A new Gwyneth Paltrow biography written by Amy Odell gives a clue about why her romance with Ben Affleck ended in 2000.
In the forthcoming book Gwyneth: The Biography, it’s revealed that the actress, 52, may have been cheated on by the actor, also 52.
An excerpt obtained by People reads: ‘Their physical chemistry couldn’t overcome his self-destructive impulses, which may have even included cheating on her.’
According to Odell, after the couple broke up Gwyneth, who was drawn to Ben’s intellect, said, ‘I love men, even though they’re lying, cheating scumbags.’
It was written that the Boston, Massachusetts native ‘was struggling with alcoholism and a gambling habit,’ throughout their relationship.
And it was noted by the biographer, ‘Her friends had reservations about him, because he didn’t always reciprocate her affection.
‘He at times seemed more interested in playing video games with the guys at his house than being with Gwyneth.’
Elsewhere in the coverage of Gwyneth and Ben’s romance, Odell penned: ‘She spoke openly about how much she enjoyed their sex life. She told [makeup artist and her friend Kevy] Aucoin one day that she loved when Affleck [engaged in a certain sex act].’
The exes starred alongside each other in two films during their coupling — 1998’s Shakespeare in Love, which earned Paltrow an Oscar, and 2000’s rom-com Bounce.
According to Entertainment Tonight, the Goop founder told Howard Stern in 2015 that Affleck was not ‘in a good place in his life to have a girlfriend’ when they were together.
She noted at the time: ‘I think [my parents Bruce Paltrow and Blythe Danner] appreciated how he’s super intelligent and he’s really, really talented and so funny, but he was not in a good place in his life to have a girlfriend.
‘I think they were OK with the two of us not being together.’
More recently, while appearing on a Call Her Daddy podcast episode in 2023, the silver screen siren compared Ben to another famous ex-boyfriend, Brad Pitt, 61.
She dated Brad beginning in 1994, and the couple were even engaged.
The blonde beauty called off the engagement in 1997 because at age 24, she felt she was too young for marriage. She went on to have a three-year relationship with Ben.
Asked who was better in bed, she answered: ‘That’s really hard. Because Brad was like the major chemistry love of [my] life at the time. And then Ben was like, technically excellent.’
Asked who she regarded as the better actor of the two, she said: ‘They’re both so talented. And Ben is a great writer and director.
‘But I guess I would probably have to say acting alone, Brad. Because if you think of all the different roles that he’s done.’
Paltrow now shares two kids with ex-husband Chris Martin — daughter Apple, 21, and son Moses, 19.
She has been married to writer-director Brad Falchuk since 2018.
