LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's relationship might have turned sour since they parted ways in 2016 but the pair were once considered to be one of Hollywood’s power couples and lovingly dubbed “Brangelina” by fans and the media alike.
Nearly a year before Jolie and Pitt’s 2016 separation, the ‘Maleficent’ star appeared on a rare interview with NBC anchor Tom Brokaw and said her marriage to Brad Pitt was “very stable” while discussing their relationship.
Eight years after Jolie's statement, the exes are now embroiled in a legal lawsuit over the stakes of their Chateau Miraval French winery and a messy custody involving their minor children. Recent reports from inside sources also revealed that even Jolie and Pitt’s children want their parents to settle their longtime feud so they can co-exist peacefully.
‘These aren’t our issues’
Back in November 2015, Jolie and Pitt were busy promoting their film ‘By the Sea,’ a movie exploring the troubled relationship between former dancer Vanessa and writer Roland, who had been married for 14 years. During an appearance on NBC to promote her work, host Brokaw asked Jolie, “Here you have one of the most secure marriages in Hollywood, and this is about the two of you in a deeply troubled marriage. Was this a big risk on your part?”
In response to the question, Jolie said that while their onscreen characters were involved in troubled marriage, her real-life marriage to Pitt was “very stable.” “Well, I think—one, I’m counting on the audience to know that if it was close to us at all, we could never make this film. It’s because we’re actually very, very stable, and these aren’t our issues,” the actress said at the time. Unfortunately, Pitt and Jolie announced their split in 2016, a year after Jolie's interview.
When did Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt divorce?
Jolie and Pitt met while filming 'Mr & Mrs Smith' in 2004 and were quick to fall in love. Jolie announced that she was pregnant with Pitt’s child during a 2006 interview with People, nearly a year after Pitt parted ways with ex-wife Jennifer Aniston. Pitt and Jolie announced their engagement in 2012 and legally married in Los Angeles on August 14, 2014. A private ceremony of their wedding was held in Chateau Miraval on August 23, 2014.
Nearly two years after their wedding, Jolie filed for divorce from Pitt on September 19, 2016, citing “irreconcilable differences.” The pair were declared “legally single” by the court on April 12, 2019. However, the drama surrounding their split failed to end. As per court documents, Pitt was accused of failing to provide Jolie “meaningful support” financially since their separation. However, the actor countered the claims saying he loaned Jolie $8 million plus $1.3 million for bills.
The pair also got embroiled in a battle over the custody of their five youngest children, as Maddox was already over 18 at the time. Pitt was eventually granted joint custody of his children with Jolie in a tentative ruling. An inside report earlier this month said that the couple’s children wanted their parents to end their battle even though the “the war is far from over.”
Meanwhile, Pitt also filed a lawsuit against Jolie in 2022, claiming that she illegally sold her shares from their French winery and broke an agreement that the couple would not take part in any sales without each other’s approval. He alleged that Jolie made the decision “vindictively” and did not give him the opportunity to match or outbid her offer.