A Decade On: Gwyneth Paltrow Details Her Last “Properly Drunk” Night with Cameron Diaz
In a candid British Vogue interview, the Goop founder shares a memorable 43rd birthday celebration and her enduring two-decade friendship with fellow actress Cameron Diaz, as both prepare for their cinematic comebacks.
In a revealing interview for British Vogue’s November cover story, published Wednesday, October 15, actress and entrepreneur Gwyneth Paltrow, 53, opened up about her personal habits, including the last time she truly “cut loose.” The memorable evening, she recalled, was her 43rd birthday celebration a decade ago, where she found herself “hammered” alongside one of her closest friends, fellow Hollywood star Cameron Diaz, also 53.
The now-iconic story began in New York City, where Paltrow’s husband, Brad Falchuk, 54, organized an intimate dinner. “We had this great Chinese dinner, then someone was like, ‘Let’s go dancing.’ I did shots and I was hammered,” Paltrow recounted. The consequences, she admitted, were immediate and undeniable. “The next morning I had a meeting and I’ll never forget it. I was like, ‘Would you excuse me for a second?’ And I went and puked in the bathroom and then came back. That was the last time.”
This candid anecdote not only offers a rare glimpse into Paltrow’s personal life but also underscores the deep and enduring friendship she shares with Cameron Diaz. Their bond, which has spanned over two decades, solidified in the 2000s under poignant circumstances. Diaz revealed in a 2012 interview with Harper’s Bazaar U.K. that Paltrow reached out to her after the tragic passing of her father, Emilio Diaz, in 2008. “It was very sweet. We bonded on that,” Diaz shared at the time.
Their friendship has remained a constant, publicly celebrated on numerous occasions. In August 2023, Paltrow took to Instagram to affectionately mark Diaz’s 51st birthday, referring to her as her “ride or die.” The two have also supported each other through significant life events; a source close to PEOPLE revealed in 2018 that Diaz, who married musician Benji Madden, 46, in 2015, offered valuable advice to Paltrow on maintaining privacy for her own wedding to Falchuk that same year. Just recently, on July 26 and 27, 2024, the longtime friends were pictured together, radiating warmth at an Avaline event in the Hamptons—a testament to their continued closeness.
Beyond their personal lives, both actresses are making significant returns to the big screen after years-long hiatuses. Gwyneth Paltrow is set to star alongside Timothée Chalamet in “Marty Supreme,” slated for a December 2024 release, marking her first film role since 2019. Similarly, Cameron Diaz has already appeared in her first film since 2014, “Back in Action,” released earlier in 2024, and is anticipated to reprise her beloved voice role as Princess Fiona in the upcoming fifth installment of the “Shrek” series.
Paltrow also touched upon other personal “vices” in her British Vogue interview, emphasizing a philosophy of balance. She revealed that her last cigarette was smoked on her wedding night in 2018. As for junk food, she admitted to indulging in a “chocolate-covered Oreo” the night before her interview. “That is trans fats to the max,” she conceded, “That’s, like, seed oils all the way. But once in a while, it’s so important to follow those cravings. I love it. I think it’s all about balance. Going too strongly in any direction is never good.” This holistic approach to life, from celebrated friendships to occasional indulgences, paints a vivid picture of the star’s grounded perspective.
