, while the emotional connection may have frayed, the physical side was very much intact.
© Ron Galella Collection via GettyNot in a Good Place for Love
Back in 2015, Paltrow opened up about her time with Affleck on “The Howard Stern Show,” saying he wasn’t in the right place for a relationship. “He’s super intelligent, really talented, and so funny,” she said. “But he was not in a good place in his life to have a girlfriend.”
Before Affleck, Paltrow famously dated Brad Pitt, to whom she was engaged before calling it off in 1997. After splitting with Affleck in 2000, Gwyneth would go on to marry Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, with whom she shares two children, Apple, 21, and Moses, 19.
She’s now happily married to writer-director Brad Falchuk, proving that even after messy breakups, you can still find calm after the storm.
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