Even in California, where people come to convince themselves of just about anything, it is not common for a celebrity couple on the verge of divorce to declare undying love and say they are closer now than ever.
So when actress Gwyneth Paltrow and singer Chris Martin announced their "conscious uncoupling" last month, apparently ending their 10-year marriage but not their planned holiday together in the Bahamas or their commitment to each other, it raised as many eyebrows there as it did on the rest of the planet.
Still, the language of their announcement — and of the lengthy accompanying explanation from the "integrative healers" who have guided them through the break-up — did not come as a complete surprise to people who live in the Golden State.