Brad Pitt and Gwyneth Paltrow were together from 1994 to 1997, when they called off their engagement — here’s everything to know about their relationship then and now

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Brad Pitt and Gwyneth Paltrow split over twenty years ago, but the former pair still have a love for each other.

They were, as Paltrow told Vogue, “a very ’90s couple.” The pair were the subject of constant media attention, from matching moments to romantic Parisian getaways.

The actors met while filming the movie Seven in 1994 and started dating shortly afterward. “I knew immediately,” Pitt later told Rolling Stone of falling for Paltrow on set.

They dated for two years before Pitt popped the question in December 1996. But the pair never made it down the aisle — just six months later, they called it quits.

Pitt and Paltrow have both long since moved on with other high-profile relationships: Paltrow wed (and later famously “consciously uncoupled” from) Coldplay singer Chris Martin before tying the knot with writer Brad Falchuck in 2018; Pitt was married to Jennifer Aniston from 2000 to 2005 and started a family with Angelina Jolie, whom he dated for nine years before marrying in 20 and splitting up in 2016.

From their first impressions of each other to their engagement, their split and where things stand now, here’s a complete timeline of Brad Pitt and Gwyneth Paltrow’s relationship.

1994: Brad Pitt and Gwyneth Paltrow meet and start dating on the set of Seven

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Sparks flew quickly after the actors first met while filming David Fincher’s cult-favorite thriller Seven, which sees Paltrow as Pitt’s doomed wife.

1994: Brad Pitt says he “knew immediately” that he wanted to be with Gwyneth Paltrow

Reflecting on his first impression of the actress to Rolling Stone in 1997, Pitt revealed, “I knew immediately, I’ll tell you that much.” He said, “I got within 10 feet of her, and I got goofy. I couldn’t talk.”

1994: Gwyneth Paltrow develops a “crush” on Brad Pitt

Calling herself “oblivious,” Paltrow later told the Los Angeles Times that she didn’t pick up on Pitt’s interest in her right away. ​​”I wouldn’t know if somebody was flirting with me. When Brad and I met, he says, it was obvious that he liked me and that I was an idiot,” she told the outlet in August 1996. “But I had no idea. I thought he was just really friendly.”

Laughing, she added, “And then I started getting a crush on him. I’m like, ‘Are you insane? You can’t get a crush on Brad Pitt. Get hold of yourself.’ ” She continued, “It’s funny to think back into that mind now. Now it’s so different.”

April 26, 1995: Brad Pitt and Gwyneth Paltrow make one of their first red carpet appearances together

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26The pair jetted off to London for Pitt’s Legends Of The Fall UK Premiere after party at Kensington Roof Gardens in April 1995. The red carpet appearance marked one of their first major public outings together.

May 1995: Brad Pitt confronts Harvey Weinstein on Gwyneth Paltrow’s behalf

In 2017, Paltrow added her name to a long list of women who have accused movie mogul Harvey Weinstein of sexual harassment in a New York Times report.

room where he tried to make a pass at me.” She was starring in his movie Emma and dating Pitt at the time.

Paltrow immediately told her boyfriend about it — and in response, Pitt confronted Weinstein. “I told him right away and I was very shaken by the whole thing,” she told Stern. “We were at the opening of Hamlet on Broadway. Harvey was there and Brad Pitt — it was like the equivalent of throwing him against the wall, energetically.”

“He said, ‘If you ever make her feel uncomfortable again, I’ll kill you,’ ” she recalled Pitt telling Weinstein. “Or something like that.”

“It was so fantastic,” she continued. “He leveraged his fame and power to protect me at a time when I didn’t have fame or power yet.”

May 1995: Brad Pitt and Gwyneth Paltrow vacation in St. Barts

The globe-trotting pair next took a romantic 10-day getaway to the Caribbean — where they were harassed by paparazzi who used a telescopic lens to snap nude photos of them. Pitt later sued Playgirl magazine over republishing the private photos.

January 21, 1996: Brad Pitt calls Gwyneth Paltrow his “angel” at the Golden Globes

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During his acceptance speech for best supporting actor for his performance in 12 Monkeys in 1996, Pitt saved the best for last, thanking his costars, family, friends and “especially the love o’ my life,” he said. “My angel, Gwyneth Paltrow.”

August 1996: Gwyneth Paltrow and Brad Pitt attend a screening of Emma at the White House

Paltrow was honored by President Bill Clinton with a screening of her movie Emma, the film adaptation of the Jane Austen novel. “It was the experience of a lifetime,” said Pitt, who accompanied her, according to Valerie Milano’s 2013 biography Gwyneth Paltrow. “Obviously, I’m proud of her.”

August 21, 1996: Gwyneth Paltrow says she and Brad Pitt are “the best of friends”

Speaking to the L.A. Times, Paltrow opened up about her relationship with Pitt, revealing, “I’m in a very happy relationship. We’re the best of friends. We go out on a date together. We go to the movies. I make dinner. We go out to dinner. We have friends over.”

While acknowledging the public’s interest in her private life, she added that that was as much detail as she was willing to share. “Beyond that, I don’t know what else people expect me to say,” she said. “I’m not going to sit down with a writer and divulge intimate and private things.”

December 1996: Brad Pitt and Gwyneth Paltrow get engaged in Argentina

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After two years together, Pitt popped the question while filming Seven Years in Tibet on location in Argentina. Paltrow was by his side for the entirety of the months-long trip and returned with a ring on her finger.

“Gwennie was with me the whole time [in Argentina]. It was excellent. You put in a hard day, then you come home, and … there she is,” Pitt reflected to Rolling Stone the following April.

December 25, 1996: Brad Pitt introduces Gwyneth Paltrow to his family

After his proposal — which he described to Entertainment Tonight as “one of the greatest moments” of his life — Pitt took Paltrow home to Missouri, where she met his mom, a school counselor named Jane, and his dad, Bill Pitt. To celebrate their pending nuptials, the family grabbed dinner together at the local Red Lobster, PEOPLE reported at the time.

Soon after getting engaged, the Sliding Doors star told ET that she and Pitt hadn’t made the choice to tie the knot lightly.

“I take the institution extremely seriously. There are no divorces in my family either — and in his either, so this is not something — we’ve been together for quite some time, so this is not a rash decision,” she said.

Pitt also spoke to ET about his future with Paltrow. “I guess I’m gonna be a dad with a lot of kids,” he said, adding he “better be a good one.”

March 13, 1997: Brad Pitt and Gwyneth Paltrow debut matching haircuts

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The couple made fashion history when they arrived at the 1997 premiere of The Devil’s Own in New York City with coordinating cuts.

“Awww, matching haircuts!” Paltrow said when looking back at some of her most iconic hair moments in an Instagram video promoting Goop’s Restore + Shine Hair.

“We went to the same stylist for the cut. [Celebrity hairstylist] Chris McMillan cut both of our hair like this,” she revealed in the 2021 clip.

March 29, 1997: Brad Pitt and Gwyneth Paltrow take a romantic getaway to Paris

78The couple were photographed taking a romantic stroll along the Seine River while vacationing in Paris. In one shot, Pitt plants a kiss on the side of Paltrow’s head.

April 3, 1997: Brad Pitt says he “can’t wait” to marry Gwyneth Paltrow

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In a Rolling Stone profile, Pitt gushed about his future with his fiancée. “I can’t wait, man,” he told the outlet of tying the knot. “Walk down the aisle, wear the ring, kiss the bride. Oh, it’s going to be great. Marriage is an amazing thing. And what a compliment: ‘You’re the one I want to spend the rest of my life with,’ you know? Because I’m only going to do it once.”

June 16, 1997: Brad Pitt and Gwyneth Paltrow split

Six months after announcing their engagement, Hollywood’s golden couple shocked fans with their split. Pitt’s publicist Cindy Guagenti broke the news to the New York Post: “They have been broken up for a couple of weeks now,” she said. “It’s not because of any one specific event.”

A source close to the actors denied rumors of infidelity, saying, “It’s a real relationship with real problems. This is not about any third party. This is absolutely between the two of them.”

1997: Brad Pitt drops out of starring opposite Gwyneth Paltrow in Duets

90The pair were scheduled to share the screen together for the first time since Seven in Duets, directed by Paltrow’s father. Ultimately, Pitt was replaced by Scott Speedman (another rumored flame of Paltrow’s) in the 2000 film.

1998: Gwyneth Paltrow breaks her silence on her split from Brad Pitt

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One year after splitting from Pitt, the Oscar winner shut down speculation that there was any mysterious reason for their breakup.

“People are, like, obsessed with knowing why,” Paltrow said, according to Entertainment Weekly. “I think, What do you mean, why? When two people aren’t supposed to be together, they’re not supposed to be together.”

October 9, 2003: Gwyneth Paltrow blames herself for her and Brad Pitt’s breakup

99Paltrow reflected on being “very upset for a long, long time” about the split five years after ending things with Pitt. During an interview with Diane Sawyer, Paltrow claimed she was “a mess” during their relationship and that she “felt really responsible” for its untimely end.

“I’m so lucky that I spent time with Brad, somebody who was such a good person! Especially when I was, like, such a mess,” she said.

“My kind of internal stuff really tripped up that whole relationship,” she continued. “And I felt really responsible, and also like I was the architect of my own misery … I just made a big mess out of it.”

She added that the pair had reached a friendly accord. “We’re able to sort of see each other and smile and wish each other well,” Paltrow said.

January , 2015: Gwyneth Paltrow says Brad Pitt “was too good for me”

108Looking back on ending her engagement to Pitt, Paltrow partially blames their split on her age.

“I think I was a kid and I wasn’t ready. He was too good for me,” the Country Strong star said during a 2015 appearance on The Howard Stern Show. “I honestly do think I was too young and didn’t know what I was doing.”

She added, “I mean I was 22 when we met and it’s taken me until 40 to get my head out of my ass. You can’t make a decision when you’re 22 years old.”

August 30, 2017: Gwyneth Paltrow says she “f— up” her relationship with Brad Pitt

During an appearance on the Girlboss Radio with Sophia Amoruso podcast, Paltrow opened up about being at her “potentially most vulnerable and f— up” when it comes to her romantic relationships.

“I’ve f—– up so many relationships, so many,” she said. “It’s taken me a lot of, a lot of work to get to the place where I have a good romantic relationship,” she shared (at the time, Paltrow had been dating now-husband Falchuck for two years). She then referenced her past romance with Pitt, adding, “I f—– that up, Brad!”

September 18, 2019: Brad Pitt addresses defending Gwyneth Paltrow against Harvey Weinstein

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During a conversation with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, Pitt was asked to recall the moment when he confronted Weinstein after the producer “made a pass” at Paltrow while she and Pitt were dating.

“At that moment, I was just a boy from the Ozarks on the playground and that’s how we confronted things,” Pitt explained.

“I just wanted to make sure nothing was going to happen further because she was going to do two films [with Weinstein],” he added.

January 7, 2020: Gwyneth Paltrow says there’s no “bad blood” between her and Brad Pitt

The Goop CEO ​​is famously on good terms with nearly all of her exes, from ex-fiancé Pitt to ex-husband Chris Martin. In a Harper’s Bazaar February cover story, she spoke out about keeping her relationships amicable after a split, noting, “I’m friendly with Brad Pitt. I don’t have any really bad blood.”

June , 2022: Brad Pitt tells Gwyneth Paltrow it’s “lovely to have you as a friend now”

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The friendly exes reunited for an interview on Goop’s website, in which they reflected on remaining close despite ending their romantic relationship over two decades ago.

The pair began speaking about Paltrow’s late father Bruce, who died in 2002, and his close relationship with Pitt, whom he’d been excited to have as a son-in-law, “though we didn’t get married, unfortunately,” she reminded Pitt.

“Right,” he laughed. “Oh man, everything works out, doesn’t it?”

“Yes, it does. I finally found the Brad I was supposed to marry. It just took me 20 years,” joked Paltrow, who said “I do” to Falchuk in September 2018.

Pitt added, “And it’s lovely to have you as a friend now,” to which Paltrow replied, “It is.”

The pair exchanged further words of affection, with Pitt telling Paltrow, “And I do love you.” She agreed, “I love you so much.”

September 2022: Brad Pitt praises Gwyneth Paltrow‘s business

While speaking with Vogue about the launch of his skincare line, Le Domaine Skincare, Pitt cited Paltrow’s business Goop as one of his influences.

“[I] love what Gwyneth [Paltrow]’s done [with Goop]. She is still a really dear friend, and she has built this empire. She has always had that in her as a curator, and it’s been a lovely creative outlet for her,” he said.

The actor also credited Paltrow with introducing him to good skincare habits, explaining, “In fact, come to think about it, she was probably the first one who got me to even wash my face twice a day … maybe.”

October 19, 2022: Gwyneth Paltrow’s husband isn’t bothered by her friendship with Brad Pitt

“My husband is probably like the least judgmental, most secure man in our relationship, so I think he totally respects [the friendship],” Paltrow told Entertainment Tonight.

She explained that the exes rekindled their friendship nearly 20 years ago — long before she married Brad Falchuck.

“I adore him. He’s an amazing person, and he’s a great entrepreneur, and such a creative, and such a good person. I really love him. I’m a big fan,” Paltrow said of Pitt.

May 3, 2023: Gwyneth Paltrow says it was “major love at first sight” with Brad Pitt

During an appearance on the Call Her Daddy podcast, Paltrow talked candidly about her romance with Pitt.

“[It] was major, major love at first sight. It was crazy,” she said, recalling meeting Pitt on the set of Seven.

The Goop founder went on to describe the night the Troy star proposed.

“We were on the balcony of this house we were renting in this little town in Argentina,” she said. “I wish I remembered exactly what he said, but he proposed, it was fantastic. I was thrilled. We had talked about it, but I was surprised in the moment, I remember that. I must have been 24.”

Paltrow went on to say that she was “totally heartbroken” when they broke up six months later.

“It was the right thing at that time, but it was really hard,” she said. “There were a number of things that had happened, he was nine years older than me so he was far more … he knew what he wanted, he was ready to do it and I was kind of all over the place, so it was really one of those difficult things, where I felt like, ‘Oh my God, not only am I not ready, I’m not living up to the standards again.’ It was a familiar refrain I felt about myself.”