I complimented Brad Pitt several times during the press tour for Once Upon a Time In Hollywood. Brad legitimately looks great these days – his hair is a good length and perfectly highlighted (so it doesn’t look highlighted), he doesn’t look puffy nor too thin, and his clothes were great too. But for Brad, it’s not enough to get back to the people’s heartthrob. He wants to be seen as “doing well” and “healthy” and “probably going to get an Oscar nominaton.” Which, fair enough. But we’ve been hearing that “Brad Pitt is doing really well!” for the past three years, basically. How many People Mag stories do we really need with the same update of “he’s doing great!” It’s obvious that he had some difficult moments, and those moments were largely self-inflicted. So what’s the point? I guess to just rebrand Brad Pitt as Brad Pitt Is Totally Fine Now, Just In Time For An Oscar Nomination. Here’s the latest:
He’s healthier now: Since his 2016 split from Angelina Jolie, the actor, 55, has “worked very hard on himself to be a better, healthier person and to be the best dad possible,” a source tells PEOPLE in this week’s issue. “These were always his priorities. That his career is going well is a happy bonus that he is thrilled about.”
He takes his workouts seriously: The Oscar winner’s positive lifestyle changes also included focusing on his diet and workout regimen — and the results are on full display in a shirtless Once Upon a Time scene reminiscent of his star-making six-pack moment in 1991’s Thelma & Louise. He “really takes his workouts seriously,” the source says. “It’s been a whole lifestyle change. And he looks amazing.”
He’s a hands-on dad? On the family front, the father of six recently helped celebrate Shiloh’s 13th birthday, and his oldest son Maddox, 18, will soon head to college in South Korea to study biochemistry. “Despite having help, Brad is a hands-on dad,” an industry insider says. “He comes from a close family, and he has continued to be a parent who is interested in the lives of his children.”
He’s found his happiness again: Between his latest movie’s box office success and Pitt’s personal strides, he’s “really found his happiness again,” the first source says. “He is back and very excited about life. And it’s well-deserved.”
“And it’s well-deserved.” Is it? Who amongst us “deserves” to be happy and successful? There are tons of people who work hard and spend time with their families and are grateful for their success and their health and all of that, but saying that Brad “deserves” to be where he is now just… rubs me the wrong way. I don’t know. As for the rest of it… it feels like this unnamed source is playing a little fast and loose with just how much Brad is involved with his kids. They name-check Maddox, but Maddox and Pax still don’t want to have anything to do with him. And what is this: “Despite having help”? Is that a reference to Angelina being the help? LMAO. Or does Brad employ a full-time nanny for the odd weekend when he does have visitation with the younger kids?
Photos courtesy of Backgrid and WENN.
Here we go again
Yep, my thoughts exactly. LAWD help us!
Also, that “deserved” comment is f*d up. People don’t get what they deserve. Life happens. What you make of it defines you.
He must be back with Jen!
I don’t know why, but I am thoroughly enjoying all this PR coverage around OUATIH. Maybe because its so obvious? So blatant? the PR machine here isn’t trying to be subtle. Leo is the last great movie star, Brad Pitt is doing REALLY WELL!!!, Brad and Leo sculpt together at night, Oscar nominations!!!!, etc. It’s just kind of like a good old fashioned movie PR rollout.
That sentence says he helped Shiloh celebrate her birthday AND that Maddox will soon head to college. It doesn’t say Brad has anything to do with Maddox. Clever writing but transparent.
yeah, noticed that too.
From what I remember, none of the boys want to have anything to do with Brad.
Sad to see that he couldn’t get rid of his alcoholism before it destroyed his relationship with his children.
That’s a tough one as you really don’t “get rid of” alcoholism (or drug issues for that matter). It’s a daily struggle and I say this as the mother of a recovering addict (and I work in addiction & recovery field). I agree that he did not begin to deal with his addiction issues before the damage to the family was done. Also – when loved ones are in active addiction, the family is “sick” as well – hence groups such as Al-Anon that assist loved ones in healing and coping with the addict’s active use.
LOL he was in Europe for Shiloh’s birthday.
And “he has continued to be a parent who is interested in the lives of his children” kind of sounds weird.
Right? There’s never anything specific. How did he help celebrate Shiloh’s birthday? What sorts of activities does he do with the kids? What do they like? I mean, that’s what I’d be asking as an interviewer. There likely was no interviewer, just some say-nothing press statement printed as is.
If you have to say you’re interested in the lives of your kids then I doubt you are. U shouldn’t have to say those things. They’re trying too hard here
I certainly question his involvement with the kids, but he didn’t have to celebrate with her on her actual birthday in order to celebrate with her. I mentioned at the time that we don’t do joint celebrations with my stepson’s mom. Whomever has him on his birthday celebrates with him on that day, and then the other parents celebrate on their time. So it seemed perfectly plausible to me that her birthday fell on her time with Angelina (which seems to be most of the time), and obviously Angie and Brad would likely prefer not to be near each other, so he could have celebrated with her, just not on the specific day.
@Arizona
I understand what you are saying about separate parties.
I was referring to People article and it said he helped celebrate her birthday and gave link to her escape room party and he certainly wasn’t there.
Crocgirl- Every other word in a People article is a link to a previous related article in their magazine. It’s their business, their link. In this case “Shiloh’s birthday” linked to the People article about Jolie hosting her party, including the fact that Pitt was not present.
@LadyT
I understand why magazines post links.
I still find it dumb to link his supposed helping with her party to an article that proves he wasn’t there.
But at least he’s interested in her life.
So my favorite ex husband (yes, there is more than 1, judge me, I couldn’t care less) and father of my only son……said something that has stuck with me for life.
He was the eldest child of 4, born to parents who married as teens (shotgun wedding) and divorced. Both of his parents grew up more (mom) or less (dad) with their kids. In his late 20s, my ex hubby received a birthday gift from his dad who had been too absent as a father figure while my ex hubby grew up. The birthday gift arrived….like 2 weeks after the birthday. My ex hubby wasn’t impressed, and said as much to me.
I’ve never ever forgotten and feel likewise….my birthday is my birthday. If you hit me up early or on it…..it was important to you and you paid attention.
After it,,,,yeah, that’s bull$h!t.
Awww Poor Brad! He’s been through so much (eyeroll) His publicist is going overboard on being an involved dad, when legal files show a different story.
You know this!!!
As if he has anything to do with Maddox getting into uni.
MASSIVE EYE-ROLL.
How come we never hear about & praise “hands on” moms? 😉
I am glad we have forgiveness in this society (more please) and glad that he seems to be doing the gig to help himself, and then his family. But, damn, if this was a woman/wife/mother….the story would be spun, unfortunately, so differently.
You are so right you can see how the media and even the media are crucifying Angie when she was not the one who ruined the family
How come we never hear about & praise “hands on” moms?
Yeah, imagine a mother being praised for being interested in the lives of her children.
@crogirl So true!
God can’t be everywhere so he invented moms = normal
Man asks about his kids = give him a medal!
Yep! I’ve mentioned this before, Jason biggs wife said she’s sick of people saying she’s ‘lucky’ her husband helps her with their kid and she pointed out that people wouldn’t say that about her ‘youre lucky your wife helps’ because people expect that of women and therefore take it for granted. So sexist
So true! My brother-in-law’s fb profile reads “I help my lovely wife raise our two beautiful children” & I side eyed the hell out of that Good Guy post. It’s not that nice when a dad decides to help for kudos (or not “help”, which seems to be the par set for these guys).
I think our society tends to favor moms and not “hands-on” dads when it comes to parenting, to be honest. There’s also a lot of mom guilt and shaming, but moms are praised a LOT. At least from what I see on Facebook and Instagram and in my own experience.
Just go over and check out Radar online slamming Angelina and it all falls into place.
I roll my eyes at the PR spin, but I hope there is a grain of truth in it. If alcoholism was the primary cause of his abusive behavior and bad parenting, then I hope he is sober and trying to do right by his kids. Nobody wins when a parent fails at parenting.
I feel the same way. For the sake of the kids, I do hope he is healthy and repairing their relationships.
He comes across as a self absorbed Narc who was never really cut out for the rigors of full time parenting… tantrums and all.
Maybe it is better for all that he plays Dad from a distance.
I fear you’re right, like someone who only likes the beginning of relationships
I bet Angelina really enjoy her freedom, in three years glowing and more glowing
Yes, sure Brad.
Brad is doing great everyone!
Ya hear?
Great!
In fact, he’s doing the greatest of great!
No one is doing as great as he is.
He’s excelling in doing great.
And he DESERVES IT.
So how is Brad doing again?
G R E A T.
🤣
😀 I’m sorry, how’s he doing again? Great you say? Let’s give that man an award!
“continues to be interested in the lives of his children”. I mean, wow. An Oscar AND father of the year?!
What a guy!
CONTINUES to be interested in the lives of his children after a divorce!!
Can you even fathom how GREAT he is?!
Forget the Oscar, get this man the Nobel Peace Prize. How in the WORLD DOES HE DO IT?!
SO GREAT!!!
He never tried this hard in 2005 when he dumped Jennifer.
I never paid attention back then to the gossip & tea but I always thought Jennifer Aniston seemed more Brad’s type than Angelina.
Brad doesn’t have a type. He changes himself to fir whatever woman he’s with at the time. Just look up old photos of him from each of his relationships. Dude is the Julia Roberts character in Runaway Bride.
He definitely changed when he got involved with Angelina that is for sure. He seemed more superficial when he was with Aniston. When he got involved with Jolie, he seemed to take up her interest in her causes – that is my observation of it and together they formed their family and had interest in that. But I have to agree with one other commenters observation that Brad changes with the person he is with, look at how he was with Gwyneth Paltrow, again very different.
Out of all the woman he dated/married, Jennifer is Brad’s type. Goop and Angelina are out of his league. Juliette is too wooky, but Brad could slot right back into life with Jennifer. They can tan, smoke, party and interior design together.
@AMYB: Superficial is superficial… whatever the manifestations of that may be. His interest in humanitarian issues was probably as superficial as any other interests he “adopted” because of what his current partner did. I doubt those efforts will continue because he “borrowed” them…
That said, he seems to have a genuine and long term interest in architecture and art that is wholly his own. In that he had much in common with Aniston.
And just because it’s entertaining sometimes to make random (sh*t-disturbing) connections… he morphs into his latest girlfriends… nice highlights… remind anyone of anyone? #WhoIsHisHairdresserTheseDays
Lol
He didn’t have to. Angelina was a very convenient scapegoat and took the brunt of the fallout from his misdeeds.
Exactly. He already knew the narrative that Jen had circulated and that the media perpetuated about Angelina and he and his PR took advantage of that.
That’s because he’s a changed man now, HE’S DOING GREAT
@Everley, thats b/c he still wanted to get back w/ Angie but she ghosted him. That’s when he started the smear campaign against her b/c he was mad she wasn’t talking directly to him. It was through assistants, managers and therapists.
It is so weird that he hasn’t been photographed with them in over three years. I mean I initially bought the “he’s just protecting their privacy” thing, but something weird is going on. He either doesn’t see them or there are restrictions on him taking them out in public or something.
He does look great though. He needs to stop pushing these narratives about his personal life. It’s like he doesn’t know any other way to market himself. He’s handsome and charming, we don’t need to hear about him as a father or him in relationships to be interested.
@Kebbie
I find that weird too. There are lot of celebrities who keep their children lives private but you can still see candids of them all over net.
It’s beyond strange that he’s not been seen with any of his kids for the past few years. Even the worst dad of them all have been seen with their kids. I tend to think that they don’t want to be seen with him and he can’t force them at this point so it’s been ‘protecting their privacy’ b.s.
All celebs talk about their personal life such as family/dating relationships cause that’s what the fans are mainly interested in beside the products they are selling-whether it’s the movies or perfume etc..
Unlike his first ex wife, Pitt doesn’t want to market his looks and since he’s been seen as a bad daddy in the past so of course he’s gonna push that angle of narratives that’s he’s trying so hard to be the best dad of all dads. In between bouts of him being a ‘hand-on’ dad, we will hear about his personal happiness and his casual dating blah blah.. It’s his MO now for the next decade, lol. And don’t forget that he will gradually fade into the background as for acting but if a great role comes around then he’ll be there. SMH.
@Kebbie, lol, he’s pushing it b/c of the exact reason you just stated. People are questioning his time w/ the kids. He only sees the younger four and prob for a few hours plus he can’t take them out. He’s court mandated. That was the deal. I wouldn’t be surprised if the visits are still supervised. He just doesn’t want to say that so he lies. Plus, Maddox going off to school and he’s no where to be found. Remember this article came out after it was revealed Maddox was going to college and Angie would be dropping him off. He’s PR 101, his team is countering. His team is lying trying to cover his rear.
Plus all that, he’s still hot nonsense is just that, now, if you like him you like him but this is something else his PR is trying to fixate on. Man is 55 and he looks 55. I loved when Charlize Theron put those lies to rest and said flat out I’m not dating/interested in him. Who wants to date a 55 year old man who behaves like a 25 year old man who lies about everything, doesn’t have a decent relationship w/ his kids and rags on his ex-wives to suit his daily whims. That’s not attractive. That’s ugly. No Thank You.
How is it weird that he hasn’t been photographed with his kids? Maybe he doesn’t call the paps when he is with his kids or maybe he hangs out with them at home. The dissing of Brad is just so stupid. And people being offended by the “deserve” comment is frankly comical. I love Angelina but I really don’t get the weird hero worshipping of her here and the demonizing of Brad. Its frankly weird.
It is weird that he is not seen with his kids. He does not have to arrange a pap stroll but it seems like he only see them inside his compound. IMO that’s strange.
“he has continued to be a parent who is interested in the lives of his children”
Well, shut it all down, we have a Father of the Year winner!
“Well deserved”…? I wouldn’t put it that way, as his problems were self created, and greatly affected the lives of his kids. It’s good he’s doing better, but let’s not pretend he’s coming back from some unforeseen tragedy.
This PR spin using the kids is gross, but he’s always done it, long before all this mess went down.
And still no pictures of him with any of the kids since the breakup. Not. A. Single. One.
These source quotes are all cringe worthy for any mom. Brad needs a new publicist.
Other than that fake blather about that university prof, there haven’t been stories of him dating. I honestly don’t think he has dated anyone since the split with Angie. This must be the longest he’s been single. And I think he was best matched with Jen. They seemed simpatico, neither were interested in charity work or international issues or having kids. Angie was way out of his league and it seems obvious now they didnt have much in common.
IA. I think he’s still single and looking. But can one blame him though for not able to find anyone like Jolie? Once you had the best it’s just harder to match up with the have nots. Regardless, he should have stayed with Aniston cause like you said both are self-centered and way more into themselves than anyone else’s. But no, he wanted something better something different so he pursued Jolie and started the whole family and all but couldn’t keep up with the pretense forever. Now, she’s ended up doing it all by herself but I think her life is more completed now and she became a better person. She’s loved by all of her kids. Him? He’s surrounded by the so-called cool arts and his pretentious HW ‘friends’. Well deserved, indeed.
yep, Jennifer was his best match. Probably why so many people are manifesting a reconciliation.
By “hands-on dad” I think they are referring to that time he angrily (and drunkenly) put his hands on Maddox.
Why so many of these articles from his camp, is right? He’s been caught in so many lies especially from the Sun that I just can’t believe anything from him. Plus, thinking about that smear campaign he tried against Angie still leaves a bad taste in my mouth. But the media makes him out to be some good guy. NOT. SMH. Anyway, I really think Brad isn’t as happy and fulfilled deep down as he and his people want us to believe. All of this b/c he thinks winning an Oscar is gonna make him happy? Sad if he does. (Btw, I don’t think he’ll even win the thing). He picked wrong. He should have chose his family over HW. Family/real love is the most important thing(s) in this world.
Sidenote: Lol. Ole dude is literally wearing the same suit, different color is all and the pants are hanging wrong on him.
He seems like a guy who is always looking over your should for what’s next. He may look lost right now but that’s only because he has not found the “next one”. I don’t think he’s unhappy because of the loss of his family.
Brad is going to go hard for the supporting oscar win. I wonder if he will hire a oscar campaign team like Aniston. He’s getting great reviews and a lot of industry people love him. This may be his chance.
Here’s what I like about Brad Pitt: He produces all kinds of movies about marginalized people, and helps create the conditions for the people in question to tell the stories themselves, rather than try to hijack it as a vehicle for himself, or god forbid, direct it– exactly what we always say we want from an ally in Hollywood. But he doesn’t give interviews patting himself on the back for his “wokeness”. He just does it– so much so that people don’t even include him in the conversation when they’re praising someone like Jessica Chastain. There is a serious side to Brad Pitt that I feel like gets lost in all the chit chat about his abs and whether or not he totally blew it with Angelina. I guess you could say that every celebrity on a gossip site tho…
This is what I’d like to let you know. Brad Pitt is the face of Plan B and hardly does any work. His two partners are the brain child so I’m sorry . He seems more interested in architecture than anything. He definitely was. Or interested in a huge family philanthropy. Just loook now at what has transpired in NO. He practically abandoned that MIR project and wants to lay blame on other folks but was sucking in all the praise when it was first announced. He is an image driven but like Angie said. He said himself he has little to no feelings. He said and did some awful stuff to one of those kids and better hope neither one of them tell it.
@dontmindme, how do you know that? Are you an employee at Plan B ? Or is this just your assumption?
Most movies plan b produced, would have never been made without his influence in this industry.
@DALI because he said so. Dede and Jeremy run that place. It’s his job to get the studios to bite. Period. Yes he has influence it he receives way too much credit for doing nothing. Just like he will win the Oscar this year because they have already given it to him.
Sadly after Angelina had such a great beginning of the week his PR team issues this because they didn’t like being left out of Angie’s announcement about Maddox. It makes him look like he isn’t in the pic. He can’t have that.
The essay she had in Elle was excellent and she was a little shady in it about him and his tactics. Here’s what we know as fact now because Angie almost verifies it.
One, his PR team plants stories at Radar. They were the ones who wrote than slanderous hit piece on her and called her friends witches in a coven after she filed.
2. He isn’t involved in Mads life via the court documents and the fact he ghosted him on his birthday.
I honestly believe that Brad has been experiencing a true identity crisis since Angelina left him. He is one of the biggest movie stars in the history of movie stardom but I don’t think he’s ever really been alone before. He’s a serial monogamist who jumped from Goop to Jen to Angie in pretty quick succession and they each respectively shaped his public image during the time that they were with him. I don’t think he really knows who he is without a strong “leading lady” by his side. Sad.
Radar did a story about how Pitt lost his bid to keep the MIR lawsuit in federal court rather than moving to the state court. It’s a negative story about him which has absolutely nothing to do Angelina Jolie, but the article keeps referring to him as Jolie’s ex-husband! “Jolie’s ex-husband has denied the claims. Jolie’s ex-husband argued that he should be tossed from the lawsuit altogether because he is on the Board of Directors for the foundation but had no dealings with the homeowners.” So his name isn’t being repeated but hers is in relation to a negative story in which she has no role. Misogynist pr!cks.
I suggested back in 2017 that Angelina just let go and let God. Not try and explain anymore because people will always take the word over this man. Remember when he wanted people to believe he left Aniston because she wouldn’t have his children. She got upset about it but yet again is so afraid of what she thinks going against him will incur in HW.
I’m not a fan of hers but I find her ability to forgive him time and time again and tolerance level of him really high.
I’m glad Angie did just what I suggested. She is in a great space now, but he is not.
In my observation he isn’t happy because whatever Angie has over him spiritually Or sexually he can’t shake it. He is spiteful and still in love with her. His team puts the tacky stories out trying to make the world think these things when we see he is definitely not happy as he once was. If he has a new girl she isn’t giving him something.
I can under he misses his family but I think he misses that love that he took advantage of and thought would never leave him.
Disagree. I think both of them stopped being love with each other a long time ago. You can tell by their appearances and what they said about their relationship. Everything they did was about the kids. Brad and Angelina looked awful and stressed in the last years. Look at the two of them now, Angelina looks healthier and lighter, Brad looks great.
Loving someone and being in love are two different things. I think they had one of the most difficult marriages because of the outside scrutiny of her. You can’t tell me that that did not effect their relationship. BTS was a peek inside. His abuse of alcohol and her severe depression I feel was true. Them using different things to try and rekindle that connection, well one the other had given up.
Those kids were the glue that held that family together until Pitt unsealed it. I give them credit for trying to stay together for those kids sake but the code he broke sent Angelina into a state of fury resulting in everything that had been thrown at her. It seems she had been harboring a lot and blamed Pitt for either allowing or not defending his family or her in years past.
He turned spiteful and the kids were caught in the crossfire. In the end my opinion they loved were lustful and respectful of each other. The early building of the family helped keep away the vultures because they were totally invested and happy about those babies. Years later those kids get bigger, they read and hear, become curious and hence problems.
They tired of fighting about what other people thought and started to resent things. Thinking marriage would help make everyone happy was a mistake.
I thought being a “hands-on dad” on that plane was the whole reason they ended up divorced.
Yeah I believe he’s a hands on dad…
Especially when he put his hands on Maddox on the plane 🤷♀️