Gwyneth Paltrow Opens up About Being an Empty Nester, ‘It's Really Hard'

Gwyneth Paltrow is getting real about being an empty nester. The mom of two, who shares daughter AppleMartin (born in 2004) and son MosesMartin (born in 2006) with ex-husband Coldplay musician ChrisMartin, recently opened up to Today'sSavannahGuthrie about what life has been like lately.

Who Are Gwyneth Paltrow's Kids?

Paltrow's eldest child, daughter Apple, is taking after her mom. Like her famous family members (her grandparents are iconic actress Blythe Danner and legendary director/producer Bruce Paltrow), Apple is also an actor.

The 22-year-old graduated from Vanderbilt University in May 2026 with a degree in Law, History, and Society. But it looks like her first post-college job will be a bit different than most recent grads. Apple will co-star in Nancy Meyers' upcoming film along with Penelope Cruz, Kieran Culkin, Jude Law, and Owen Wilson.

While Apple is following in mom's footsteps, her brother, 20-year-old Moses, was bitten by the music bug-like his dad. Moses, who is a student at Brown University, just signed with Interscope Records (with his band People I've Met).

What Did Gwyneth Paltrow Say About Being an Empty Nester?

While talking to Guthrie, Paltrow explained, "I put acting on the back burner largely because I was a single mom and I was raising, you know, two kids and a lot of times doing a film can take you away from home for weeks or months at a time and hours are not that friendly for taking someone to school or picking them up. So I kind of put it on the back burner, and I was focusing on my business. And then everybody abandoned me and went to college."

Guthrie then asked the actress and Goop founder, "What is it like being an empty nester?" Paltrow revealed, "She (Apple) just graduated two weeks ago, and my stepdaughter graduated last weekend…They're kind of off to the races. You know, it's really hard. I really struggled when they all went, and then I thought ‘Okay, I'm good', and then in September again I kind of fell off a cliff for the second time."

The mom of two continued, "Now I feel like, you know, it's what you want to happen. It's what you hope will happen, that they go off to their next phase of life and they find their people. But it's hard as a mother. It's like you have to reorient, you know. Because you're so focused on the kids and their schedules and their emotional health."

So what will Paltrow do now that she's an empty nester? It looks like her schedule is pretty full. Along with Goop, Gwyneth's acting career is going strong. Last year, she starred in the Academy Award-nominated film Marty Supreme with Timothee Chalamet!

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This story was originally published May 27, 2026 at 5:37 PM.