Celebrity Celebrity Relationships Celebrity Friendships Gwyneth Paltrow Calls Cameron Diaz ‘One of the Greatest People I Know’ in Touching Happy Birthday Post The gal pals' friendship dates back more than a decade By Angel Saunders Angel Saunders Angel Saunders has been a writer at PEOPLE since 2023. She’s previously worked at iHeartMedia, IndieWire, and REVOLT. People Editorial Guidelines Published on August 30, 2023 10:54PM EDT Gwyneth Paltrow and Cameron Diaz . Photo: Gwyneth Paltrow/Instagram Gwyneth Paltrow is celebrating her gal pal Cameron Diaz’s birthday! On Wednesday, Diaz turned 51, and one of her best buds made sure to celebrate her big day with a heartfelt post. “Can I please pause to say happy birthday to one of the greatest people I know and one of my best, closest, most cherished friends @camerondiaz,” Paltrow, 50, wrote on her Instagram Story. In addition to the Story post, the Shallow Hal actress shared the same picture over on her Instagram page. “Happy Birthday to you @camerondiaz my ride or die 💙,” Paltrow added. The birthday shoutout included a photo of the ladies smiling for an outdoor selfie, almost twinning with blonde tresses and navy blue tops. One fan noted that the two looked like siblings in the upload. Another wrote, “Wow, this is lovely! Sister in life.” Diaz and Paltrow’s friendship dates back more than a decade. In a 2012 interview with Harper’s Bazaar U.K., the Charlie’s Angels alum told the publication that she and Paltrow “became very close” following the death of her father, Emilio Diaz, in 2008. “She reached out after my dad’s death,” Diaz said, per E! News. “It was very sweet. We bonded on that.” Paltrow’s father, Bruce Paltrow, died in 2002. Cameron Diaz and Gwyneth Paltrow. John Salangsang/BFA/REX/Shutterstock Gwyneth Paltrow and Cameron Diaz Over the Years: What Connects the 'Best Friends' It wasn’t just during hard times that they relied on each other. They’ve also been part of some of the biggest moments in each other’s lives. Paltrow, who is married to television writer-producer Brad Falchuk, turned to Diaz for support — and wedding planning — when it came time to say “I do” for her 2018 nuptials. “Cameron was very excited about Gwyneth’s wedding,” a source previously told PEOPLE. “Gwyneth has been giving her updates and asking for advice during the planning.” “Cameron pulled off a private wedding even though the media found out about it before. Gwyneth wanted the same privacy,” the insider added. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The previous year, Paltrow shared another selfie with Diaz professing her adoration to wish her dear friend a happy birthday. “Happy birthday @camerondiaz Your wisdom, humor, loyalty, cooking skills, guffaws, and ice cubes in rose get me through my life. I adore you with all my ❤️(And yes, we are wearing bibs in this picture),” the Iron Man talent captioned a 2017 photo of the two smiling together. In a 2016 interview with Sirius XM’s Radio Andy, Diaz revealed she taught Paltrow how to use a blow dryer to style her hair. Gwyneth Paltrow and Cameron Diaz. Richard Young/REX/Shutterstock “Honestly, I look at her [Paltrow] and I know what she does, and I know how well she takes care of herself and everybody around her,” Diaz said at the time. “She’s so loving and giving and generous to everybody around her, but … she was like, ‘I never blew out my hair, like, I don’t know how to do my own hair and makeup,’ and I was like, ‘Girl, after all these years, you have to know how to do this, you know?' ” Celeb Besties Gwyneth Paltrow, Cameron Diaz & Drew Barrymore Have 'Giggly' Gals' Night Out in N.Y.C. Diaz explained that she stepped in to assist her longtime friend. “So I showed her how to do a quick blowout on her own hair, and she was like, ‘That’s it?’ I was like, ‘That’s it.’ She’s like, ‘I can do that!’ I was like, ‘Of course you can! It’s easy, because we have all these other jobs that we have to do that we leave that to other people, but it’s really not that difficult to do yourself.'" When the Bad Teacher actress turned 44 in 2020, Paltrow was present. Diaz ditched the typical restaurant dinner and opted to fix her own cuisine. Diaz, her husband Benji Madden, his brother Joel and wife Nicole Richie, Paltrow and Falchuk gathered at the New School of Cooking in Culver City, California, for a special birthday feast.