While we were all busy revisiting the wickedness of the Roman Empire (that was the plot of Gladiator II, right? Not Paul Mescal’s calves?), another, arguably more important and interesting empire is reportedly crumbling. Following a second round of redundancies this month, Gwyneth Paltrow’s GOOP is said to be in trouble with 50 people now cut from the 216-person staff since September. That’s despite a Goop spokesperson stating that revenue for the wellness brand grew last year and was on track to grow further (they declined to say if the company is profitable) by the end of 2024.
Fears for the future of GOOP escalated when Paltrow announced her return to acting, in Josh Safdie’s Marty Supreme, starring alongside Timothée Chalamet. It’s her first major acting role in five years. Is GOOP no longer her priority? According to Paltrow, the decision was more to do with her now having an empty nest at home. ‘My son and stepson both went to college for the first time,’ she explained on The Drew Barrymore Show. ‘They’re both freshmen, and my daughter and stepdaughter have gone already a couple of years ago. So, the nest is empty, and I feel like there’s this really grief-filled part of it and then there’s this part of it that’s like, “Well, maybe I can explore my own creativity again”.’
But what of the world of wellness she’s come to reign supreme in? In October, Paltrow admitted the company took a hit due to Covid, saying they've 'spent a long-time dodging bullets'. Certainly, we haven't seen any new vagina candles or 'Yoni eggs' that promise to balance vaginal hormones launching this year, two products synonymous with GOOP's controversial reputation.
But, insiders insist no one should be writing off the brand just yet. ‘Everybody who knows Gwyneth knows she has had opportunities to sell GOOP over the years and instead has only taken on minority investments here and there,’ the insider tells Grazia. ‘She has maintained ironclad control over this company since the days when she only had two employees. It's that personal for her. GOOP makes most of its money in November and December when the products they highlight skyrocket in orders. These latest layoffs were about getting the company sized right for the holiday season so the company can be in a strong profit position at the end of 2024.’
While Paltrow is said to be a in a ‘world of stress’ right now, we are set to see a return to GOOP’s roots – as the industry’s kookiest celebrity newsletter – with cuts to editorial staff forcing her to pick up the pen more. ‘Gwyneth is going to go back to doing a lot more of the writing and product recommendations herself,’ the source continues. ‘GOOP is still her long-term passion, and she seems ready to go down with the ship if she has to. But right now, the company is going to be in a stronger position starting 2025 than it was a year ago.’
Next year, we'll see more expansions into beauty, too (they launched their first retinol in October, retailing at £120) as well as fashion and food. In fact, 2025 marks the company’s 17th year in business - cue millennial panic remembering when it launched and birthed a new wellness lexicon urging readers to ‘police your thoughts’. And yet, the message from GP and team is, it’s ageing perfectly fine, thank you very much.