13 Things About Brad & Angelina's Divorce (And 9 About Their Marriage)
The long legacy of Brangelina has now, unfortunately, closed its chapter and the couple has gone their separate ways. Their marriage will go down in Hollywood history as one of the most iconic relationships of all time. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have made a reputation for themselves shrouded in controversy, globe-trotting and philanthropy. They were the prime example of a modern-day family with their biological and adopted children moving in a pact together as one. We were sad to hear the news of their divorce and we are left asking ourselves, "why?" After all, if the Hollywood "it couple" can't make it, then none of us can.
The separation of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt shook the media and people were left guessing as to what really went down. Usually, it is hard to handle a divorce like this when there are so many children involved, but since they have more means than most people, it is more doable. The classic case of Hollywood divorces is to file for "irreconcilable differences", which is code for "I don't want anyone to really know why we are splitting up."
Let's take a walk down memory lane and divulge the timeline of Brangelina's 12-year marriage and divorce. Here are 9 facts about their marriage and 13 facts about their divorce.
9 Facts About Their Marriage:
22 Both Brad And Angelina Maintain That He Was Never Unfaithful To Jennifer Aniston
Though it was assumed that their relationship started out as an affair, both Brad and Angelina said that he never cheated on Jennifer Aniston.
After a few months of shooting Mr. and Mrs. Smith, the two were attracted to each other and wanted to be a couple, but that was never her intention.
Angelina said to Vogue: "We were both living, I suppose very full lives… I think we were the last two people who were looking for a relationship. It took until, really, the end of the shoot for us, I think, to realize that it might mean something more than we'd earlier allowed ourselves to believe. And both knowing that the reality of that was a big thing, something that was going to take a lot of serious consideration." Brad Pitt was already separated from an estranged Jennifer Aniston at the time.
21 It's Highly Likely That Without Mr. And Mrs. Smith, They Wouldn't Have Ever Gotten Married
Sometimes fate happens for a reason. It's hard to ever imagine a reality in which Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt never got together, but that almost happened, believe it or not. This is because neither one of them were the director's first choice for their roles.
In fact, it was Nicole Kidman and Johnny Depp who were the first choices for the roles of John and Jane Smith.
There was never any confirmation that Depp agreed to sign on to play the role of Mr. Smith, but Nicole Kidman had to drop out of the role as Mrs. Smith since the filming of The Stepford Wives took longer than anticipated. If either one of the original cast members would have taken on those roles, there would be a world with no Brangelina. That is so hard to fathom.
20 Brad Pitt Was Married To Jennifer Aniston Longer Than Angelina Jolie
Even though Angelina and Brad had been a couple since 2005 before getting married in 2014, their actual legal marriage only lasted for 2 years.
Brad and Jennifer Aniston were married on July 29, 2000, and officially divorced on October 2, 2005, making their marriage 5 years long.
That is kind of surprising considering the whole scandal amid the affair rumors while he was in the process of divorcing Jennifer Aniston. Before Angelina Jolie came into the picture, Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston were the golden power couple of Hollywood. They were all-American and no one ever saw this one coming. The love triangle between Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, and Jennifer Aniston was one of the most talked about celebrity gossip stories of the early 2000's.
19 Their Kids Helped Them Write Their Wedding Vows
Brad and Angelina were together for 10 years before finally tying the knot and accumulating six kids in the process. They were married on August 12, 2014, at their estate in Château Miraval, in the South of France. It was an intimate affair and only a small group of friends and family attended their wedding. Their six children were a part of their wedding during their vows and the entire ceremony making it a family affair.
Each of the kids provided drawings for Luigi Massi, who is a master tailor who incorporated it into Angelina's Versace wedding gown.
Brad and Angelina were one of those couples who were more like life partners and some people even questioned whether or not they were going to go the traditional route and actually get married.
18 Angelina Only Confirmed The Relationship After She Got Pregnant
The year 2005 was a big year for Brangelina and they were under the spotlight for rumors and scandals. Though there was much speculation that they were together in 2005, they just refused to confirm their relationship. Even though the chemistry between the two of them was undeniable and they had such an affection for each other, they just had to keep everyone hanging in suspense.
It was only until 2006 that Angelina Jolie admitted to the relationship when she claimed that she was pregnant with Brad Pitt's child.
The media was in a frenzy because of the finally confirmed relationship plus a baby on the way to boot. After Shiloh Jolie-Pitt was born, their family had already been growing. They adopted daughter Zahara Jolie-Pitt from Ethiopia in 2005 secretly before Shiloh was born. They did know how to keep thing under wraps.
17 They Got Married Officially In 2014
Brangelina put off officially being married for a whopping 10 years before they decided to get married in 2014, even though the official marriage only lasted for two years. Odds are, they were both too busy filming movies and raising kids to get around to tying the knot.
Between Brad and Angelina, they had a lot on their plate both in their professional and personal lives, so it is no wonder that they got married later into the relationship.
Their wedding was low-key and they tried to keep it as low-profile as they possibly could, but alas, the paparazzi found them anyways. It was not their first marriage to neither Brad nor Angelina, so it looks like they had some practice before they met each other.
16 She Has Also Been Married Before
Though everyone knows that Brad Pitt was married to Jennifer Aniston from 2000-2005, Angelina Jolie was married twice before marrying Brad Pitt. It turns out that the third time was not the charm. She was married to Billy Bob Thornton from 2000-2003 when she met him while filming on set.
He was a whopping twenty years her senior and their romance was highly documented as passionate until they just fell out of love.
Shortly after divorcing Billy Bob, she adopted her first son Maddox in Cambodia. Before that, she was married to British actor Jonny Lee Miller from 1996-1999 back in the day when they were both starting out as newcomers in Hollywood. Shortly after her career started taking off, they were divorced. It looks like short-lived marriages and divorces are all too common in Hollywood.
15 They Owned A Wild Number Of Properties Together
When you live the life of being the biggest star in Hollywood married to another superstar in Hollywood, you get plenty of chops to buy as much real estate as you want. Brad and Angelina have splurged on various properties throughout the years.
They have about 12 properties between the two of them.
Seven of them belong to Brad and two to Angelina before they got married, and then three that they bought together while they were married. This includes a vineyard in France, a mansion in New Orleans, and an apartment in New York City. Though it was unclear about who will get what, it will be a tough call because who would really ever want to give up that type of luxury?
14 Angelina Said That Her Son, Maddox Officially Made Them A Couple
Angelina Jolie admitted in a 2006 interview with Vogue that her son, Maddox played somewhat of a matchmaker between her and Brad Pitt. She helped them realized that they had become a couple even before things were official between the two of them. She told Vogue: "One day, Maddox just out of the blue called him Dad. It was amazing."
"We were playing with cars on the floor of a hotel room, and we both heard it and didn't say anything and just looked at each other. So that was a defining moment when he decided that we would all be a family."
That story is nothing short of adorable and kids are always known to say the darnedest things. Too bad that heartwarming story didn't end up in a happily ever after.
13 Facts About Their Divorce:
13 Jennifer Aniston's Reaction To The News Was Priceless
Although Jennifer Aniston has been going through her own divorce with Justin Theroux, her reaction to the news of the Brangelina divorce was priceless.
References close to Jennifer Aniston say that she called his breakup with Angelina "karma".
Though she isn't bitter about the split between her and Brad many years ago, she always got the sense that something would happen to them eventually. However, now that both Brad and Jennifer are recent divorcees, they have been keeping in touch and are catching up with each other. It has been said that they both have been having low-key hangout sessions and are on good terms as friends as of now. Though the chances of them getting back together are doubtful, it is always nice to hear about exes becoming friends again.
12 Brad Pitt Allegedly Had An Affair With Marion Cotillard
Though these rumors of Brad Pitt's affair with Marion Cotillard have been denied, there is still speculation that the affair could have been covered up.
The two were co-stars in the film, Allied, which ironically is also about two spies getting together, just like Mr. and Mrs. Smith.
According to Page Six, Angelina had been suspicious of her husband having an affair with the French actress. “She hired a private eye because she felt that he was fooling around with her on the set,” a source told the publication, “and it turns out, he was. And that was the final straw.” And surprise! This isn't the first time that Brad has been speculated to be cheating with one of his co-stars. As the old saying goes, if they will do it with you, then they will do it to you.
11 They Played An Unhappy Couple In By The Sea While Things Started Getting Ugly In Their Real-Life Marriage
The last movie that Brad and Angelina starred in together could be a classic case of art imitating life, especially since Angelina wrote, directed, and produced the film! While on a honeymoon from their marriage, they both began working together on a movie, By The Sea, both behind and in front of the camera.
The movie was about an once-happily married couple whose marriage is falling apart right before their eyes. There is some speculation that this sort of acting dynamic started the first fires of their separation.
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly in 2015, Jolie revealed how the film brought out the worst in them. “It was an emotionally charged set,” she explained.
“Even though the characters are very different from us when you act, you still express real emotion.” "We wanted to see how far we could push our relationship," she added to The Telegraph a few months later.
10 Brad Pitt Has Been Investigated For Acts Involving His Family
It is sad to hear about our favorite celebrities at their darkest hour, but this was one of them. Brad Pitt was under investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department and the LA County Department of Children and Family Services after there was a reported altercation between him and the children on the private jet a few years ago. He was allegedly under the influence and started screaming and getting physical in the children's presence.
When the plane landed, he reportedly caused a scene on the tarmac and later tried to leave on a fuel truck.
Someone who was a bystander reported the incident. Pitt and Jolie have been interviewed by the DCFS and the investigation was ongoing. The day after the incident, Angelina separated from Brad and filed for divorce a few days later. Fortunately for Brad, there are no active investigations involving him now.
9 But He Has Since Reunited With The Kids
On October 8, 2016, just months after the whole private jet fiasco, Brad Pitt was able to reunite with his kids after the whole incident. Though we can never know for sure what really went down, it was resolved enough to where he not barred from seeing his kids. That day was the first time they saw each other since Jolie had filed for divorce.
Prior to Jolie filing for divorce, she rented out a lofty Malibu house so that she could transition the kids to the new life without Brad more seamlessly.
Though not all children were present for the visit, a monitor was present while Brad was still under investigation. At the time, Angelina had temporary physical custody of the kids but both of them still had legal custody.
8 Angelina Was The One Who Filed For Divorce
It was indeed Angelina who made the first move toward ending her marriage with Brad Pitt. On September 16, 2016, she filed over irreconcilable differences. They were together for 10 years before finally tying the knot. They actually originally got married in France and the marriage wasn't technically deemed as legal in the United States.
Angelina has always put the well-being of her kids first and foremost, even if that meant having to get Brad out of the picture once and for all.
She has said that she doesn't want her kids growing up in an environment where Mommy and Daddy are fighting all the time, so it was just better that they separate and divorce. At the end of the day, you have to do what is best for your family.
7 She Wanted Primary Custody Of Their Six Children
When Angelina Jolie filed for divorce from Brad Pitt, she asked for sole physical custody of her and Brad's six children and asked the judge to merely grant him visitation rights. It looks like she wasn't messing around when it comes to demanding her rights over the children. She hired celebrity divorce attorney Laura Wasser, who represented Johnny Depp during his divorce fiasco with Amber Heard.
Jolie did not request spousal support when she filed for divorce from Brad, as she as financially independent as they come.
The former couple is worth $400 million between the two of them, but that won't be a problem since they have a clear-cut prenuptial agreement that states who will get what during the divorce. Needless to say, both them and their children will always have their materialistic needs met.
6 Brad Was Traveling Solo All Summer Before The Divorce
It looks like the decision to divorce was heading in that direction gradually. After Brad wrapped filming for Allied, he was spotted by the paparazzi traveling solo on multiple trips to France, New York, and LA.
Typically, he has always been seen moving a circus traveling with his big family, but not in this particular time frame.
As of July 2016, the family of eight had not been seen together for months and there was much speculation that something fishy was going on in their marriage. People knew that there was trouble in paradise between Brad and Angelina, but they couldn't quite put their fingers on it. At that time, there were many reports that the couple was contemplating divorce but also trying to work through their issues.
5 They Were Fighting A Lot Before The Divorce
From the beginning to the end, this relationship has been nothing short of passionate. They would supposedly fight and then make up until they just couldn't anymore. They have had many disagreements about parenting styles, politics and scheduling their time between careers and raising kids. A separation was reportedly a possibility, and they were trying to patch things up until there was a change of heart to end the marriage. "Angelina did try to make it work, but her kids come first and she couldn't let them see Mommy and Daddy fight like this," an insider told E!.
"The fighting got worse and they disagreed a lot about parenting and other things."
Sounds like a classic case of Hollywood divorce with "irreconcilable differences." Even the Brangelina legacy can't defy the norm.
4 Brangelina Tried Marriage Counseling First
A source close to Pitt claimed that the actor had been in counseling in order to "figure out how to make things better" between him and Angelina. He wanted to create a better situation for the kids and he begged Angelina to slow down the proceedings so that they could prepare the kids for the massive change in their lives that was to come. The source told People:
"He was willing to do anything, change any habit, change any lifestyle, to do what had to be done to make this work."
The source then continued to explain. "And by 'make this work,' that means doing what has to be done to make even a split one that is amicable and in the best interests of the children."
3 Angelina Exhibited Self-Destructive Behavior During The Marriage
We all like to remember Angelina Jolie as that fit and ready to kick butt Lara Croft in Tomb Raider, but she hasn't been looking like that for the past decade or so. Her appearance has become more than svelte and bordering on the edge of gaunt.
There have been numerous shots of her looking frail, and it's making people question whether or not she has really been taking care of herself.
There have been reports that this type of toxic behavior has driven a wedge in her marriage with Brad Pitt. "She barely eats," a source told OK! Magazine. Sources have also told the publication that this led to frequent mood swings, making Pitt exhausted from spending so much energy trying to get her to take better care of herself.
2 She Claims That He's A Risk To The Kids
There have been sources close to Angelina that claimed that she filed for divorce because she firmly believes that Brad is a risk to the kids. Not only does she not approve of his parenting methods, but the consumption of certain substances and his anger issues just don't sit well with her.
Though sources can't specify on what exactly happened, there was an "incident" that occurred involving him and the children which was what prompted her to file for divorce.
This involved an incident aboard a private jet between Brad and Maddox that was the final straw for her. Sources claim that Brad and Angelina were fighting and Maddox jumped in to defend his mother. She isn't taking any risks when it comes to her kids and is willing to protect them from anyone or anything, including their own father.
1 He Isn't Happy About The Way She's Handling The Divorce
Most divorces aren't a clean split and they get messy and bitter in one form or another. Brad Pitt isn't happy about how Angelina Jolie is handling the divorce. He is accusing her of putting the kids in danger with how publicly she is handling the situation.
He wanted to do the divorce quietly to protect his children, but the requests were ignored.
A source close to Pitt told TMZ that he plans to file to fight her for joint custody of the children. Though he doesn't intend on interfering with her ability to co-parent, he doesn't stand for allowing her to alienate him from his own kids. She wants to only allow him visitation rights and nothing more than that. Needless to say, he is not happy with her standards being imposed on him.
