This Is Why Gwyneth Paltrow Walked Like a Penguin at the Emmys

Julie Sprankles

Click here to read the full article.

There were many memorable highlights of the 2019 Emmys, but a certain actress-slash-entrepreneur penguin-stepping across the stage really got the internet buzzing. Well, now there’s an explanation for Gwyneth Paltrow’s stiff Emmys walk. Her stylist has come forward to shine a light on the wildly meme’d moment — and now it’s all starting to make sense.

To recap, Paltrow took the stage at Sunday’s awards show ceremony to present the award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series to Killing Eve‘s Jodie Comer. While the Goop maven looked stunning in her vintage black-and-white Valentino gown, it was impossible not to be distracted by the peculiar way she made her way to the podium. It’s difficult to even describe, other than to say that Paltrow pulled one side of her dress up slightly and then very slowly walked across stage in tiny baby steps.

More from SheKnows

But, why? According to Paltrow’s stylist, Elizabeth Saltzman, it all came down to the dress. “That’s because in 1963 there were no back slits,” she told The Hollywood Reporter. “It was not that she was having this fabulous walk, which she already has.” Rather it was because the hemline was restrictive, and they chose not to alter it. “In order to keep the dress authentic, I didn’t want to change Mr. Valentino’s design.”

Of course, this newly revealed information won’t change the fact that Paltrow’s walk was one of the most talked-about moments of the Emmys this year. Some commenters made hilarious comparisons between Paltrow’s walk and similar walks in everyday life.

Others couldn’t resist dropping Goop references.

And one astutely pointed out that the walk is further proof that Paltrow is going to do her thing no matter who’s watching, waiting or wondering.

In all seriousness, though, it’s commendable that Paltrow decided to keep the dress in its original form to honor her close friend, the legendary designer Valentino Garavani. Said Saltzman, “It was a fun way to put our nod towards wearing your clothes more than once, to honor a very dear friend, and to look like a billion-dollar babe!” We can’t argue with that.

Sign up for SheKnows' Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.