Back on Wednesday, we covered the main points of Star Magazine’s cover story this week, all about how Brad Pitt is drinking, partying and flirting with other women while Angelina sulks, cries, and stays in hotels. Given that the magazine came out a day before Brad’s interview in Parade (where he called Angelina his soulmate, and was generally more forthcoming about their relationship than he has been, ever) came out, the whole Star piece just seems like just another in an endless line of “Brangelina is splitting… soon… just wait for it, it’s coming!” stories. But now that I’ve read the full article, there’s some other interesting stuff in the piece.

According to Star, Angelina was calling Brad incessantly while he was in Berlin for the Inglourious Basterds premiere. She was nagging him so much “Brad finally shut his phone off” and continued flirting with an “old flame” – German director Katja von Garnier. After getting shut-out, Angelina turned to the other men in her life, her brother James Haven and her oldest child, Maddox:

Between their long-distance battles, Angie tried to relax by flying her Cessna airplane to Las Vegas with sons Maddox and Pax.

“She stayed over at the Wynn with the boys,” an insider says. “She told Mad it was a early birthday present, and he was so excited!”

Angie also carved out some time to visit her brother James Haven, who lives in Las Vegas part-time, for some much-needed comfort.

“Angie has been turning to James a lot lately, since things have gotten so difficult with Brad,” the source adds. “She said she felt like she just needed to see him and get a hug.”

Even before their [latest] blowout, Angelina was in dire need of alone time. Insiders say she’s been escaping to a suite at Raffles L’Ermitage Hotel in Beverly Hills, where her beloved mother, Marcheline, lived up until her death from ovarian cancer in 2007.

“Angie likes to go to March’s old suite and be alone and think and cry,” the insider says. “She slips away whenever things get really bad with her and Brad. Sometimes she leaves late in the evening and spends the night, sometimes she only stays a few hours.”

The actress was spotted leaving the hotel alone on July 12, still looking upset as she drove away.

Unfortunately, [the kids] are caught up in the family meltdown. Little Shiloh has been throwing tantrums whenever Brad leaves the house, and she yells at Angie and Brad when they fight, the insider adds. “During a recent blowup, Shi ordered Angie, ‘Stop yelling at Daddy!’”

Shiloh even threw one of her dolls at Angie after a particularly fierce fight with Brad.

Maddox, meanwhile, is a mama’s boy and very protective of Angie, another source reveals. “Every time Angie and Brad fight, Maddox runs to her defense.”

[From Star Magazine, print edition, August 17 2009]

Aw… that thing with Maddox running to his mom’s defense is sweet and sad. He is a mama’s boy, I totally believe that. It reminds me of all of those old stories about Princess Diana and Prince William, when Diana and Charles were still together. William would look after his mom too – I wonder if that’s how Maddox really is, the typical oldest child, the peacemaker, the compromiser. I’d bet he is. And I also believe Shiloh is her Daddy’s girl. But where does Zahara fall? I won’t believe Shiloh’s having tantrums unless I hear something about Zahara deigning to intercede in her parents’ fight. By the way, whatever happened to the quietly fabulous James Haven? He used to give quotes to the press about his sister every few months, but he’s been quiet for a while. Maybe he’s got a good boyfriend!

Here’s Angelina Jolie and James Haven picking up Maddox from school in Prague in May 2007. Images thanks to WENN.com .