If nothing else, I’ve had a ball this week as I looked for vintage photos of Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston. It’s been years since I’ve really looked at most of these old photos, and I’m always struck by how “of their time” they looked. I’ve been using these vintage photos because we’ve been enjoying stories all week about Brad and Jennifer and how they’re not back together but they’re in each other’s lives again. Jennifer threw a huge 50th birthday party last weekend and Brad attended.
Both Jennifer and Brad want us to know about it. They want us to speculate. Brad wants us to talk about “Brad & Jen” rather than “he’s still not able to see his children without a third-party monitor.” Jen wants us to talk about “Sexy Jen lures her exes to the yard” rather than “Jen is single and Forever Aloneston at 50.” I keep saying: this storyline works in both their favors. The fact that people are working themselves into a tizzy about a pair of 50-something exes is really crazy though. We’ve already heard that Brad sent a b-day gift to Jennifer, and that they’ve been “getting close” since his split with Angelina Jolie. So how did this newfound closeness happen? Brad had to apologize to Poor Jen.
If Brad Pitt could turn back time, he would have handled his divorce from Jennifer Aniston differently. Although the Inglorious Bastards actor, 55, “doesn’t like to dwell on the past,” he “of course wishes he’d handled the end of their marriage in a more thoughtful manner,” a source exclusively reveals in the new issue of Us Weekly. “He asked for Jen’s forgiveness a long time ago and she gave it.”
The exes, who ended their 5-year marriage in October 2005, reunited at Aniston’s 50th birthday bash at Sunset Tower in West Hollywood on Saturday, February 9, alongside many A-list guests including George Clooney, Sandra Bullock, Katy Perry and more.
“Brad gave Jen a card and a hug,” added the insider, noting that many partiers were “surprised” to see him there.
He wishes “he’d handled the end of their marriage in a more thoughtful manner…” OK. I wonder if he ever wishes he hadn’t stayed silent as the f–king grave when Jennifer and Angelina were pitted against each other by a tabloid press which was drunk on the Uncool Bermuda Triangle. I wonder about this whole narrative of “Brad now knows he did something wrong and he apologized… to Jennifer.” Like, he did wrong by both wives, Jennifer and Angelina, in different ways. But as we keep saying, this isn’t really a narrative about apologies and forgiveness. It’s a narrative about Brad and Jennifer’s PR shenanigans more than anything.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
Ugh. Who would have known that the hot dude from ‘Thelma and Louise’ would turn out to be this guy? Same goes for Johnny Depp, Tom Cruise, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. Does being a famous man just make you a bit of a douche eventually? Or was the douchiness always lurking underneath waiting to come out?
I think its because they can, honestly. They have fame and money, they’re attractive, and they all have just enough talent to make people think they are the best thing ever, and for years….they got away with being douchey. And I imagine as the years went on, especially for someone like Tom Cruise or Brad Pitt, as they became bigger stars, they just became bigger asses because who is going to say no to them?
I feel like it was pretty easy to guess this about Johnny Depp, Tom Cruise, and Ben Affleck. while Matt Damon has made some dumb comments in the past, I’m not sure that it’s fair to include him in this group of womanizers and cheaters and abusers.
I agree. Don’t understand why Matt Damon has been lumped in with this group of bizarroes and serial cheaters.
We still have Keanu. No douche detected there.
Keanu must be protected AT ALL COSTS. Have you seen the picture of him with his LA Public Library card? I love him.
Keanu will never break our hearts. (Knock on wood)
I love Keanu. That’s all.
There’s a video of Keanu giving up his seat on a subway train to a woman without any hesitation. SWOON!!!
They were always douches. I have believed that 99% of anyone rich, famous, et al are bottom-barrelled, still do. In my world, the one percenters have nothing to do with money or fame…they’re people of whom I aspire. Decent human beings who put others before themselves. These days that’s a very rare commodity.
Fight Club Brad was the hottest Brad.
I used to think that, but his skin was still bad in Fight Club. I think 2005 was his peak.
I think his peak was Oceans Eleven. Was that 2005ish? Also whatever year he appeared on Friends (I think that was 2003?) It makes me sad to rewatch that episode since so much came out later but that one is really hilarious.
Becks1, I agree. I think he was at his hottest in Ocean’s 11.
and I thought that episode of Friends was funny, too…so many people thought he sucked at comedy, but I thought he did OK.
I’m very partial to Troy Bard, but I have a thing for ancient history, guys with longer hair, and armor/military uniforms. Didn’t so much like his rapey scenes with the priestess/vestal virgin, though.
Oceans 11 was 2001
I thought he was hilarious in Burn After Reading.
for me it’s the legends of the fall.
Pierce Brosnan defies the rule of hot young guy turning into a douche. He remains hot (unlike all those other guys) and remains a nice guy by all accounts!
Hot guy from Thelma and Louise? Love it but that paints us in a corner – winky knod heart!
I feel like Brad Pitt is kind of behind the times in realizing his bad behavior. This doesn’t say “when” he apologized to Jen, but let’s assume it happened within the past 5 years. So it took him over 10 years to realize that publicly cheating on his wife with a glamorous movie star was a bad idea and really hurtful? So then maybe in another 10 years he will apologize to Angelina for his current behavior?
At any rate – yes, he did handle the end of their marriage poorly. I definitely felt bad for Jen during that whole mess. The tabloids were in a feeding frenzy over it.
You are in sooo much trouble. It’s been “proven” that there was no cheating and boy are you going to get it now. Where’s my popcorn?
Darla, you are so funny. Now we need to find out how one “proves” there was no cheating.
IIRC, Jen said in an interview that Brad told her that nothing happened with Angie while they were still married, and Jen *chose* to believe him. Which, when the end result was gonna be the same either way, makes sense.
I mean, I call BS as an outsider. But if I we’re in Jen’s position, I’d likely make the same choice.
Wait, I didn’t realize that was a thing. LOL.
Well you gonna learn today Becks! LOL
oh man, I don’t have the energy today lol.
Oh he definitely cheated
ain’t that the truth.
the scolding will be several paragraphs long and finish with “It’s been fifteen years, get over it!”
oh, the irony.
Lmao. For what it’s worth, I knew people who worked on that set and it was known they were shacking up in a hotel throughout filming. If Jen says he didn’t cheat, that was her saving face (or choosing to believe the lying rat bastard!)
“Proven” there was no cheating? Ha! My friend lived across the street of the Burbank hotel (in a residential area near the WB studios) where they would meet for their trysts. EVERYONE in the area knew Brad and Angie were having an affair (thanks to the hotel staff LOL).
Thanks, Bexington and Genessee, for the info. Their bodybuard on M&MS Mark Behar said they were definitely together on set, passing notes, flirting, and at the least making out in their trailers. This interview was in US Weekly soon after their divorce announcement.
YES! It’s literally the only piece of gossip I have ever heard before the general public. A friend of mine from college knew the producer or director on Mr and Mrs Smith (old well connected family) and told me….a year? Before they announced their separation….That he was sleeping with AJ, and they were going to announce their divorce after the friends finale and I think after Troy came out. I laughed it off at the time – they were the IT couple as we all remember……and then a year or so later the rumors came out, friends ended, Troy (or whatever movie it was) came out, and then……separation announced.
I think it was a well kept secret and lots of people knew, but the fact that my friend basically laid exactly what did end up happening always just convinced me that he cheated.
I honestly didn’t realize there was controversy over that. I thought that was a well accepted fact.
How do you prove that something _didn’t_ happen? Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.
Both women got conned by this asshole.
Jolie for believing in his bs that he’s still married to Aniston only in papers and that’s he loved having children so much but hadn’t found the one to be with until now, blah and blah. That there was an understanding between Pitt and Aniston to get a divorce once their own business is taking care of, i.e Friends finale and Troy wrap up.
Aniston for desperately clinging to the doomed marriage that she would even wanted him to have the affair but must come back to her in the end. Well, he conned her into putting out a beautiful joint announcement for their separation but off he went into the arms of his new woman.
“Aniston for desperately clinging to the doomed marriage that she would even wanted him to have the affair but must come back to her in the end.”
I remember reading one of her PR leaks that he was gone (for Jen Aniston) as soon as he started filming Smith. It might have been Courtney Cox who added he was “just not there for her anymore” and he didn’t even go to their (Friends) last day of filming. They also said Jen knew he was attracted to Jolie and there was an “enchantment” and she said, “Go, go have your affair and get it out of your system” but Pitt said he couldn’t stay married. This leak was widely reported and the stuff Courtney was saying on record supported the idea Jen wanted to stay with him as long as he came back to her. I think at that time Jen had a hard time conceiving of the idea that he wanted to break up for good and she didn’t come to terms with that for perhaps several years. I can’t imagine telling my life partner who just told me he was enchanted with someone else to get it out of their system and I’ll wait for you. No way! But I suppose they live in a kind of bubble of meeting extremely stunning people every day.
Anyway, random tidbit (think it was from Arnon Milchan, the mega producer himself): Pitt was originally signed on for Smith and Nicole Kidman signed on. He dropped out but signed back on when Jolie replaced Kidman. LOL, he was not into Kidman as a costar at all.
That was my first thought too – maybe in 10 to 15 years Angelina will get an apology too!
He definitely owed Jen an apology, and if he really made it and they’ve moved and are friends, great. But this PR circus about them reuniting is just ridiculous.
After that magazine cover came out with he and his new gf and pretend family, OMG, what a dick. I would never forgive him. He knew she was heartbroken and flaunted his new relationship. Cold hearted. F him. Plus, everyone saying how hot he was. He had the little pretty boy look, but had horrible skin and rumors were rampant he had a hygiene problem. Old man.
Yeah that was really lousy of him (and Angelina a little too, but she wasn’t the married one). If I were in jen’s position, I don’t know that I’d be so willing to forgive and be friends, but maybe she had to do it for her own peace of mind and to move on.
I doubt they’re really friends who hang out. A phone call or email here and there is probably the most they’ve done prior to this. They’re leaning in because it’s getting them an absurd amount of publicity.
lucy2: I blame Angelina for her role in this, she flaunted the relationship as well. But, we both agree that he was the one who was married to her. I personally would not forgive such a public betrayal, but it’s her choice. Maybe she has a gotcha plan in mind, although it already seems like all she had to do was ask and he came, gotcha, now leave.
Yeah I totally agree. It was pretty lousy of Brad and Angelina to talk about how they fell in love while he was still married to Jen. Even if it was true. Why talk about it publicly? Anyway, I’m glad Jen and Brad have made amends and hope Brad and Angie can eventually do that too. Plus I hope Brad and Jen Part 2 never happens
Trying to understand the public getting excited over this? Media gives them what they want to hear. What does it say that society overreacts to a PR bullshit ‘fairytale’.
Seriously? Now my name is being hijacked! What a shame.
So it supposedly took him a good decade to apologize for the way he ended their marriage huh. This is from the guy who never looked back once he’s done with a woman. Was it via a phone call or a text? What was he apologizing for? That he didn’t mourn the death of their marriage long enough? That he’d staged that Kenya beach pics so soon after their separation? Or the W magazine spread depicting Domestic Bliss of a family with a bunch of kids that she wouldn’t give it to him?
Why now? Why not when he’s still married to Jolie, like a good 5-6 years ago when he told the whole world that his former marriage was dull as dust? That he hated it.
Could it be that he wants to come back into the arms of the Minivan Majority crowd that embraces the goodness of the so-called girl next door Aniston? That he’s at the lowest point in his life where bad press is sticking it on him like white on rice? The few times he tried to hook up with some women, he got turned down publicly. How embarrassing.
Really both are so thirsty for attention that they would fake it even if they can’t stand each other.
@originalCarol- If you are referring to my moniker, I’ve been commenting onthis site for a few years. I just got busy with work to comment as frequently as I used to. And if you are not referring to my name…nevermind:)
It still annoys me that he got away scott free in the eyes of the public. The whole “Plain Jen won’t give Beautiful Brad his babies. Poor Beautiful Brad. He just wants kids” narrative was so pervasive, so gross and so so sexist. Blech. I really do think Brad’s team was behind the smears. Particularly now that AJ has gotten similar treatment after *their* breakup (“Evil AJ is alienating Brad from his babies! Poor Beautiful Brad. He just wants his kids!!”
That W photoshoot with Brad, AJ and the passel of kids was pretty shitty too. That would’ve hurt me given the “Brad just wants kids, why does Plain Jen deny him?” narrative. Yet he skated while AJ and Jen were torn apart (“AJ the succubus who stole Beautiful Brad from our favorite Friend Jen Aniston and Jen the ugly girl who wasn’t hot enough for Brad and won’t give him his BABIES! )
How. Many. Days. Can they milk this Brad and Jen are friends again story? It’s pathetic and transparent. New leaks every day. JFC.
You need to be talking in terms of months, Millennial.
they’ve been milking this we’re getting back together storyline for the last 14 years, so we’re definitely not talking days here.
I so hope something big happens in the entertainment industry very soon, so the Brad & Jen Part Deux bullshit will disappear behind a real story.
Well, the Oscars are this weekend so it’ll probably fall to the wayside soon enough (hopefully).
Edit: oops, it’s next weekend. Okay, so maybe another week of this?
yeah, Katy and Orlando tried, but they don’t hold the fascination that these three do.
I saw that headline and thought “meh. I’d rather talk about the non-existent triangle more.” I’m not sure if that says more about me or the lack of appeal of Katy and Orlando.
Five million for her ring? Wow.
I want Katy and Orlando to work. Russell Brand was shit and Miranda was so smug imo. Maybe on the second marriage, they will be happy. I hate the triangle. I remember being a lot younger and very sad when I saw on CNN that Jennifer & her husband were divorcing. Of course it was no secret why. Over is over, I wish he wasn’t in her realm of thought. He so effed her over…..and he was hot Brad at the time. Now he’s old Brad trying to still be hot brad…lol….time to feed my babies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Seriously, this Bermuda Triangle is going to outlive religion.
This is my first and last comment on the subject (their alleged “reunion”). It simply isn’t worth my time.
Enough is enough. I’m out.
He is on my loser list and will stay there until he does something that makes him look like a honest man and not a Hollywood PR scum.
I’m going to puke. Can this stop PLEASE?
When will people who fawn over him realise that HE’S THE PROBLEM? He can’t even have a healthy relationship with his own children, is it any wonder he hasn’t had a great relationship with a woman? His ego seemed to love being the prize these two women were endlessly pitted against to win his ‘love’ in the eyes of the tabloids. It’s obvious Angie is done with him, i just hope Jen doesn’t go down that road again. The only relationship his time should be spent on is WITH HIS CHILDREN!!! That’s what desperately needs mending!
I’ll never understand why people think Jennifer plots with the media to be known as “The jilted wife”, “ The heartbroken ex-wife” or the “ Lonely Barren spinster”. What woman’s wants to be known in this light? The only reason those narratives exist is because they are profitable for the tabloids that created them.
And do not forget how sexist the media is.
Jen looks as if she is clinging to Brad in some of the pics, and he looks detached.
I also noticed how thin Jen looks. When Angie hooked up with Brad, she looked emaciated too.
Brad seems to intoxicate women, then they seem to lose themselves and develop a desperate sadness over time. Angie and Jen have both been burned by Brad, and survived.
@ LAUREN II Interesting observation. Jen has lost weight lately.
Jen does look fabulous at 50 from the photos I’ve seen.
I’m not mad at the watch me live my best life PR angle and I’m not mad it includes Brad Pitt crawling back for a party invite.
I really liked mr I’m too cool Justin Theroux’s so thirsty bday shout out to her, too.
I liked it because it went completely ignored. He probably thought there’d be articles about him and Jennifer like there are about her and Brad.
Brad and Jen sure were gorgeous back in the day. I can see how the public wanted them to be a success. As time marched on, he became way less desirable.
I remember reading something a couple of years back about him apologizing to Aniston and someone commented on that being part of the AA steps? So if that happened, good, because she absolutely deserved an apology. If he’s gone to AA, done their steps and stayed dry, also good.
We don’t actually know whether he’s offered any sort of apology to Jolie or not. It seems unlikely since they are still in the middle of a contentious divorce, but maybe once the dust has settled, that might happen.
This headline now, 14 years later, is his way of admitting that he lacked that famous sensitivity chip. And he’s now sensitive enough to realize that. Think about and admire the genius of that for a minute. (If you can manage to do so abstractly and without taking sides of any sort).
Jen did deserve his apology. Maybe after 14 years his kids will get one too.
Angie deserves one too but I don’t think she really cares.
She was with the guy for a long time and has six kids with him, so I’m sure she does care on some level.
Him taking responsibility and truly apologizing would probably go a long way in healing the family. They don’t ever have to be friends again, but with all those kids, they’re a part of each others lives for a long time ahead still, and he really should apologize to her too.
Well, my point about AA and staying dry was in part that it would be beneficial for his kids.
I don’t know if Angie cares or not for an apology but one thing is certain is that his lawyers would probably be discouraging him from saying anything to her that she might be able to use against him until they have their divorce sorted out. I’ll leave it there, because I suspect their relationship has been disfunctional for a long time and it’s unlikely that only one of them was to blame for that.
I am thoroughly enjoying this gossip revival. Carry on, Brad and Jen.
I am not reading, clicking or commenting in these pitt aniston threads anymore, just as with the kardashian posts. Only this time to say it. Good fot him and her, but he could use reflection and pr energy into improving and asking forgiveness from his own children. Period.
And the people who were fucked over by his make it right foundation and their rotting houses!!!
The pics are golden, Kaiser!
And they’re really milking this, it’s fabulous! He apologized, they’re sort of friends now… and this is newsworthy! 😀
But I’ve always liked JA, so if she wants a bit of publicity, good for her… and the old pics show how well she aged! I need more margaritas and Cabo breaks in my life, if this is the result!
And Brad’s pose back in the day was something out of zoolander, lol.
She looks so gorgeous in that ivory dress. I wish she’d stop wearing black on the red carpet all the time. Wear some pastels, Jen!
I’m gonna take this a bit farther because it is sooo boring now after a week. Jen always has had a tight circle of friends and extended friends from there. They always have private gatherings for her birthdays, wedding, etc. Because she turned 50, the party became a PR machine which had different elements…but, the number one element would be that Brad would come and then a gold mine of B & J stories would follow ad infinitum to perk up her presence in the media and clean up his. A boondoggle. The party appearance was planned far in advance along with all of the stories that re-tell the simple appearance at a party in a million different ways.
What nxt Justin & Britney gossip? That would be fun.
That ahole Justin Timberlake definetely needs to apologize to Britney, Cameron Doaz and Janet Jackson. #NeverForget
Wasn’t Britney a serial cheater also?! I remember hearing her Management were having a really hard time keeping what she was really like from the public, since she was selling this sweet young girl persona. She was sleeping around on Justin with anything that moved. So both as bad maybe as each other.
Lol Timberlake brings up that relationship every chance he gets.
His treatment of women in general has aged so, so poorly.
For the first time I agree with something said by Goop: “Jen is a perpetual example of goodness”. Brad is a POS.
I think so many of us me included are all ears when we think of Jen and Brad together in some way again. Obviously, Jen was with him for less time than Angelina and they didn’t have children but for some strange reason we still want it. It’s like we don’t even think about the kids, we are all just crazy I guess.
I also love the “he doesn’t like to look back on the past” umm I bet, he has done some awful things to people in his past. Probably doesn’t like to dwell on the mistakes with his kids either [huge eyeroll]
And isn’t it ironic that’s for the first time in his life, a woman kicked him to the curb and didn’t look back! Poetic eh. That’s why I believe he’s so pissed off and so hell bent on getting back at her using any means, including the children to “hurt” her. As if she cares. She’s so done with his sorry ass. She’s the one that once she’s decided about something she would not be swayed. He himself even said it on numerous interviews.
What we are looking at is Pitt in the next few years behaving just like Jon Voight and Thomas Markle did to their own children.
@Sara, nah I don’t. I don’t care for JA or BP.
Who is in a tizzy about it?? You, by writing a dozen articles on it? Of course the tabloids have nothing better to write about, but I don’t think normal people care at all.
He has the rachel hairdo in the long-haired photo, hilarious!