Gwyneth Paltrow’s ex-boyfriend denied that he was the reason why the actress has split with her husband Chris Martin. Donovan Leitch was pictured giving Paltrow a kiss in 2013, but claimed that it was innocent show of affection.

Paltrow, 41, has announced that she and the Coldplay singer, 37, have separated in a blog post on her Goop site titled “Conscious Uncoupling.”

Soon after, speculations arose on why the now-uncoupled duo split. One persistent theory is Paltrow’s apparent rekindled romance with 46-year-old Leitch, who has also separated from his wife, Scottish model Kirsty Hume, three years ago.

Paltron and Leitch were pictured sharing a kiss at a baseball game in Los Angeles about six months ago, prompting rumours that they have reunited.

However, Leitch explained that it was just an innocent smooch between friends.

“I was just saying goodbye to her. It was purely innocent. We were sitting in the owner’s box in front of 30,000 people with her two children right next to us. That isn’t exactly the setting for a secret liaison,” he told Mail On Sunday.

“But the telephoto picture turned it into more. But it’s her. Her life is constantly under surveillance. Gwyneth and I have always been close,” he explained. “I consider her to be one of my closest friends. We have tons of great friends in common.”

As for Paltrow and Martin’s relationship, Leitch said that he “witnessed a couple incredibly in love with one another. That’s my personal experience. They’re great parents. Their relationship looks enviable. She definitely has a great life. She has a great family, kids, and career.”

The Mail on Sunday also reported that it was Martin who split from Paltrow, although the actress was the one who planned about the timing of the announcement.

Martin reportedly got fed up with Paltrow’s quest for perfection and need to be in control.

He is believed to have struck up a friendship with British model Alexa Chung, whom he apparently sees whenever things got stressful between him and Paltrow.

Paltrow and Martin married in December 2003 in the U.S. They raise two children together: daughter Apple (born in 2004) and son Moses (born 2006).