Gwyneth Paltrow remains steadfast by her side, defending one of Goop's most talked-about creations: the controversial "This Smells Like My Vagina" candle. When grilled about the product, which was unveiled on her lifestyle website in 2020, during her appearance at the 2025 Mindvalley Manifesting Summit in Los Angeles on Saturday, May 17th, Paltrow addressed the negative scrutiny it garnered with a blend of defiance and introspection.
"You know, that product is incredibly intriguing," said the 52-year-old actress, her words captured in an Instagram video posted by the summit's official account on Sunday, May 18th. "It took us quite some time to shake off the stigma surrounding it, but I kept it on the site because there's an aspect of women's sexuality that I believe... we're socially conditioned to shroud in shame. And I kind of admired that punk rock spirit behind it."
Paltrow concluded her thoughts with a defiant flair, "We are stunning, we are amazing, and go fuck yourself."
The candle, which sparked a 2022 spinoff titled "Hands Off My Vagina," a nod to reproductive freedom, was initially launched with the aim of empowering Goop's female following. In September 2020, Paltrow told Us Weekly, "We grew up receiving messages about feminine care that were heavily laden with synthetic fragrances and all sorts of things. I felt it was time to make a feminist statement about embracing our true selves and our femininity."
She further elaborated at that time, "Once people move past the initial shock and truly understand what it represents and signifies, it's pretty awesome."
During her weekend discussion, Paltrow also revisited the origins of the controversial candle. The Shakespeare in Love actress recounted to the attendees, "We were experimenting with various scents one day, and I smelled something and thought, 'Oh, that smells like...', you know," she explained, with a hint of playfulness.
"I was joking, but Douglas Little, the Heretic perfumer and my collaborator at Goop, said, 'Oh, we should make that a candle and put it on the site,'" continued Paltrow, relishing the moment of serendipity.
Paltrow has never been one to conform to societal norms, recently revealing that her two children, daughter Apple, 21, and son Moses, 19, are proud of the unconventional upbringing they've received. (Paltrow shares custody of both children with her ex-husband Chris Martin and married Brad Falchuk in 2018.)
"They are very proud of the unconventional path we've taken," Paltrow told E! News in an article published on Monday, May 12th. "Looking back, there were many topics we covered [on Goop] that people were initially shocked by, saying, 'Oh my gosh, what is this?' Now, they're mainstream. My kids are truly proud that we're often pioneers in this space."
