Gwyneth Paltrow Reveals Struggles with Alcohol and Menopause During L.A. Wildfires

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Gwyneth Paltrow shared her challenges with stress and alcohol during the wildfires that engulfed Los Angeles in January 2025 in a recent episode of Dr. Mary Clare Haver’s Goop podcast. The actress and businesswoman admitted she turned to drinking every day to cope with mounting anxiety and worsening menopause symptoms.

“I’m really in the thick of it right now, so I’m all over the place,” Paltrow said, reflecting on her struggles with insomnia and anxiety during the intense fires. She noted that while her menopause symptoms are usually manageable, the extreme stress brought on by the wildfires disrupted her typical routine. “But I noticed my symptoms are, like, pretty well under control unless, you know, in January when the fires were happening in L.A. I’ve, like, used alcohol for its purpose,” she explained.

Paltrow describes her reliance on alcohol for managing her emotional state during this time. “I was medicating,” she stated, acknowledging that she typically drinks very little now compared to the difficult period. “Normally, now at this point, I don’t drink a lot at all. Maybe I’ll have one drink a week,” she clarified. The impact of drinking on her symptoms was notable, as she said, “My symptoms were completely out of control. It was the first time I really noticed, like, causation in that way.”

The star further elaborated on her struggles with insomnia, which intensified following her menopause. “I’ve always been a real sleeper, but after menopause, I went through a particularly bad time with it,” she noted. Paltrow described severe anxiety episodes where she would lie awake for hours, reflecting on past mistakes and the hurt she had caused others. “I would just wake up [and] I would get crushed with anxiety, which I’ve never had in my life. And I would be up, like, for six hours. It was crazy,” she said.

Dr. Haver, who hosted the conversation, remarked on the shared experiences of many of her clients. “Lots of my patients say the same thing. They’ve really just spontaneously realized that they’ve cut back on alcohol or just quit altogether because it just hasn’t been worth it. They don’t bounce back the same way. It stays in our system a lot longer,” she said.

In the podcast, Paltrow also discussed her changing relationship with food, emphasizing a shift in her mindset. “I’m making a real effort to eat to be strong instead of eat to be thin,” she revealed, acknowledging past backlash regarding her restrictive diet.

The interview highlighted the actress’s vulnerability as she navigates personal challenges while encouraging others to seek healthier coping mechanisms.