Fans think Gwyneth Paltrow threw major shade at Tom Holland after starring in four MCU movies with him

Oscar-winning actor-turned-entrepreneur Gwyneth Paltrow has left fans wondering about her relationship with Tom Holland after past comments emerged at an awards ceremony.

In a speech at The Hollywood Reporter’s 2025 Women in Entertainment gala, Robert Downey Jr presented his former on-screen love interest with an award.

Naturally for Downey Jr, the speech was full of jokes and playful jabs at his former Iron Man co-star, who has previously indicated that she does not follow Marvel closely, and isn't sure how her Pepper Potts character fits into it all.

Her 60-year-old friend described Paltrow as 'impossibly intelligent, yet forever confused by the basic tenets of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and its inhabitants'.

The Oppenheimer star then shared with the world that the 53-year-old Goop founder did not even remember fellow actor Tom Holland, in a moment that some saw as a potentially sick burn.

Tom Holland's Spider-Man films might have grossed billions, but Gwyneth Paltrow doesn't even know who he is (Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images)

Downey Jr told the crowded breakfast gala that Paltrow had asked him 'Who’s that?' in relation to the young actor, to which he jokingly replied: “That’s Spider-Man. He said his name was Peter. His character’s name is Peter.

"He’s Tom Holland. You’ve done four movies with him.'”

Paltrow and Holland have acted together in some of the Marvel franchise's biggest films, including Spider-Man: Homecoming, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame.

These films collectively made over $6 billion at the box office, but the mother-of-two reportedly could not even remember Holland or his breakthrough web-swinging role.

This prompted one X user to question: "Gwyneth Paltrow asking who Tom Holland is after four movies together… is this a memory lapse or subtle shade?"

Robert Downey Jr looked pretty happy to be handing his friend the award (Matt Winkelmeyer/The Hollywood Reporter via Getty Images)

Another made reference to Paltrow's controversial intimate candle, remarking: "That vagina scented candle gave her short term memory loss."

But despite drawing attention to the Goop founder's own inattention to her co-stars, Downey Jr's speech largely focused on his friend's impressive career and back catalogue.

This includes the star's impressive Oscar win for her breakthrough role in Shakespeare in Love (1998), the writer of which, playwright Tom Stoppard, passed away last week.

But for her close friend, Paltrow's most inspiring act has been the hard work she has poured into founding Goop and growing it into a $250 million business.

He shared how Paltrow had been 'building Goop between takes on the set of Iron Man' and had not been afraid to have a 'polarizing public persona'.

Robert Downey Jr presented his former co-star with an award and some funny memories (Stefanie Keenan/The Hollywood Reporter via Getty Images)

Honing in on the word 'polarizing', he said this was 'a word used by dingbats to falsely describe powerful women who demonstrate decades of irrefutable relevance and reinvention'.

He then cast Paltrow's high-profile controversies and divisive presentation as part of her unique and compelling character.

Downey Jr said: “In an age where we so crave leadership, example, integrity, resolve, and too often folks come up short, we have here a woman that is willing to go to trial, confronting her retired optometrist accuser regarding an alleged injury on a Deer Valley ski resort slope — and comport herself so honorably that a musical theater production is born to commemorate her moral strength, intestinal fortitude, not to mention her impeccably tasteful, civil suit chic-yet-practical courtroom attire.”

Without much further ado, he invited his former co-star and on-screen lover onto the stage to accept the 20th annual Sherry Lansing Leadership Award, saying ecstatically: “It’s time to recognize … Gwyneth fuggin’ Paltrow.”