Gwyneth Paltrow Calls Being an Empty Nester 'Really Hard,' Says She 'Fell Off a Cliff' When Her Kids Moved Out

Rachel McRadyWed, May 27, 2026 at 3:21 PM UTC

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(L-R) Apple Martin, Moses Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow
Credit: Gwyneth Paltrow/Instagram -

Gwyneth Paltrow says adjusting to life as an empty nester has been emotionally challenging but rewarding

Her daughter Apple Martin, 22, recently graduated from Vanderbilt and will appear in a Nancy Meyers movie

Son Moses Martin is currently a sophomore at Brown University and is pursuing music with his band People I've Met and is signed to Interscope Records

Gwyneth Paltrow is keeping it real with how she's handling life as an empty nester.

The 53-year-old Goop founder got candid during an interview on the Today show on Wednesday, May 27, calling the experience of seeing her kids go off into the world “really hard.”

“I really struggled when they all went and then I thought, ‘Okay, I'm all good,' ” she admitted. “And then in September again, I kind of fell off a cliff for the second time. But now I feel like, it's what you want to happen. It's what you hope will happen that they will go off to their next phase of life and find their people.”

Paltrow shares daughter Apple Martin, 22, and son Moses Martin, 20, with her ex-husband, Coldplay frontman Chris Martin.

(L-R) Apple Martin, Blythe Danner and Gwyneth Paltrow celebrate Mother's Day on Instagram
Credit: Gwyneth Paltrow/Instagram

“But it's hard as a mother. You have to reorient around what's ... because you're so focused on the kids and their schedules and their emotional health,” she explained.

Apple graduated from Vanderbilt University earlier this month and has already has a film role lined up in an upcoming Nancy Meyers movie.

“I'm really proud of her. It's really thrilling,” Paltrow said of her eldest child.

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Apple Martin and mom Gwyneth Paltrow on Instagram.
Credit: Gwyneth Paltrow/Instagram

As for Moses, he is a sophomore at Brown University, but is also pursuing his budding music career.

“He signed to Interscope Records. He's in an amazing band, they're called People I've Met, and he's such a nice boy,” Paltrow said, grinning.

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As for the Oscar winner's advice for her kids about entering the entertainment industry, Paltrow kept it simple.

“It's hard. It's a difficult road, but it's worth pursuing if it's their absolute truth,” she said, before adding, “[Do] not read anything about themselves.”

This isn't the first time Paltrow has gotten candid about her struggles with being an empty nester. In 2024, she answered a fan's question about her kids leaving home on her Instagram Stories.

"Thank you for asking," the actress replied in a video at the time. "It's very different. I have waves of grief and sadness."

on People

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Entertainment”