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How Brad Escaped
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Mark Blinch/Reuters
For the past four years, the fair-haired actor has emerged completely (and remarkably) unscathed from l'affaire Jolie.
Let's say Jennifer Aniston fell in love with David Schwimmer while filming Friends’ last season in 2003. As the wife of Brad Pitt, she kept the relationship as private as possible—though the cast and crew had their suspicions. The pair’s on-screen chemistry was palpable (well, for a sitcom) and, behind the scenes, they often hugged and playfully grabbed each other. They also regularly hung out on the Central Perk set after hours. A few months after the finale aired in 2004, Aniston and Pitt announce their split. Devastation. They seemed so perfect together, sniff. Then, amid this public mourning, a beaming Aniston and Schwimmer are photographed taking a romantic stroll along a secluded California beach. Hello, cheater! Schwimmiston is born—but Aniston’s career and image as America’s girl next door are D.O.A. Sounds logical, right?
“Is this the happiest you’ve ever been?” Oprah asked. Brad’s modest reply: “Dare I say?”
In reality, of course, it was Pitt who went astray by getting close to Angelina Jolie on the set of 2005’s Mr. & Mrs. Smith. The buzz started with a February 2004 photograph showing the two holding hands in-between takes—even though, three months later, he gushed to Oprah Winfrey that his wife was “the fire we all huddle around for warmth.” Jolie recently confirmed to the New York Times that the two “fell in love” during this time.
Yet for the past four years, the fair-haired actor has emerged completely (and remarkably) unscathed from l'affaire Jolie. His fans still worship him as if he’s an Adonis god from Troy, while the media has backed off from any uncomfortable questions. Take his November 19 Oprah appearance—his first visit since the aforementioned Aniston rave. Winfrey solely focused on his personal rebirth. “Is this the happiest you’ve ever been?” she asked. His modest reply: “Dare I say?” Cue the laughing and clapping.
Even his scorned ex is a fan club member. “He’s done some amazing things,” Aniston remarked to, yes, Winfrey on November 13. And in the now-famous cover story in December’s Vogue, she asserted that she and Pitt have exchanged “a few very kind hellos” as the two “had an amicable split.” Instead, she directed her anger at The Other Woman. Addressing a 2007 Vogue article in which Jolie confessed that she couldn’t wait to get to the Mr. & Mrs. Smith set to see her onscreen husband, Aniston fumed, “That was definitely from a time when I was unaware that it was happening… That was really uncool.”
Fine, the alluring Jolie wasn’t a nun. In the current issue of Us Weekly, set sources revealed that during one sex scene, she shunned flesh-colored underwear “and climbed in bed with him naked.” (She also has a history of getting romantic with her co-stars.) But as Mr. & Mrs. Smith so helpfully reminded us, it takes two to tango. Pitt, as set insiders note, spent his off-hours bonding with Jolie in her trailer—he was hell-bent on teaching her how to use a BlackBerry, said one source—and playing with her son, Maddox. It could have been a career-ending liaison. And given all the Team Aniston T-shirt sales—not to mention that insensitive 2005 W magazine portfolio, in which Pitt and Jolie posed as loving retro parents—it should have been.
So why was Pitt pardoned? There are six reasons: Maddox, Zahara, Shiloh, Pax, Knox and Vivienne. Just weeks before his split, the actor teared-up on Primetime Live discussing his want for children. His wife, meanwhile, was partying in London with her Derailed costars. Jolie may have played seductress, but she gave Pitt what he so desperately (and publicly) wanted. As a result, he transformed himself into a scandal-proof, sexy family man. And a do-gooding one, no less—the Jolie-Pitt clan has now become synonymous with traveling the globe to give their time and money to worthwhile causes (they even bought a home in New Orleans, for crying out loud). It’s impossibly sincere and noble, and nobody would dare undermine these endeavors by inquiring about its illicit origins.
That's just the way he likes it. Though only the coldest cynic would suggest that his newfound fatherhood and good deeds are merely a PR ploy, the savvy Pitt works hard at controlling his golden-boy persona and using it to his advantage. Only Pitt would snap a “private” photo of his lover breastfeeding one of their newborn twins and use it as a tasteful marketing tool (it ended up on a recent W cover). It’s no wonder that, according to November 21’s New York Times, he and the missus worked out a deal with People magazine in which they’d provide first-photos of their children in exchange for millions and positive editorial coverage. (People denies this).
Surely Pitt knows that one misdirected step may lead him down the same path as Ryan Phillippe, Ethan Hawke or Jude Law—all once hot-stars whose careers imploded in the wake of damning trysts. Then again, those actors never achieved Pitt’s level of popularity (probably because they never embraced it themselves). Could a matter of the heart really destroy the career of a beloved movie star with nearly two decades of public goodwill? The answer is yes. Just ask Meg Ryan—she told October's InStyle that she was cast as a “scarlet woman” after her affair with Russell Crowe became public.
Pitt’s next movie, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, opens on Christmas—the same day as Aniston’s Marley & Me. Show of hands for anyone rooting for his film to fail because of his insensitive marital indiscretions? It’s a wonderful life, indeed.
Mara Reinstein is a senior writer at Us Weekly and co-author of Brad & Jen, the Rise and Fall of Hollywood's Golden Couple. She has also written essays for Glamour, Self, Teen People, The Guardian and The Huffington Post.
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I believe there's a little more to the idolization of a major movie star. Just as in real life, if you adore someone to an irrational degree you tend to overlook their flaws--even their ginormous flaws--so you can still get the rush from your crush.
The Tom Cruise/Nicole Kidman split went pretty much the same way. There were whispers about Tom and Penelope Cruz on the set of Vanilla Sky during the autumn months. Then in December he suddenly files for divorce for Kidman, all the while denying reports of cozying up to Cruz. He wisely isn't seen in public with Cruz. And women everywhere are excited that Tom Cruise is "single" again.
Then in the spring his divorce is finalized and a short time later Vanilla Sky premieres. Who is his date for the premiere? Penelope Cruz!
Cruise and Cruz played it off to the media that they had just recently started "dating." But the were hanging all over each other making out everywhere. It was clear it wasn't a brand new, awkward, getting-to-know you period at all.
But everyone loves Tom Cruise and no one was too upset. Sure sympathy went out to Nicole. but, there was no outrage for Tom.
This really isn't that surprising. Look at affairs among everyday people. When a woman finds out that her husband is having an affair, who gets the blame 9 times out of 10? The other woman. Her husband, in the meantime, gets off scott free. It's a tragedy that we can't be strong enough to blame BOTH parties involved - how's that saying go? It takes two to tango.
I, for one, am no longer a fan of either Brad or Angelina anymore.
It's funny/weird to watch how emotionally invested people have become in this little (fabricated?) drama. Good for ticket sales, que no?
brad's public display of outright disrespect to his wife is not excusable. it was not an affair of the heart, it was a giggling ego-penis connection. his wife was no longer a tv star...angelina was hot-slut-hot..angelina longed for motherhood..she stated in her farewell-to-friends interview with diane sawyer she was planning to stay home and have babies. .. meanwhile angie gets herself pregnant. accident? ha!..so, now, angelina a grand mum? brad, a doting dad? what photo have you ever scene where the kids look smiley happy? or where is there eye contact between child and parent ? angelina talking about doing the dirty with someone else's hubby and slathering it with the 'ooohhh we fell in love' frosting. IS inappropriate. and i caught a few minutes of brad on oprah's show; he looked puffy and fidgety, talking with his hand over his mouth, with a silly moustache plastered over his slackened lips. he's maintained his popularity because he is/was a pretty boy. now he just looks p*ssy whipped. i think you'll see his movies start to tank, unless his acting skills return to their old sharpness, and this, i doubt we'll see.
I see Jolie as the Mia Farrow of the 21st century, although one could hardly compare her attractive current consort to the gloomy, bespectacled Woody Allen (or to musical prodigy Andre Previn, for that matter). Although I imagine that unlike Woody, Brad will restrain himself from any questionable behavior with his kids, including marrying one of them.
As for "l'affaire", second generation Hollywood kids clearly march to a different drummer. Mia, the child of actress Maureen O'Sullivan and director John Farrow, started young with a splashy affair and brief marriage at 21 to a middle-aged Sinatra, then moved on to a liaison with the married Previn, later marrying him and producing three kids and adopting three more, before she hooked up with Allen, had another biological child, and adopted two kids. But she didn't stop there. After the twelve-year unmarried relationship with Allen, she went on to adopt six more kids as a single parent.
If she follows Farrow's pattern, Jolie, the daughter of actor John Voight, still has a long way to go, and it appears to me that the man she's with is not as important as her kids. In other words, I don't see Brad in the picture for much longer as her lover-after all, beautiful, privileged women do tend to get restless, and they have more choices than the rest of us-but it's safe to say there will be more children for Angelina. But I do hope she realizes that her first instincts were correct and it's ultimately more responsible to provide homes for the millions of parentless kids of the world than produce more of her own.
Hollywood has a history of these types of wife swapping. Personally I think too much attention is being paid to celebrities. Their lives are smarmy and sleezy, except those smart enough to keep their lives secret from us.
here's one thought that goes against the grain here: Brad changed during his marriage with Jen, he became more involved in charitable causes, and he and jen had a disagreement as to when to start a family; he meets a woman that is closer to his new mindset; they flirt and spend time together on set but they don't consummate the relationship; judging by all the reports of the googly eyes they made at each other, they were in the flirty phase, not the sex phase. Otherwise, why would she need to strip off and get naked in front of the crew during a love scene if she weren't trying to win him over? If it was a done deal, no need. He then goes back to his wife, tries for months to make it work, chalking up his feelings for angie as a crush. He realized it was more than that and he didn't feel the same way for Jen. What's the honorable thing to do? Stay in a loveless marriage? No, he stayed faithful, gave it a shot and when it didn't work, he moved on and never uttered a bad word against the ex even when she threw darts at him and the new missus. Pretty classy in my book. Marriage isn't always forever.
is it just me
i think jolie is highly manipulative, and brad and the children are extensions of that.Her public comments only come about when there is a movie to promote. I don't know if i really believe any of
it. I agree that brad will not be in the picture much longer and i feel bad for him. It is all about sales, she is one cold lady
They are both, major, d***s! I wasn't ever, even for a moment, taken with Pitt, and I always thought that he was a sleazeball, even more than Angelina! And I loathe Angelina too...it's definitely a story that continues though! But I am happy Aniston finaly spoke up!
IHAVE ABSOLUTELY NO PITY FOR JENNIFER ANISTON. SHE, OF LITTLE TALENT, IS STILL TRYING TO PLAY KITTENISH RACHEL WHEN SHE'S WAY TOO OLD. BRAD WANTED A WOMAN WHO WANTED KIDS, NOT A SPOILED BODY-CONSCIOUS EGOMANIAC. HOPE JOHN MAYER DUMPS HER AGAIN. IF SHE;D HAD A BABY FOR BRAD, HE'D STILL BE AROUND. HER MOVIES STINK. THE DOG MARLEY IS GONNA OUT ACT HER.
Brad looks guilty as sin to me, and it's because of the oversize shirt he wore on his last vacation with Jen. It read, in huge letters "TRASH". I think he was expressing how he felt about himself. We know why.
What rule says affairs end careers? From the time of Liz and Dick affairs have often MADE careers. To compare Meg Ryan - whose career was already wobbly owing to the fact that she was hovering near 40 and romantic comedies aren't the staple of the 40 year olds - with Brad Pitt is apples and oranges. Better to look at another mega star whose escapades weren't a problem - Julia Roberts. Ethan Hawke and Ryan Phillipe were never A list stars - not like Pitt.
All that said, Pitt is remarkably teflon like anyway. I'm never quite sure why he IS an A lister, since he really can't seem to open a picture - look at Troy and that Billy the Kid fiasco. The movies that do well aren't his alone. Mr. and Mrs. Smith did okay - but Jennifer Aniston is more box office than Miss Jolie - dollar for dollar. Also, in terms of comedy, Ms. Jolie doesn't have a funny bone in her body and Aniston can be delightfully funny.
As far as the Jolie-Pitt connection - I give it another 2 years, tops.
A divorce or break-up can be painful. You have to grieve (months, rather than years) and then move onward towards your happiness. For whatever reason that we will probably never know, Brad Pitt and Jennifer Anniston's marriage failed. He may have been smitten with Angelina Jolie, and she said that they fell in love on the set of a movie while he was still married to Ms. Anniston. Whatever. Maybe it was too much information on Ms. Jolie's part, however, it's water under the bridge. But not for Ms. Anniston, I guess. As hard as it seems, Ms. Anniston should move onward towards her own happiness. I hate to see her play the victim. It's been several years and children since she broke up with Mr. Pitt. If I still felt hurt about it, I wouldn't announce it in Vogue. It just plays to the victim role and makes Ms. Anniston appear envious of her ex-husband's new life. Especially when she focused her ire on Ms. Jolie, rather than Mr. Pitt. Mr. Pitt was her husband, and if she has hurt feelings, she should call him on the phone and direct her anger towards him. Then, she should let it go. I'm certain that Jennifer Anniston knows that Angelina Jolie didn't destroy her relationship with Brad Pitt. No Team Anniston t-shirt is going to make her feel better about herself. It's okay for Ms. Anniston to think of Ms. Jolie as the enemy, after all, these are two women who will never be friends. However, Ms. Anniston should act responsibly, and not perpetuate the good girl/bad girl thing. She's just opening up the doors to be compared to Ms. Jolie. By taking responsibility and the high road, she'll feel much better.
For those of you who didn't see the writing on the wall with Brad and Jen - WOW. Did you read Vanity Fair when Brad was on the cover? It was so obvious to me that they were not well suited. He, eccentric, intense, wanting kids, reaching out to those in need. Jen seemed out of touch with that side of their relationship and seemed to be more free-spirited and fun-loving. She even said philanthropic stuff made her uneasy at the time. I don't think anyone can steal your man away if the relationship is really good. Brad and Angelina were made for one another in that they share the same values and want the same things in life. As for Jen, I wish people would leave her alone and let her get on with it, which she is obviously doing. She didn't want the same things Brad wanted and it shows in the choices she had made since the split. Enough already.
Is it just me, or was anyone else confused at first with this article?
It would have made more sense and been more readable if it hadn't started with a hypothetical "Schwimmer and Aniston" relationship.
As the recent-divorced wife of one of the local golden boys, who carried on a three-year affair with his thirty-years younger mistress before seeking divorce, I have had a hard time with the Jolie-Pitt group for some time. Maybe the children, the goodwill trips, the careful managing of the public image all spring from good intentions, but the fact remains that he cheated on his marriage and she became involved with a very married man, all in a very public forum. Seemingly, no one cares that this cheating/adultery took place in front of her kids. Anyone can make a mistake, but a public mistake requires a level of public amends or it remains a stench over all their subsequent activity, regardles of the nature of it. The fact that people don't say, "Whew, what's that smell?" isn't because there is no odor - it's because people don't want to appear insensitive or judgemental. Heard of the story of the emperor's new clothes, have you?
Jennifer Aniston is a beautiful woman and no husband has the right to cheat, regardless of physical beauty or lack thereof. You made a choice and took a vow. If you're not satisfied, resolve that relationship first, THEN move on. That being said, Pitt has gotten off the hook for a very simple reason. No one could be blamed for falling for Angelina Jolie after being exposed to her in close quarters for any length of time. She cares about those who have no one to care for them, she puts herself in harms way to help the helpless and if you have the gift of sight, I am sure you are powerless to defend yourself.
Yo, Brangelina is hotness. But we're sick of Aniston and the whole mess -- I mean, any real stories out there?
Yo. Love your blog! good stuff.
Check mine out:
http://muchbetterthanworking.blogspot.com
Who cares? Get a life of your own people!
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David Schwimmer?
Poor Mara, can't make it as a serious journalist can you? Why is it always the young female news bloggers focus on celebrity gossip and not real news hmmm? Up against the likes of Kathleen Parker, Mara writes like a sixteen year old Sarah Palin.
Silly!!!
Uh, who cares? They each sleep with whoever, whatever suits their needs and/or agenda. They're more animal than human - meaning they're so totally hip and Hollywood.
(Can any sane person sit through "Changeling"?)
Changelings, chameleons, whatever they are, can't they just go away, just for a year or two - and curb the procreating?
I may not keep up, but I don't think either Brad or Angie has had a real hit since the affair started, right? Which is probably why Angie has gracefully, sort of, maybe retired. Hopefully they both just fade away so we don't have to watch her whoring out all those children anymore.
Thank you.
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