Goop held an intimate summit in Los Angeles on Saturday. At its inaugural event back in 2017, there have been 600 Goop-devotees gathered at a 30,000-square-foot reconstructed warehouse. This 12 months, Gwyneth Paltrow invited guests right into a much smaller and private space, the Goop headquarters in Santa Monica, Calif., capping attendance at 139.

“Joyful to reply any questions,” Paltrow said at her first appearance of the day during an “Ask Me Anything” Q&A session.

The audience — predominantly white women who appear to feel or seek a reference to Paltrow — asked her about her personal life because it pertains to them. They asked about pivoting careers, on life post-“conscious uncoupling” and advice on the faculty application process.  

“I’ve just been through this again now for the second time. Well we’re going through it currently. I even have a senior,” she said of son Moses, whom she shares with ex-husband Chris Martin. Their eldest Apple is a university student.

“Within the case of, say my daughter, who was so focused on one place,” Paltrow said, “truthfully, if she hadn’t gotten in, I don’t know what we might have done. And I feel that’s totally the incorrect approach. Hit the road and see as many places as you possibly can.”

“We went through the conscious uncoupling together, so thanks. I credit you for the connection I had and still have with my ex-husband and never traumatizing my children,” an audience member said. “So, my query to you is, what does it seem like now that we’re older? Our youngsters are college age. We’re in other relationships. What does it seem like now?”

“I’m still very close with my ex-husband,” Paltrow said. “We’ve kind of morphed it into true family. I comprehend it sounds really weird to say, but he’s form of like my brother now.” The room roared with laughter.  

“And it’s hard for people to grasp, but I did really make a commitment that he would stay my family, and I feel we suffer lots less due to that,” she went on. “I feel it’s incredibly painful for a girl, once you comingled your DNA with a person, if you’ve no contact and acrimony and nothing between you. I feel it’s very, very hard. And causes suffering. So, for those who’re in a position to transmogrify that into a distinct sort of relationship and family…that’s what we’ve been in a position to do, thank goodness.”

Through Goop, while being candid about her own life, Paltrow has opened conversations, unpacked taboo subjects and made wellness experts accessible to a wider audience. On the business end, she’s been busy expanding the corporate. In September, Paltrow added color cosmetics to the sweetness line with the Colorblur Glow Balms, which were on display to check out on the summit. A month later, she introduced the cheaper, mass-market brand Good.clean.goop, launched at Goal and Amazon. And she or he also recently unveiled Goop Villa at The Colony Hotel in Palm Beach, Fla., a two-bedroom space crammed with Goop goods. Her efforts resulted in her winning the 2023 CFDA Innovation Award.

“I hope we’ve shed some light on attempting to rid shame in certain areas, whether it’s how one can divorce barely nicer or about women’s sexuality,” Paltrow said on Saturday. “I still feel that so many ladies are really fighting being in contact with who they really are and what they really want.”

That was arguably the theme of the day: finding your true self and needs. It got here with a price, after all. A day ticket was $1,200, while a weekender pass cost $3,500 to $4,000, including a two-night stay at Shutters on the Beach, a welcome dinner at Casa Del Mar in Santa Monica and farewell brunch on Sunday.

After a guided meditation with Shelley Smith, the day kicked off with a chat on nutrition (and the vaginal microbiome) with dietitians Shira Barlow and Maya Feller. There was a energetic session on “maximizing reference to yourself, others and the larger world” with psychologist Thema Bryant-Davis, writer of “Homecoming: Overcome Fear and Trauma to Reclaim Your Whole, Authentic Self.” And after a lunch break — provided by Goop Kitchen — a chat with Kim Little of the Moments of Space, an app that gives “eyes open” meditation, in addition to a star panel (presented by Athleta) with Paltrow’s friend and fellow actor Cameron Diaz (founding father of organic wine brand Avaline), Olympic gold medalist track star Allyson Felix (founding father of athletic footwear brand Saysh) and G9 Ventures founder Amy Griffin. The ladies discussed “redefining power.”

“It’s so great getting older actually,” said Diaz, who turned 51 on Aug. 30. “As we become old, it’s that ability to be more resilient and vulnerable, which doesn’t sound like they go hand in hand. But I feel resilience and vulnerability is true power.”

They’d the audience captivated, enthusiastically clapping and hanging on to their every word.

“Imagine the world if women ran it,” Diaz smiled.