Brad Falchuk’s forgotten first wife and why split made Gwyneth Paltrow ‘question’ romance
Gwyneth Paltrow and Brad Falchuk were both married to other people when they first met, and Brad’s wife was an even bigger star than him
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This time two years ago, Gwyneth Paltrow and Brad Falchuk got hitched in the back garden of her home in East Hampton, New York, in front of 70 of their loved ones.
The luxe bash was a family affair, with Gwyneth’s daughter Apple, 16, from her marriage to Chris Martin, serving as bridesmaid alongside Brad’s daughter Isabella with first wife, TV producer Suzanne Bukinik.
But despite the familial scenes, both have admitted that navigating a new relationship with two teenage children a piece wasn’t without its challenges.
So much so that they waited an entire year after their wedding to even move in together.
“We’ve just done it slowly. Divorce is terrible, even when it’s the right thing to do,” Hollywood hotshot producer Brad previously told WSJ Magazine.
“And it’s really hard on kids. Come September, we’re gonna Brady Bunch it up, and it’ll be great.”
Brad, 49, first met Suzanne in 2001, when they were both aspiring producers trying to find their way in Los Angeles.
Suzanne, who had moved from the Bronx in New York, was the bigger star to begin with having produced the TV series According To Jim from 2001 to 2009.
They married in 2003, had two children, Brody and Isabella, and saw each others careers continue to rise, in particular when Brad originated the series, American Horror Story.
But it was his 2009 series Glee, of which he was co-creator, that made Brad a household name and also introduced him to his next big love, Gwyneth Paltrow.
Cast as Spanish teacher Holly Holliday in 2010, Gwyneth, 48, is said to have become firm friends with the Emmy-nominated star.
In March 2013 Suzanne filed for divorce, and Gwyneth and Chris announced their ‘conscious uncoupling’ after a year of working on their marriage in March 2014.
That July, Gwyneth and Brad were reportedly spotted enjoying a romantic weekend at the exclusive Amangiri resort in Utah, where onlookers claimed the actress was sunbathing topless next to Brad.
Then in April 2015 the pair went public at Robert Downey Jr’s 50th birthday party when sources told People magazine: “Gwyneth and Brad have had a personal relationship for a long time. It is still evolving.”
However, when Brad and Suzanne’s divorce reportedly stalled in 2015, Gwyneth is said to have been frustrated – particularly as her own divorce from Chris had been dealt with.
“Gwyn is questioning the relationship,” a source told Star magazine at the time.
“She finds it odd and embarrassing that Brad hasn’t moved forward with his divorce. She wants him to settle things with his wife and move on.”
Of course, matters were eventually resolved and in January 2018, Brad and Gwyneth announced their own engagement.
As for her 11-year marriage to Chris, Gwyneth recently admitted she knew it was over ‘years’ before they actually split.
“It was my birthday, my 38th,” she wrote in an essay for Vogue of the 2010 moment she realised they had no future.
“My ex-husband and I were tucked away in the Tuscan countryside, on a hill in a beautiful cottage with a view of the forest.
“I don’t recall when it happened, exactly. I don’t remember which day of the weekend it was or the time of day. But I knew – despite long walks and longer lie-ins, big glasses of Barolo and hands held – my marriage was over.
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