GP Will See You Now

Gwyneth Paltrow was just another actress turned entrepreneur when she launched her wellness brand, Goop, to a nation of sceptics. Ten years later, it’s more successful – and more scrutinised – than anyone could have predicted. She invites Jane Mulkerrins into her Hamptons home to talk criticism, second marriages and building an empire.

- Jane Mulkerrins

Down a leafy, sun-dappled lane in the Hamptons – the sandy strip to the east of New York where America’s elite decamps for the summer – there’s one house that bucks the local fashion for low-key luxury. In place of the usual white picket fence, the residence is hidden from view by a high electric security version. It’s almost like a little slice of LA, which feels appropriate, given that the property belongs to Gwyneth Paltrow – the Hollywood-born, New York-raised Oscar-winning actress and now wellness entrepreneur.

I arrive at the imposing entrance on a humid August afternoon. Jeffrey, the “house manager”, buzzes me into the compound, greets me at the front door and ushers me into an airy, immaculate lounge filled with low, pale furniture, a grand piano and vast, muted works of modern art. There’s no twee beach chic here. Beyond the French doors, a huge lawn stretches away. Nicholas, another staff member, fetches me a giant goblet of iced water. The lady of the house (known to all as GP) arrives a moment later and brimming with questions: where have I travelled from today? Do I live in the US? Have I married an American yet? How do I find dating Americans? She is – to state the obvious – the walking, breathing embodiment of Goop, the wellness and lifestyle company she founded a little more than a decade ago. What began as a newsletter from her kitchen has since blossomed into a formidable (if controversial) phenomenon, with a podcast, glossy magazine and book imprint alongside its own beauty products, vitamins, clothes and annual wellness summit.