“Someone Tinkled”: Gwyneth Paltrow’s Slack Scolding Sparks Backlash

In Gwyneth, a newly released biography by Amy Odell, a striking anecdote reveals Gwyneth Paltrow publicly reprimanding an employee for leaving urine on an office toilet seat at Goop headquarters in Santa Monica, California. According to the author, Paltrow posted in the company Slack channel: “someone tinkled,” followed by a reminder: “Make sure to clean up after yourselves.”

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The episode is illustrative of Goop’s reportedly intense and perfection-driven internal culture. Odell characterizes the workplace as “toxic and disorganized,” where employees often feel overburdened, undercompensated, and too afraid to resist Paltrow’s expectations. The book indicates that public criticism regarding work quality frequently occurred, resulting in stress and burnout among employees, with some reportedly sleeping at their desks and working continuously. 

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The Slack message incident occurred in the context of a broader picture painted in Gwyneth, in which Paltrow is portrayed as a strong-willed, charismatic leader who can be both fiercely ambitious and harsh with staff. Odell recounts that almost no one—staff or board members—felt comfortable saying “no” to her. One employee, for instance, recalled that those who mispronounced her name were publicly corrected on arrival.

While Paltrow’s brand success is widely recognized—Goop has been praised for creating an aspirational aesthetic and influencing wellness trends—many former employees have described internal tensions. A mass exodus of over 140 staff since 2019 was reported, with allegations of favoritism, lack of transparency, underpayment, and high turnover.

Despite its controversies, Goop continues to thrive publicly, even as critics question the toll of its workplace culture. In sharing the urine incident, Odell underscores Paltrow’s attention to minute detail—even if that scrutiny played out over Slack in front of the entire company.

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