Pitt stop to life more interesting

Published Sep 12, 2014

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WHEN Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt initially ceased to be singular entities and merged to become Brangelina, I was incensed. With her pillow lips, gorgeous blue-green eyes and the kind of bone structure that would have made her Michelangelo’s perfect muse, Angelina was the very embodiment of the kind of woman who could lead even the most dedicated of men to stray.

Not least because of her overt sexuality, which served as an unspoken guarantee that she would fulfil every manner of outrageous male fantasy. And what man ever says no to a little “slap and tickle”?

Yup, she was the femme fatale your mama always warned you about – the sort you should never allow within whiffing distance of any husband/boyfriend/love interest – and that this interloper had such raw power over the macho species was an affront to the Global Sisterhood.

Still, in all her “we’re married and mushied-up” naivete, dear guileless Jennifer Aniston believed Brad’s love would conquer all. And it did. Albeit in Jolie’s favour. Oops.

As Mrs Smith blatantly misled the public about her illicit liaison with Mr Smith (citing her own father’s infidelity as her rationale for why she could never be a homewrecker), our favourite Friend fell to pieces.

And when we later learnt it was probably Angie herself who had tipped off the paparazzi about those Kenya beach snaps that all but confirmed the affair, we were firmly in favour of Team Aniston.

Fast-forward to 2014 though, and the tide has very much turned. Brangelina’s no frills, no fuss wedding with only their six children in attendance is testament to how they have conducted their near-decade-long relationship: with family, not fame, as their focus.

When they do choose to step into the public eye, it’s usually for a very distinct cause, like promoting their latest humanitarian project.

Case in point: the sole reason for their decision to allow their nuptials to be professionally photographed was so they could donate the full proceeds (estimated to stand at around the $20 million mark) to charity, just as they did with the official pics of first biological daughter, Shiloh, and their twins.

There have never been any OTT displays of contrived (and cringe-worthy) affection à la the Mariah Careys and Nick Cannons, only held gazes that denote a soul-level understanding and hands sweetly held with exhausted smiles that tell of a busy, but fulfilled life.

Comparatively, Jen’s always made sure her every move (and revolving door of lovers) is well-documented by industry watchers and when she’s not making (exceedingly puerile) movies, her entire existence is dedicated to… yoga, Pilates, regular beauty/spa treatments, frequent holidays to Mexico and hanging out with BFF, Courteney Cox. With the occasional appearance at a celebrity-saturated charity event thrown in, for good PR.

Her alleged reaction to Brangelina’s walk down the aisle speaks volumes: sources close to the star reportedly revealed Jen was indeed disheartened – but not because of some misguided notion that she still pines for Brad-boy; rather, that their ceremony stole all the attention away from her latest movie, Life of Crime, which released that same weekend.

So while she may have once accused Pitt of “lacking a sensitivity chip”, perhaps he had good reason for his statement during a 2011 interview, where Brad scandalously said of his time with Jen: “It became very clear to me that I was intent on trying to find a movie about an interesting life, but I wasn’t living an interesting life myself. I think that my marriage had something to do with it.”

Well, he’s certainly leading an interesting life now.

LARA DE MATOS

TONIGHT EDITOR

[email protected]

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