15 Times You Could Actually Relate To Gwyneth Paltrow

Do you love Gwyneth Paltrow or do you totally hate her? There are definitely people and both camps. Some people think that she's way too rich and pretentious and that she doesn't know how regular people live. Others love her healthy attitude and the trends that she starts. She's an Oscar-winning actress, of course, but she's most well-known these days for creating Goop and for her many cookbooks. If you're not a huge fan of her, then guess what? You definitely should be. It's time to change your tune when it comes to this gluten-free advocate and lifestyle figure. You just might realize that you have more in common with her than you thought!

Here are 15 reasons that GP is actually relatable. Nope, it's not as crazy as it might sound! She really is like the average person (if the average person was totally beautiful, blonde and tall, and oh yeah, super rich and fabulous).

15 She Loves Her Friends

It's always nice to see women getting along, especially in Hollywood. Gwyneth Paltrow has cultivated many celeb friendships over the years, which tells us that she must have some likable qualities. Her circle is pretty envy-inducing, and we wish we were part of it! Of all of her famous gal pals, however, the most high-profile relationship is with Beyonce. Yep, you read that right. Over the years, Beyonce and Gwyneth have become BFFs. It's been said that they met through Jay-Z and GP's ex Chris Martin but we don't really know. But we know there's a sense of mutual adoration and respect between the famous ladies. Beyonce told Harper's Bazaar, "She pushes her boundaries all the time. You go to her house and she makes you feel like you never want to go home. She is what I strive to be one day." Gwyneth, on the other hand, told Ellen DeGeneres that she thought Beyonce was "kind of nauseating as in "she's so perfect it's kind of hard to take." Sounds like the best friendship ever!

14 She's A Gluten-Free Advocate

If you are wondering why going gluten-free has become so popular and trendy and mainstream, you can thank Gwyneth Paltrow for that. Sure, people have been cutting gluten out of their diets for a while now, but GP and other celebs brought this lifestyle into the spotlight. In an interview with OK Magazine, the actress said that she cut gluten, dairy, and sugar out because of her family's history with being lactose intolerant. She loves to eat as clean as possible but lets her children have treats like soda and pizza once a week. So that is definitely awesome since she is teaching them how to be healthy and have good eating habits. She has three cookbooks and the latest two are all about healthy food and different ideas for simple and fast cooking when you are super busy and do not have a ton of time (like everyone right?).

13 She Promotes Healthy Living

Gwyneth Paltrow is a total health nut. You probably already know this since it's basically the number one thing that she is known for these days, but if you're healthy too, then rejoice. Because you two are basically the same person! Okay, maybe not, but close enough. She has tried most health crazes over the years including going vegan or gluten-free or eating a macrobiotic diet. She has gotten a wealth of information thanks to her resources and opportunities and she shares it too which is pretty cool. Her lifestyle brand and website, Goop, began as a newsletter a few years ago, and now it's grown into a huge thing. You can find posts about fitness, healthy eating, meditation, and more. She wants to educate others on better eating and better living and that's pretty admirable because she cares about making sure that people know how to be as healthy as possible.

12 She's Classy

Did you know that long before Gwyneth Paltrow married and uncoupled Chris Martin, she dated and was engaged to Brad Pitt? The A-listers dated from 1995 until 1998. You were probably a kid back then so maybe you weren't exactly up on the latest and greatest about celebrities (or hey, maybe you were a cool kid invested in pop culture, who knows?!). But no one really talks about these two anymore which is pretty interesting. The thing is that they don't bash each other in the media the way that so many celebrities do (even if they pretend that they don't). She doesn't talk about him or even acknowledge that they dated, which we think is pretty classy. So if you're a classy girl as well and never talk about the guys from your past, you can totally relate to Gwyneth Paltrow. Who knew you had so much in common with her?!

11 She's Comfortable In Her Skin

Gwyneth Paltrow is comfortable in her skin in a way that's super refreshing to see. Even though she may not look like your average Hollywood star, self-assurance just oozes from her. She doesn't care what anyone thinks and just does what she wants when it comes to her fashion and beauty decisions. It seems that the root of her confidence comes from having a healthy body… and great skin. She's been quoted saying "I feel the most beautiful when I am comfortable in my own skin, and that's only when my skin is adequately moisturized. If my skin lacks a proper lubricant, it becomes tight, dry, and flaky all over, and I become wildly distracted by the way it struggles to stretch with my movements. It is, in a word, uncomfortable. And how can I enjoy a kick-a$$ red lipstick when all I'm thinking about is my alligator scales? Comfortable skin is the key to beauty." Great advice!

10 She's A Single Mom

Since she and Chris Martin separated, Gwyneth Paltrow has become a single mother. She may be rich and famous and have tons of resources at her disposal, but no one starts out wanting to be a single mom (well, probably not at least!) and so you have to love her for that. Since life isn't perfect no matter who you are (celebrity or mere mortal), it makes sense that this would happen to her. Sure, she can't relate to the average working mom (no matter how much you might say that she can!), but it can't be easy to do all the child-rearing yourself. Especially if you thought that you would have a partner by your side through all the ups and downs, good times and bad times. We're going to cut her some slack and say that we totally get why she thinks that it's hard to be a single mom. And we can relate to her since her life is not as flawless as it might seem!

9 She's A Foodie

If you're a foodie, so is GP so you're totally meant to be besties. Gwyneth Paltrow, despite her dietary restrictions, loves her food and does her best to get as much as she can while remaining healthy. We can relate to that, that's for sure. She's gotten a lot of flack for some of her more extreme choices from people who believe that she's encouraging a diet of deprivation. Paltrow told Yahoo Beauty: "I think there's a lot of misinformation about what I actually eat. I really don't have any rules. I really believe in delicious food and enjoying life and not saying no to anything. But at the same time, you know, I think it's important to understand what good nutrition does and make sure you maintain a balance." So there you have it! She takes care of her body and her mind by eating healthy but she also wants to have fun and enjoy what she's eating. We love that and think it's relatable since you may want to eat kale but you can't resist some fries sometimes, either.

8 She Tried To Keep Her Breakup Amicable

Does the term "conscious uncoupling" make you roll your eyes? Sure, it might, but we think it is pretty awesome since it proves that she did not want to be a total jerk towards her ex-husband Chris Martin. It basically means that they want to be civil to each other even though they are not in love anymore. We don't really have a problem with that! Sounds pretty good to us. Divorces get super messy whether or not you are famous, but they seem to be even worse for celebrities who have money and resources to divide up (and big egos, too). We totally love that Gwyneth wanted to do her best to keep her break up as drama-free as possible and as positive as it could be. That proves that she is pretty mature. We're not sure that we want this phrase to catch on, though, because, well, it's kind of annoying.

7 She Loves Her Late Dad

Gwyneth Paltrow had a wonderful relationship with her father, Bruce Paltrow, a film director and producer. Sadly, he died from throat cancer a decade ago, which prompted Paltrow to overhaul her entire diet and lifestyle. A source told The Daily Mail that "Gwyneth's family is very close-knit and she idolized her father." Another source said, "She called him several times a day when she was away and now she is feeling all the emotions of guilt that there was nothing she could do to save him.'" Most of us can relate to losing someone we loved dearly. It's not an easy thing to deal with. But when it happens, we just have to think of better times and the things that they taught us, even those things that made us uncomfortable. Her dad even apparently gave her some tough love saying that she shouldn't let her fame and success change her.

6 She's Close With Her Mom

Even though Gwyneth Paltrow was a self-described daddy's girl, she loves her mom too. Paltrow and her mom, Blythe Danner, have a super close relationship. Gwyneth Paltrow got into acting because she wanted to follow in her footsteps. How cute is that?! The mother-daughter duo also speaks so highly of each other and seem to share a special bond. Blythe has said that she's super proud of GP for following her dreams and just being a great person. Likewise, Paltrow definitely looks up to her mom. When speaking to E!, Paltrow said this about what her mother taught her about life: "I think she's taught me a lot about being a woman who isn't afraid to be creative and expressive and to channel that energy and power. Which she does in such elegant and graceful ways." We love that and can definitely relate.

5 She's A Cookbook Author And Reader

Nothing soothes our soul like a good book. We just love curling up on the couch with a good read after a busy week and GP is not only a writer of sorts but an avid reader, so we totally can relate to her on that level. Gwyneth Paltrow has penned a few cookbooks (My Father's Daughter, It's All Good, and It's All Easy) and they prove her attitude toward food. Sure, some of the recipes are totally gluten-free and dairy-free and low in sugar, but others are more rich and decadent. It's not surprising Gwyneth's love of food would translate well into book form, but we're super happy that it is. She has also said that she loves a good book, so we like that she's a reader. We would love to get her to cook for us someday! Now we're going to be super depressed that we're not best friends and can't just invite ourselves over.

4 She Hates Working Out (But Does It Anyway)

Working out sucks. It makes you tired, makes you sweat WAY too much, and messes up your hair and makeup. And yet we're supposed to do it because it's good for us, right? Everyone knows this. Even Gwyneth Paltrow knows this! Even though she's completely committed to living a healthy lifestyle, she doesn't like to work out. (Does anyone???) Still, she does it anyway because she's aware of the positive effects it has on her body and health. Even when she's short on time. She has said, "Every woman can make time [to work out] -- every woman -- and you can do it with your baby in the room. There have been countless times where I've worked out with my kids crawling around all over the place. You just make it work." If only we had that discipline! So if you groan every time it's time to head to the gym but go anyway, you can definitely relate to GP's attitude toward getting sweaty.

3 She's Ambitious

We couldn't knock Gwyneth Paltrow's hustle even if we tried. Even though she doesn't act quite as much as she used to, she has had no problem making money for herself through her various business ventures. She's the walking embodiment of a "boss b--ch." She won an Oscar at only 24 years old and spent several years in Hollywood as a successful actress. In the years since her acting career has cooled off a bit, she's definitely managed to keep busy. Her lifestyle site, Goop, has been going strong for years and years now. It features things picked specifically by Gwyneth, which are ridiculously overpriced, but hey, sometimes you have to splurge a little. She's also released several cookbooks (that are FULL of yummy recipes) and she's also in the process of launching a book publishing platform. In addition to that, she also dabbled in fashion. Oh, and she still acts from time to time.

2 She Has Style Faux Paus

Gwyneth Paltrow has, for the most part, been lauded for her killer fashion sense. If there's a best-dressed list, she's more likely to wind up on it than not. The girl's got style, we must say. No doubt about it. But no matter how fashionable you are, it's impossible to knock every look out of the park. Gwyneth Paltrow knows and accepts this. According to a blog post on her lifestyle site, Goop, Gwenyth shared her thoughts on her 2002 Oscar look, which, to put nicely, we think it sucked. She agrees: "There were a few issues. I still love the dress itself but I should have worn a bra and I should have just had simple beachy hair and less makeup. Then, it would have worked as I wanted it to - a little bit of punk at the Oscars." See? She's totally just like us? Okay, not at all, but in this case, at least, because we don't always wear the best outfits either!

1 She Speaks Her Mind

Love her or hate her, Gwyneth Paltrow is going to be Gwyneth Paltrow no matter what. It's what she does. Through all of her trials and career setbacks, she has always stayed true to herself and she doesn't actually care what anyone thinks about her. She continues to be herself and live her own truth. She lives life unabashedly, does what she wants, and just tunes out all of the hate. It's for these reasons that she's become such a polarizing figure, garnering hate from some and love from others. Whichever side of the spectrum you land on, you have to admit that she just lets all of the negativity towards her roll right off of her shoulders, which is something we could all benefit from learning. If she does have hidden pain, then she's a total pro at hiding it. For that, we have to give her our respect. And we have to admit that she's more relatable than we thought!