Brangelina’s divorce pact
IT’S BEEN MORE THAN 550 days since Angelina Jolie filed for divorce from Brad Pitt, sending almost as much shock around the world as Britain did by voting to leave the EU.
In that time, there have been allegations of abuse and an FBI investigation (which saw Brad cleared), an interview in which Brad admitted to being an alcoholic (‘truthfully, I could drink a Russian under the table with his own vodka.’), Angelina requesting full custody of their children, a rumoured romance between Brad and Sienna Miller at Glastonbury Festival last year, and reports that the entire family was in therapy (Brad was apparently only allowed to visit the couple’s six children under the supervision of a therapist).
Then, suddenly, all went quiet. But last week, rumours surfaced that the couple were finally moving closer to settling their divorce, with one publication claiming it could be finalised within six weeks.
So, what changed? By all accounts, the couple put their acrimony aside in favour of a more ‘respectful relationship’ for the sake of their children Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, Vivienne and Knox, and are also said to have made significant progress during divorce negotiations throughout February.
But multiple La-based sources told Grazia last week that the turnaround is also down to a ‘secret pact’ that the pair made during their divorce mediation to refrain from dating anyone publicly.
‘Angelina made Brad promise that neither of them would be seen to be dating before the divorce was finalised,’ said one insider. ‘ This was agreed between them early on, when they were having family mediation and tensions were still high. Despite having a rough time of it at the beginning of the split, Brad has been keen to keep the peace. He’s a family man.’
It follows reports last week that Angelina has moved on with a wealthy real-estate agent, who is said to have lent support during the turbulent divorce. However, his identity, as well as any details of their relationship, have been kept very much under wraps.
‘ There was certainly a time when neither side thought they would be able to get to the place they’re at now,’ added the source. ‘But this pact was all about respect. Once they had sorted out their differences in mediation, Ange wanted them to prove to one another that they would not disrespect each other during this time. Brad has really impressed her by sticking to the deal.’