Gwyneth Paltrow defends Kourtney Kardashian’s Poosh from claims it’s a ‘Goop ripoff’

‘The world is better and stronger when women are in cahoots with one another,’ Paltrow says

Gwyneth Paltrow has hit back at comparisons made between her brand, Goop, and Kourtney Kardashian’s brand, Poosh.

The 51-year-old actor – who launched her wellness business in 2008 – showed her support for Poosh during an interview with People, published on 13 March. She recalled that when Kardashian launched her brand in 2019, the reality star faced immense criticism, including claims that Poosh was copying Goop.

Paltrow addressed her disappointment about those claims, before expressing how the criticism ultimately affected both her and Kardashian, as business owners.

“I was so upset when Poosh was launched and people were like: ‘This is a ripoff of Goop,’” she said. “I was like, this is so awful, and trying to pit us against one another, which is so crazy.”

The Iron Man star also recalled that amid that backlash, she still became “so excited to do” Goop’s candle collaboration with Poosh, which was called “This Smells Like My Pooshy.” The name was inspired by a popular Goop candle: “This Smells Like My Vagina.”

“I thought it was hilarious,” Paltrow said about the candle name collaboration.

The entrepreneur also emphasised that in the business world, it’s more important for women to help each other and work together, rather than compete with one another.

“The world is better and stronger when women are in cahoots with one another,” she explained. “I feel like the patriarchy does this thing to us where they make us feel scarcity and that there’s not enough for all of us to do our thing. And it’s so detrimental.”

This isn’t the first time Paltrow has addressed how Goop and Poosh have been pitted against each other. During a Q&A session on her Instagram Story in May 2022, she once again came to Kardashian’s defence, after the A-lister was asked whether she was “upset that Poosh copied [her]”.

“This idea that women need to be in competition is legacy patriarchy bulls***, there is room for EVERY woman to fulfil her dreams,” Paltrow replied. “I used to fall prey to this kind of thinking years ago, so I understand where it comes from. Now I get so happy when I see new wellness businesses.”

“There is a place for all of us plus @kourtneykardash is a really good person and also #KRAVISFOREVER,” she added, while showing her support for Kardashian’s relationship with her now husband, Travis Barker.

While appearing on the Goop podcast in June 2022, Kardashian shared her thoughts on the comparisons between Poosh and Goop, noting that she “saw it coming” when she launched her brand. However, she still acknowledged how important it is for her to be “really supportive” of other companies “in the same space”.

“There’s just a lot of room. To me, it’s almost cool that now we can support each other too. I feel like I have a different audience than you have,” she told Paltrow. “And then I just feel like it’s having that opportunity to share with the audience. It’s wellness. It’s such an amazing thing that we’re both in this space… And who wouldn’t want more of that?”

Since launching her brand in 2008, Paltrow has gone on to make headlines for some of her products, such as her infamous vagina-scented candle, which she previously described as a “feminist statement”. During her recent interview with People, she spoke candidly about Goop’s success over the years, while noting that the brand is pushing to be a part of conversations regarding wellness.

“In the 15 years since I founded the company, and I think unfortunately you’ve seen a lot of companies who started either at the same time or after us, haven’t found that longevity or haven’t found that fit in the market,” she said. “I feel like we just stay really true to ourselves and then we just keep going and keep growing somehow.”