Ines de Ramon accompanied Brad Pitt to Paris two weekends ago. They were pap’d going in and out of restaurants, and they had good seats for the Roland Garros women’s final. Ines played her role well – the doting girlfriend, nuzzling Pitt’s neck and snuggling up against his body for no apparent reason. I’ve never really thought that they have much chemistry together, but Ines has gotten better at performing for photographers and paparazzi. That’s basically all Brad wants – someone emotionally low-maintenance who will remain at his beck-and-call for photo-ops. Well, Us Weekly’s cover story this week is all about Brad and Ines’s love and how at least Brad is in a good place with Ines, even if all of his kids hate his guts. Some highlights:

Why Brad & Ines were in Paris: According to a source, the pair have been in Provence, France, for the past month, and hopped over to the romantic City of Light for the French Open. They later stepped out for dinner at Le Voltaire with Flea and Pitt’s Se7en director David Fincher. “Now they’re back in Provence for a few weeks,” adds the source. Pitt still occasionally resides at Château Miraval, his winery estate in Provence, not far away from longtime pal George Clooney, who moved to the idyllic French town with his family in 2021.

Brad isn’t focusing on his children: “Brad is focusing his energy on the parts of his life that feel good right now,” a source close to Pitt tells Us Weekly. “Ines has been a grounding, positive presence, and she’s brought a sense of stability that he’s really leaned into, especially after an emotional few years.”

Ines is perfect for Brad: “She’s such an uplifting energy [and] consistently looks on the bright side of things and is always up for an adventure,” a source told Us in early 2023. “Brad also appreciates that she’s super laid-back.” A third source says Pitt likes that de Ramon, who graduated from the University of Geneva in Switzerland and previously worked as a VP at trendy jewelry brand Anita Ko, has no interest in the spotlight. “She doesn’t compete with him for fame. She supports him and lets him do his thing, and he feels emotionally safe with her.”

Estrangement from the children: For all the peace de Ramon has brought into his life, Pitt’s relationship with his kids remains a sore spot. During a mother-daughter brunch at Spelman College in April, Zahara gushed about her actress mom, saying she’s “grateful to have had a role model to show me what it looks like to be a decent human being.” A source told Us in September that all the children are currently estranged from Pitt, even Knox and Vivienne, with whom he was once close. “Brad hasn’t been a constant presence in their day-to-day lives, mainly because of everything that happened during his marriage to Angelina and partly because of his work schedule and lifestyle,” says a fourth source. A fifth source notes that Jolie, 51, “hardly worked” during the first few years following the divorce to spend time with her kids.

The kids are dropping “Pitt” from their names: Adds the fourth source: “Angie has never discouraged the kids from having a relationship with Brad. Changing their names was solely their idea, not hers.” The Pitt source tells Us he’s “devastated” by their decision.

Ines doesn’t insert herself into Brad’s many family problems: “She wants Brad to find peace, forgiveness [and to] move on,” an insider told Us in May 2024. Another source told Us in December that Pitt “has done a lot of work on himself,” thanks in part to de Ramon. “She has brought him a lot of healing.” Says the third source: “Ines encourages reconciliation with the kids while keeping healthy boundaries and not inserting herself into the family conflict.”

Marriage isn’t the end goal. “It’s tough to think about that given Brad’s past experience, and Ines isn’t pushing it either,” the third source says. (Last June, an insider stressed that Pitt had “shown his commitment” to de Ramon and that they were “on the same page” when it came to enjoying a relationship “without pressure.”) Still, friends feel confident that Pitt and de Ramon have major staying power. “Ines is the perfect match for Brad,” says the third source. “She’s his trusted confidante, and he’s more emotionally open in this relationship than he’s been in the past. They work well.”

[From Us Weekly]

Yeah, this is mostly just a rehash of stuff we’ve heard many times before – Ines is the ultimate cool girl without any messy wants or needs, she exists to be there for Brad and encourage him to be a better person. She has no concerns about his alcoholism or the fact that all of his children hate him. She doesn’t even think it’s weird that Brad is still obsessed with “punishing” Angelina for leaving him. And of course he’s taking Ines to Chateau Miraval. Just a few months ago, Brad was whining in court about how he can’t even enjoy Miraval since he only owns half of the property! Also: just for a moment, allow yourselves to wonder how this would have played out if the genders were reversed, if all six kids were estranged from Angelina, and Angelina was gallivanting around France with a vacant boy-toy.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid, Cover Images. Cover courtesy of Us Weekly.