Gwyneth Paltrow is openly discussing the complex emotions she’s feeling as both her children, Apple Martin and Moses Martin, have left home to attend college.
The 52-year-old actress, who shares her two kids with ex-husband Chris Martin, opened up about the “waves of grief and sadness” she’s been feeling in a recent Q&A session on her Instagram Stories.
“It’s very different,” Paltrow shared. “I have waves of grief and sadness.” However, the Oscar-winning star also acknowledged the positives that have come with this new chapter of her life.
“I am reconnecting with a side of myself that I haven’t experienced since my twenties, prior to having children,” she said. “Like, a little more space and imagination, maybe. I need a bit more personal space to explore my potential activities for the day.
Paltrow’s daughter Apple, 20, is currently a student at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, while her son Moses, 18, is attending Brown University in Rhode Island. Previously, the actress described the transition as a “nervous breakdown, if I’m honest.”
“Being a mother has been my identity,” Paltrow told The Hollywood Reporter earlier this year. “Apple’s going to be 20 in May. I have centered my entire life around their schedules and the start of school. You start to let go in increments when they’re driving themselves around or doing certain things. It is a slower process.”
Despite the challenges of empty nesting, Paltrow finds solace in the close-knit group of mom friends she’s built over the years. “I feel really lucky because I have a close group of mom friends, and we all raised our kids alongside one another,” she said. “So we’re kind of in it together.”
As Paltrow navigates this new phase of her life, she’s also tapping into creative pursuits she hadn’t had time for while raising her children. The actress described feeling a renewed sense of “space and imagination” that she hasn’t experienced since her pre-motherhood days.
While there may be “waves of grief and sadness,” Paltrow seems determined to embrace the positives of this transitional period, focusing on her personal growth and the strong support system she’s cultivated.