Gwyneth Paltow suggests that viral Mark Zuckerberg image reminds her of a past lover

Gwyneth Paltrow has weighed in on the viral photo of Mark Zuckerberg with a “beard” - and her reaction was in classic Gwyneth Paltrow fashion.

Last week, a photoshopped image of the Meta CEO with a beard went viral online, as many people thirsted over the fake photo. The image was taken from an Instagram video that Zuckerberg had posted on 18 April, in which he announced a “new version of Meta AI”. After he had shared the video, a user on X (formerly Twitter) photoshopped a beard and a mustache onto Zuckerberg’s face, garnering more than two million views on the platform.

However, it didn’t take long for internet users to realise that the photo was actually fake, as one person pointed out: “It’s crazy how much a beard can change a man’s life.” Even Zuckerberg himself was confused by the positive online reaction to his fake facial hair, and he commented on The Shade Room’s Instagram repost of his altered face: “Okay who did this?”

Zuckerberg wasn’t the only famous figure to candidly respond to the bearded photo. The Goop founder, 51, also took to the comments section of The Shade Room’s post to share her reaction to the viral image. “He looks like my ex hubs in this pic,” Paltrow commented, referring to her ex-husband Chris Martin.

Her comment was captured by the popular Instagram account Comments By Celebs, where fans agreed that the photoshopped image of Zuckerberg with a beard slightly resembled the Coldplay frontman.

“That was my first thought! Chris Martin!” one Instagram user commented, while someone else said: “Thought the same, immediately.”

“She’s not wrong,” a third person wrote, as another fan chimed in: “Now we just need Dakota Johnson to comment: ‘He looks like my boyfriend.’”

This isn’t the first time that Paltrow has received attention for her amusing social media antics. In 2022, the Oscar winner shared a blunt response to a question about her exes Brad Pitt, Ben Affleck, and Martin - who she was married to from 2003 to 2016. She replied to an Instagram post shared by Drew Barrymore, in which the Drew Barrymore Show host compared her past relationships to “bird carcasses”.

The post was captioned, “Would you ever get back together with an ex?” to which Paltrow hilariously commented: “I’m good.”

Back in 2020, the lifestyle guru also posed completely naked on Instagram in honour of her 48th birthday. Paltrow was seen standing in front of a woodland backdrop, as she captioned the revealing snapshot: “In nothing but my birthday suit today… thank you all so much for the birthday wishes.”

These days, the Shakespeare in Love actor maintains a healthy co-parenting relationship with her ex-husband, who’s been dating actor Dakota Johnson since 2017. The former couple share 19-year-old daughter Apple Martin and 18-year-old son Moses Martin.

Last November, Paltrow shared a photo of herself holding hands with Johnson as they stood outside bundled up in their winter coats. The Iron Man star had opened up about her close bond with Johnson during a Q&A session on her Instagram Stories the previous month, in which she told fans: “We’re actually very good friends. I love her so much. She’s an adorable, wonderful person.”

In a March 2024 interview with Bustle, the Madame Web actor echoed a similar sentiment when she described how much love she has for Martin and Paltrow’s two children. “I love those kids like my life depends on it. With all my heart,” Johnson said.