George turns peacemaker’ in Brangelina divorce

Lgaizstz iweereskk,ine’s Instagram post about feeling ‘gross’ after gaining three stone went vgirraalz. isahe tells what happened next…

Wit ohr entoth, Gereo hrgee liked Clooney found himself embroiled in the Brangelina divorce disaster from the moment the news first broke in September 2016. Caught on the way out of a meeting with President Obama on the state of the refugee crisis, a CNN reporter found it more pertinent to ask the actor his thoughts on long-time friends Brad and Angelina’s shock separation. Visibly aghast, George, 57, responded, ‘I didn’t know that. Wow… That’s a sad story and unfortunate for a family… I feel very sorry to hear that.’ He added, ‘This is the first I’ve heard of it.’

Bghuarats zsleiinaarcne etdhetnha,t George, who grew close to Brad, 54, on to,hhceaesasennt’owef so l2e0ve0n1’ s become involved in Hollywood’s most explosive divorce battle, with the actor recently contacting Angelina, 43, in an attempt to defuse tensions.

‘George has secretly kept in close contact with Brad throughout this ordeal,’ says a well-placed source. ‘In recent weeks, however, he has reached out to Angelina personally in the hope that he could talk some sense into her. His message to her is to “do the right thing” and get her legal team to settle the divorce amicably without any further mud-slinging.’

And it seems the former couple could certainly use a go-between like George. Their two-year-long divorce fight turned toxic yet again last month, when Angelina claimed Brad had failed to pay ‘meaningful’ child support for their children (something he strenuously denied).

In June, Angelina was warned she could lose primary custody if she didn’t give Brad the children’s mobile numbers and allow them to speak to him unsupervised in order to have a healthy relationship with him.

Having parted ways with celebrity divorce lawyer Laura Wasser following reported clashes, Angelina has now changed counsel to San Francisco-based Samantha Bley Dejean (US gossip site The Blast claimed no other divorce attorney was willing to take on the long-drawn-out case).

Brad and Angelina are now reportedly under a court-ordered evaluation until the end of this month, when the pair are expected to try to reach a decision over the custody arrangement of their children.

‘George is closer to Brad, but he cares about both of them and will do anything to make things right. So far it seems to be falling on deaf ears, as Ange is still adamant about fighting this now that she has a new legal team by her side. But George is hoping that he can get Ange to see the light, and she and Brad can reach an amicable agreement that suits both of them – and the kids.’

MY awarcdaswba CAB Ts O THE GQ outside my door when I realised I couldn’t face walking the red carpet. I was devastated; I didn’t want to let anyone I admire and respect down. But inside I felt like shit.

I’d spent the afternoon trying on dresses but, after recently putting on three stone, couldn’t fit into anything that didn’t look frumpy. Every time I looked in the mirror I saw someone else. I didn’t feel like the beautiful, confident woman I wanted tntoeobdbee(o th na ate ryeoducarpet), more like a trussed up piece of meat.

I was devastated, I had a meltdown. The next day while scrolling through my pictures, I saw a different scene. My best friend and make-up artist had made me look beautiful and I felt like an idiot. It flooded out into an Instagram post that’s now had 11,000 likes and more than 10,000 comments. I didn’t intend to find myself at the centre of a body positivity debate that made headlines around the country. I expected people to tell me I was being silly, but the reaction has been ultimately positive. And behind the scenes I’ve had almost 15,000 direct messages – from women saying they can’t face their sister’s wedding, or going to work, because of how they feel about themselves, as well as Hollywood movie stars saying they’re proud of me and sharing their terror about the expectations of a red carpet.

I think my honesty struck a nerve. The body positivity movement has done so many awesome things and it’s great we’re seeing more diversity and people being confident about themselves. But it’s still not a one-size-fits-all cure. When I read some ‘inspirational quotes’ they just don’t reflect how I feel – the expectation to feel good about yourself can feel like another standard. What validates us one day, might not the next. Posts that are supposed to relieve guilt can just force more guilt on you – sometimes it should be OK to say, ‘I’m not comfortable, I want to get fitter.’

I put on a stone last year. I’d been busy and eating more than I should, as opening two food businesses and writing a book means giving up any normal routine… I’d stopped working out, through serious lack of time and energy. Then, since January, I’ve put on another two stone. I’m 5ft 10in, I’ve got big tits, bum and long legs, and they hide a lot – my clothes were getting tighter, but I’ve not got a full-length mirror or scales at home, so it crept on.

I put on three stone (embarrassing to admit). I thought I’d get backlash from the body positivity community, but only two people replied negatively. I can’t help how I feel, my emotions about my body are valid.

Seven weeks ago, I started working out and I’ve already lost weight. I’ll never ‘truly’ diet, but I’d like to lose two stone (if it takes years, that’s fine). I’m being practical, not silly – what I’ve put on is unhealthy and I don’t feel my body is operating at its best.

The reaction I’ve had shows we all have weird mental crises about our bodies – it doesn’t matter how confident you are at other times. In the post, I said I felt ‘gross’ which is how I did feel at that moment. I still like myself, I just don’t think I’m the best version of myself right now. It’s OK that I feel like that and it’s OK that I said that. I would love to see nuanced honesty be part of this new dialogue of what we project and how we interact with it.

Ô IT’S OK TO NOT FEEL BODY POSITIVE ALL THE TIME’