A new biography has revived rumors of tension between Gwyneth Paltrow and Winona Ryder, including claims that Paltrow gave Ryder an unflattering nickname. Blogger Perez Hilton called it "mean girl" behavior, but neither actress has confirmed the claims from Gwyneth: The Biography by Amy Odell.Odell's book claims that Gwyneth Paltrow (52) began calling Winona Ryder (53) "V*gina Ryder" in the late 1990s, suspecting the Stranger Things actress of fabricating stories for attention.The name reportedly originated from Ryder claiming she was robbed twice after fights with actor Matt Damon, her then-boyfriend. Damon reportedly was consoling her during this time, while Paltrow and Ben Affleck, her boyfriend at that time, dismissed Ryder's statements as attention-seeking.“Damon consoled her, but Gwyneth and Affleck believed Ryder fabricated the robberies as a ploy for attention (there’s no proof of this)," Odell wrote. "Gwyneth was annoyed that Damon couldn’t see it. Though Damon was kind to her friends, Gwyneth didn’t seem to like him after that. Her friendship with Ryder would only deteriorate further, and Gwyneth gave her the nickname ‘V*gina Ryder.’ ”The revelation quickly drew backlash, with Perez Hilton reacting on X on August 18, 2025, writing,"This seems mean girl of #GwynethPaltrow, no?"Hilton also took to his blog to comment on the alleged nickname, writing an article titled:"Gwyneth Paltrow’s INSANE Nickname For Winona Ryder Revealed"Biography reveals alleged tensions over Shakespeare in Love role between Gwyneth Paltrow and Winona RyderGwyneth Paltrow and Winona Ryder were close friends back in the 1990s, when they were dating Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, respectively. According to reports, the two allegedly fell out due to both professional and personal tensions, including rumors that Paltrow snagged Ryder's role in Shakespeare in Love.According to Amy Odell's Gwyneth: The Biography, Winona Ryder was never offered the role but "wanted to do the part." Producer Harvey Weinstein, whom Odell interviewed for the book, also claimed that Paltrow recommended Ryder for the role."After a story about Gwyneth allegedly stealing the script from Winona's coffee table reached the media, Gwyneth told friends that Ryder had started the rumor, and insisted she'd received the script through her agent," Odell wrote.Gwyneth Paltrow has publicly denounced these claims, even stating that they were an "urban myth" while on The Howard Stern Show in 2015. "I swear to God I did not, I'm raising my right hand on the Bible," she stated.The tension between the two actresses has been hinted at before. In a 2009 Goop newsletter, Paltrow referenced a toxic friendship, writing,"Back in the day, I had a ‘frenemy' who, as it turned out, was pretty hell-bent on taking me down. This person really did what they could to hurt me."Despite never naming Winona Ryder, fans speculated she was the subject.Paltrow claimed that she was "deeply upset" and "angry" upon finding out this person was "venomous and dangerous." She also claimed to have felt "relief and happiness" when something "unfortunate and humiliating" happened to that unidentified person.Gwyneth: The Biography was released on July 29, 2025.