Cameron Diaz Defends Gwyneth Paltrow, Chris Martin's "Conscious Uncoupling"

As Gwyneth Paltrow comes under fire from the media for the manner she chose to announce her separation from husband Chris Martin, Cameron Diaz is applauding the decision.

Cameron defended her longtime friends' practice of "conscious uncoupling" during an interview with Extra on Thursday.

"I think it's actually a very elevated and conscious [decision] and realized statement -- when people like Chris and Gwyneth who really worked hard to be friends and keep the things that are good and work in their relationship, which is being friends and being parents," she told Extra.

While many people labeled the phrasing as pretentious, obnoxious and calculated, the Charlie's Angels star described it as courageous. "Conscious uncoupling" is a phrase coined by author Katherine Woodward Thomas to describe a five-week program that helps couples break up in a healthy way.

"People go separate ways in other aspects of their life and I think it's really brave of them to phrase it that way," she said. "Leaving as a couple and deciding to stay together as parents and as friends -- I think it's beautiful. I'm so proud of them."

Gwyn and Chris announced they were breaking up on March 25 after 10 years of marriage and two children together. Instead of releasing a joint statement through their publicists, the couple posted a letter on Gwyn's lifestyle website GOOP. The Oscar winner has been criticized for being out of touch with the common man in her promotion of conspicuous consumption through the site.

Here's the beginning of their message:

It is with hearts full of sadness that we have decided to separate. We have been working hard for well over a year, some of it together, some of it separate, to see what might have been possible between us, and we have come to the conclusion that while we love each other very much we will remain separate.