Gwyneth Paltrow Posed Topless and Says Goop "Unleashed" Her Ambition

Christopher Luu

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Entrepreneur extraordinaire Gwyneth Paltrow told Elle that goop, her lifestyle brand, did more to empower her than any acting job. For the magazine's annual Women in Hollywood issue, Paltrow posed in nothing but pants and a set of suspenders, saying that she came into the industry and heard that it was unusual for women to be ambitious. She didn't let that notion sit with her, however. Instead, she turned acting into a veritable goop global empire that spans books, an upcoming Netflix series, global summits, and an online destination for wellness.

"In the '90s, when I was coming up, it was a very male-dominated field," she said. "You used to hear, 'That actress is so ambitious,' like it was a dirty word." Now, she insists, her "ambition has been unleashed."

<p>NBC/Getty Images</p>

NBC/Getty Images

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Paltrow, who has said that she wants goop to be her lasting legacy, took a hiatus from the entertainment industry to focus on her brand. While that surprised some longtime fans who wanted to see her do more movies, more TV shows, and more anything, her famous friends note that she knows what she's doing. Kate Hudson clapped back on Paltrow's behalf, saying that anyone who thought she was just taking it easy doesn't know just how driven Paltrow really is.

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"Anybody who thinks that someone as successful as Gwyneth has just been floating around in caftans all day is just being rude," Hudson told Elle. "I'm way more like that than Gwyneth — I really do throw crystals around."

Paltrow shared her sexy photo on Instagram and added another glowing compliment, this time from Cameron Diaz.

"@camerondiaz told @elleusa that I can do 4 million things at once. 4 million things except put on a shirt," she captioned the shot.

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@camerondiaz told @elleusa that I can do 4 million things at once. 4 million things except put on a shirt. #ellewih

A post shared by Gwyneth Paltrow (@gwynethpaltrow) on Oct 10, 2019 at 2:54pm PDT

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The most glowing compliment may just come from her new husband, Brak Falchuk. In a celebratory post, he basically listed out all the great things about his wife, from the way she looks inside and out to how great of a mother and stepmother she is.

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Today is Gwyneth’s birthday so I’m just going to say it - she’s the greatest human being ever. She’s not perfect - her sense of humor can be a little on the dirty side, she gets very angry at other drivers, isn’t that cheery before her first cup of coffee, considers dehydration to be a character flaw and improperly seasoned food hurts her feelings. Even with all of these imperfections, her gifts elevate her - blue eyes that see the best in the people she loves and a tireless drive to make sure they see it too. Soft, hard working hands that she uses to make the most delicious pancakes and make you feel at home with the slightest touch. Extreme curiosity and even more extreme bravery to share that curiosity and the places it takes her with the world. She’s a relentless mother and step mother, the BEST wife, all of her friends know she’s their champion and no one wears clothes as well as she does. She’s endlessly fascinating, succeeds at everything she does and drinks whiskey and eats fried food yet still manages to look like that. Happy birthday, Love. I know I’m not the only person to say, thank God you were born. I love you.

A post shared by @ bradfalchuk on Sep 27, 2019 at 8:31am PDT

With a support system like that, Paltrow's got plenty to smile about, top or not.