At one point in time, actresses Gwyneth Paltrow and Winona Ryder were practically inseparable.
The two were constantly spotted out together during the late 90s, which was the height of both of their careers.
For Ryder, she had gained notoriety for her roles in “Beetlejuice,” “Edward Scissorhands,” and “Little Women,” while Paltrow had recently starred in the films “Se7en” and “Emma.”
On top of that, both women had been dating best friends Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, and Paltrow was even the one who’d introduced Ryder to Damon.
The two stars were allegedly roommates at one point and were always spotted out attending glamorous Hollywood events together, though their friendship quickly turned sour due to a movie role.
Why did Gwyneth Paltrow and Winona Ryder fall out?
The two icons allegedly came to a bitter halt in their friendship in the late 90s and haven’t been the same since.
Gwyneth Paltrow allegedly stole a script from Winona Ryder’s home — igniting their feud.
It all started after Paltrow visited Ryder at her home in San Francisco and saw the script for “Shakespeare in Love,” which immediately piqued her interest.
Paltrow reportedly read the script for the 1998 film and instantly fell in love with the leading role of Viola de Lesseps.
The “Iron Man” actress didn’t waste any time calling her agent to book an audition, despite Ryder vying for the same role due to her having the script.
Of course, that caused a major conflict in Paltrow and Ryder’s friendship.
It was made worse after Paltrow was not only cast in the 1998 romantic period comedy-drama film; but also received the Oscar win for Best Actress in a Leading Role the following year.
Despite the rumors that Paltrow swiped the script from Ryder’s home and stole the part, the “Sliding Doors” actress has denied doing such a thing in the past.
Paltrow accused Ryder of making up ‘lies’ about her.
During a 2015 interview with Howard Stern, Paltrow claimed the allegations were an “urban myth.”
“I swear to God I did not, I’m raising my right hand on the Bible. I swear to God,” she said, adding that she hadn’t seen or spoken to Ryder in years.
She further claimed that Ryder’s “jealousy” had led the “Stranger Things” actress to “make up lies” about their friendship and subsequent ending.
Paltrow had previously hinted at a feud between her and Ryder.
Despite Paltrow vehemently denying that she had any part in Ryder not securing the lead role in “Shakespeare in Love,” she once alluded to feuding with Ryder in 2009.
In a Goop newsletter post titled “Evil Tongue and Living in Negativity,” Paltrow referred to a “frenemy” she once had who was “hell-bent on taking me down.”
“This person really did what they could to hurt me,” she wrote, according to Access.
“I was deeply upset, I was angry, I was all of those things you feel when you find out that someone you thought you liked was venomous and dangerous.”
She continued, “I restrained myself from fighting back. I tried to take the high road. But one day I heard that something unfortunate and humiliating had happened to this person. And my reaction was deep relief and…happiness. There went the high road.”
While Paltrow didn’t explicitly name Ryder in the 2009 post, many people believed she was talking about her former friend, especially after writing about an “unfortunate” incident happening to the unnamed person.
Many believed that Paltrow had made an indiscreet reference to Ryder’s arrest in Beverly Hills in 2001 because of shoplifting.
At the time, the actress was accused of stealing $5,500 worth of designer clothes and accessories at a department store, where she was later convicted of grand theft, shoplifting, and vandalism.
In December 2002, Ryder was sentenced to three years of probation, 480 hours of community service, $3,700 in fines, and $6,355 in restitution to the Saks Fifth Avenue store.
Nia Tipton is a writer living in Brooklyn. She covers pop culture, social justice issues, and trending topics. Keep up with her on Instagram and Twitter.