A new biography about Gwyneth Paltrow claims that the Oscar-winning actress' high school yearbook listed "obesity" as her greatest fear — a revelation that's drawing attention to her complicated history with body image.

In "Gwyneth: The Biography," set for release July 29, author Amy Odell alleges that yearbook editors at Spence School, a prestigious all-girls private institution in Manhattan, labeled "obesity" as Paltrow's "nightmare" in the school's senior yearbook.

The claim comes from excerpts obtained by People magazine.

For her own senior quote, Paltrow chose a line from the 1989 comedy "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure," writing: "Be excellent to each other and party on, dudes."

However, according to the biography, editors added a "Nightmare" section listing "obesity" under her name.

Representatives for Paltrow did not respond to requests for comment.

The revelation has reignited discussions about the 52-year-old actress's public struggles with body image, including her controversial role in the 2001 film "Shallow Hal," in which she wore a 25-pound prosthetic fat suit to portray an obese woman.

In a 2001 interview with W Magazine, Paltrow recalled feeling humiliated while wearing the suit in public during filming.

"The first day I tried the fat suit on... it was so sad. It was so disturbing. No one would make eye contact with me because I was obese," she said at the time. "I felt humiliated because people were really dismissive."

"Shallow Hal" faced criticism over perceived fatphobia, and in later interviews, Paltrow expressed regret over the role. Speaking on Netflix in 2020, she called the film her "least favorite performance."

According to Odell's 448-page biography, Paltrow's lifelong battle with body image has also shaped her adult wellness practices.

On her Goop podcast earlier this year, Paltrow confessed to feeling fatigued by her strict paleo diet, saying she was "getting back into eating sourdough bread, cheese — there, I said it."

Odell's book, compiled from interviews with 220 sources close to Paltrow, also details how the actress pursued fat-burning treatments, such as EMSculpt Neo, during her recent health regimen.

Beyond her personal struggles, Paltrow's privileged upbringing — as the daughter of actress Blythe Danner and director Bruce Paltrow — receives significant focus in the biography.

The author highlights how Paltrow's early exposure to Hollywood shaped her public image and wellness empire.

Paltrow, who won an Academy Award in 1999 for "Shakespeare in Love," has largely stepped back from acting in recent years to focus on her lifestyle brand, Goop.

She remains active on social media and recently celebrated nearly seven years of marriage to producer Brad Falchuk.

"Gwyneth: The Biography" will be published by HarperCollins on July 29.

Tags
Gwyneth Paltrow