Ione Skye Reveals Gwyneth Paltrow Was Mean to Her Brother Donovan Leitch — But Doesn't Hold It Against Her (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Photo:Paul Archuleta/Getty; Taylor Hill/WireImage

Paul Archuleta/Getty; Taylor Hill/WireImage

Actress Ione Skye’smemoirSay Everything,out now, continues to reveal fun tidbits from her storied life — including the time she went to Mexico on vacation withGwyneth Paltrow, who was dating Skye’s brother, Donovan Leitch, at the time.

In the book, Skye, 54, writes that the decision for her and her then-husbandAdam Horovitzto join her brother and Gwyneth, now 52, on vacation happened after an earthquake rattled L.A.

“Vacationing with Dono and his intimidating new girlfriend (yes, that Gwyneth) did not exactly sound relaxing, but anything was more relaxing than living in fear of the next earthquake,” Skye writes inSay Everything, adding that Paltrow was new to acting at the time and had only starred in one or two films, most recentlyMrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle.

Donovan Leitch and Gwyneth Paltrow attend an event at the Ziegfeld Theatre in New York City.Eric Weiss/WWD/Penske Media via Getty

Eric Weiss/WWD/Penske Media via Getty

She also notes that Paltrow spent the week reading scripts, and while they had fun together, she was surprised at how snappy Paltrow was toward her brother, who spent most of the vacation sick in bed.

Skye writes, “At breakfast, Dono had distractedly tipped his water glass (he was one of the world’s most distracted people). A few drops had splashed Gwyneth, and she’d snapped, ‘Idiot.’ With a laugh, but still.”

Donovan Leitch and Gwyneth Paltrow.Michael Bezjian/WireImage; Leon Bennett/Getty Images

Skye says the interaction didn’t sit well with her.

“Is Gwyneth always mean to you like that?” Skye recalls asking him. “Dono laughed … My brother was smitten. He was 27 and looking toward the future, to marriage and kids. Gwyneth was only 21 and wasn’t ready for anything too serious. Well, at least not yet. Six months later, she’d get a part inSevenand fly to Reno to meet Brad Pitt — and we all know how that turned out.”

Ione Skye, her mother and brother Donovan Leitch as children.Courtesy of Ione Skye

Courtesy of Ione Skye

While Skye writes about her life experiences with abandon in the book, she recently told PEOPLE she was slightly anxious how some people would react to being name-checked.

“I’m a little nervous,” Skye admitted. “I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings.”

That said, she has no worries about her recollections bothering Paltrow.

“She has an awareness of who she is, and I feel like that’s one of her superpowers,” Skye says of the Goop founder. “She’s amazing in that she understands her world, and she always has a good reaction to people coming after her for things she says.”

Rodin Banica/WWD/Getty; Gallery Books

Skye also wants to be clear: she isn’t dragging Paltrow.

“We were what, 21 at the time? We were so young,” she says. “At the time, we thought we were so grown-up!”

The author adds that she loved writing her life story and can’t believe it’s finally out in the world after three years in the making.

“It’s almost like motherhood, in that you know it’s going to be a huge experience, but you don’t know how big until you get there,” she says. “But it’s one of my favorite projects I’ve ever done. And yes, I do care about what others will think. But I also have the feeling that everything will be okay.”

Say Everythingis available now, wherever books are sold.

source: people.com