The rumor that Gwyneth Paltrow stole her Oscar-winning Shakespeare in Love role from friend Winona Ryder may never rest.
Amy Odell’s upcoming book, Gwyneth: The Biography, seemingly reveals how Paltrow, 52, allegedly snagged the 1998 role right out from under Ryder’s nose. As the story goes, Paltrow initially turned down the part of Viola de Lesseps.
An excerpt from Odell’s book, published via People on Wednesday, July 16, claims that Ryder, now 53, never received “an offer” but she “wanted to do the part.” An interview with disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein in the biography further claimed that Paltrow actually “recommended” Ryder for the role.
“After a story about Gwyneth allegedly stealing the script from Winona’s coffee table reached the media, Gwyneth told friends that Ryder had started the rumor, and insisted she’d received the script through her agent,” the excerpt from Odell’s book reads. When Shakespeare in Love hit theaters in December 1998, the movie received “ravishing reviews.”
Us Weekly has reached out to Paltrow and Ryder’s teams for comment.
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Paltrow and Ryder’s friendship was a quintessential part of the 1990s in Hollywood. The two forged a bond as they dated BFFs Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, respectively. Rumors have been swirling for years that Shakespeare in Love was the reason for a falling out between the two actresses. While Ryder has stayed tight-lipped about the rumors, Paltrow addressed their apparent falling out during a 2015 interview.
Gwyneth Paltrow in ‘Shakespeare in Love’. Miramax/Courtesy Everett Collection
Paltrow referred to the alleged script-stealing drama as an “urban myth” while appearing on “The Howard Stern Show” at the time.
“I swear to God I did not, I’m raising my right hand on the Bible,” she said at the time. “I swear to God.”
Another layer to the alleged drama came in the form of a 2009 Goop newsletter — the early days of the wellness brand — where Paltrow spoke candidly about a past friendship. Fans were quick to speculate she was discussing Ryder, but this was never confirmed.
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“Back in the day, I had a ‘frenemy’ who, as it turned out, was pretty hell-bent on taking me down. This person really did what they could to hurt me,” Paltrow wrote at the time. “I was deeply upset, I was angry, I was all of those things you feel when you find out that someone you thought you liked was venomous and dangerous. I restrained myself from fighting back.”
She added, “I tried to take the high road. But one day I heard that something unfortunate and humiliating had happened to this person. And my reaction was deep relief and … happiness. There went the high road.”
Gwyneth: The Biography will be released on July 29.
