Stranger Things' Winona Ryder's little-known 'bitter feud' with Gwyneth Paltrow

In the 90s, Gwyneth Paltrow and Winona Ryder were inseparable, best mates and two of Hollywood's biggest stars.

Gwyneth was recognised for her roles in Sliding Doors, Seven and Emma, while Winona had made a name for herself with Beetlejuice, Dracula and Edward Scissorhands. Their lives seemed to parallel each other as they both dated best pals Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, and were frequently seen at glamorous events together.

However, their friendship took a dramatic twist when Gwyneth was accused of 'pinching' a role from Winona after spotting the script at the Stranger Things star's house. The story goes that during a visit to Winona's San Francisco home, Gwyneth came across the script for Shakespeare in Love.

Allegedly, she fell in love with the upcoming film and it's said she contacted her agent to secure an audition for the lead role of Viola de Lesseps.

This ignited a huge row, as Winona had been earmarked for that part and was furious when her best friend was eventually cast in the 1998 film, according to the Mirror.

The romantic comedy-drama also starred a host of other big names including Joseph Fiennes, Colin Firth, Judi Dench, Geoffrey Rush and Ben Affleck, reports the Mirror.

To make matters worse, the film scooped Best Picture at the Academy Awards and Gwyneth secured the Best Actress Oscar.

Despite allegations that she had "pinched" the role from her former closest friend, Gwyneth has repeatedly refuted claims of nabbing the part from Winona.

During a 2015 interview with Howard Stern, the actress rubbished the accusations as an "urban myth", declaring: "I swear to God I did not, I'm raising my right hand on the Bible. I swear to God."

She also disclosed that she hadn't seen or spoken to Winona in years - and hinted her ex-BFF's "jealousy" had prompted her to "makeup lies".

But the drama didn't stop there. Gwyneth seemed to rekindle the spat by apparently alluding to the feud in her Goop newsletter back in 2009.

In the article, entitled "Evil Tongue and Living in Negativity", she mentioned a "frenemy" who was "hell-bent on taking me down".

Many readers presumed she meant Winona - and some rather explosive claims emerged.

"This person really did what they could to hurt me," Gwyneth wrote. "I was deeply upset, I was angry, I was all of those things you feel when you find out that someone you thought you liked was venomous and dangerous."

Gwyneth Paltrow's recent social media post has sparked speculation that she was alluding to her strained relationship with fellow actress Winona Ryder. Although no names were explicitly mentioned, many fans believe there was a thinly veiled reference to Winona's infamous 2001 shoplifting arrest in Beverly Hills.

The Stranger Things star was accused of pilfering £4,000 worth of designer garments and accessories from a high-end department store.

Winona was subsequently found guilty of grand theft, shoplifting, and vandalism. In December 2002, she received a sentence of three years probation, 480 hours of community service, fines totalling £2,700, and was ordered to pay £4,650 in restitution to the Saks Fifth Avenue store.

Gwyneth, without directly naming anyone, wrote in her post: "One day I heard that something unfortunate and humiliating had happened to this person.

"My reaction was deep relief and...happiness. There went the high road. So, why does it feel so good to hear something bad about someone you don't like?". While Gwyneth has never publicly confirmed who she was referring to, it's safe to say that Winona is unlikely to be on her Christmas card list.