IT'S BABY TIME!
It wasn't meant to be the first time around , but now Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston are talking parenthood
Iwant to have it all,” Jennifer Aniston declared in 2006 about juggling a career and a family. “The women that inspire me are the ones who have careers and children; why would I want to limit myself? I’ve never in my life said I didn’t want to have children. I did and I do and I will!”
Twelve years later, the actress’ words are finally poised to come true. At 49, she is more determined than ever to have a baby — and pals believe it will happen now that her ex Brad Pitt is back in her life. “The two have grown closer over the last couple of years,” says one friend. “His marriage [to Angelina Jolie] fell apart, then her marriage to Justin [Theroux] ended. During that difficult time, Brad and Jen reconnected. It’s like destiny brought them together, and I can definitely see them having a child together.”
Brad, 54, already has six kids with Angelina — Maddox, 16, Pax, 14, Zahara, 13, Shiloh, 11, and twins Knox and Vivienne, 9 — but an insider close to the War Machine actor says he’s open to having more. “He and Jen have talked about moving in together and giving this another try,” says the insider. “This could all lead to her finally having his baby.” Brad, who’s told friends how much he’s going to miss his kids when they move to London this summer when Angelina films the Maleficent sequel, “has babies on the brain,” adds the
Jen has always dreamed of having a baby with Brad” — AN INSIDER
insider. “Brad loves being a dad. It’s a huge part of who he is.”
Because of Jen’s age, the chances of conceiving naturally are extremely slim, “But they would try,” says her pal. If that doesn’t work, they would move on to IVF, adds the friend, “Even if it meant months of trying IVF. When Jen sets her mind to something, she doesn’t stop until she succeeds.” It would be a remarkably happy ending for the couple, whose five-year marriage fell apart in 2005, before they could welcome a little Aniston-pitt. “It’s the blockbuster news that friends, family and fans have been hoping for.”
ANGELINA REACTS Not everyone is thrilled by the baby buzz. Angelina, who is already livid that Brad and Jen are back in each other’s lives, is “furious” at the suggestion the two could soon be welcoming a baby together, says a source. “It’s the ultimate slap in the face.”
But they won’t let Angelina stop them, says the friend. “I think the more they talk about starting a family, the more it makes sense.” (A rep for Jen denied the story, while a rep for Brad had no comment.) “They both have changed over the years and, after much heartache, are at a great place in their lives,” says the insider. “Brad loves the idea of how they’d both come full circle and found each other again. Having a child together seems like the perfect next step.”
For Jen, in particular, it’s an emotional topic. “One of Jen’s greatest regrets is that they never had a baby together when they were married,” says the friend. “Jen and Brad tried midway through their marriage, but she lost the baby and they were heartbroken. She’s been wanting a baby
ever since, but it just hasn’t come together for her.”
While Brad and Angelina — the woman Brad fell for while still married to Jen — built a beautiful family during their 12-year relationship, motherhood wasn’t in the cards for Jen. She and Justin, who met on the set of the 2012 movie Wanderlust, could never agree on having a child together. Part of the problem was that diehard New Yorker Justin resisted settling down in LA, where Jen has her home. “She couldn’t get him to commit to their relationship or even get him to live in the same city, let alone start a family,” says the friend. “It became one of the key reasons for their demise as a couple. But now the stars are aligning for Jen and Brad.”
MAKING TIME Brad and Jen’s journey to parenthood comes at a hectic time in their professional lives. Both are incredibly busy as he films the Quentin Tarantino movie Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and she works on an untitled TV project ( based on the world of morning
news shows) with pal Reese Witherspoon for Apple and the comedy film Murder Mystery with Adam Sandler. “That’s why they’re not even talking marriage yet,” says the insider. “They have too much on their plate.”
Jen has decided to sell her $25 million Bel Air mansion (which recently was featured on the cover of Architectural Digest) and plans to move into Brad’s Pacific Palisades home so they can be under one roof. And both Brad and Jen are in top physical shape, which will help them conceive if and when the time comes. “She has a regular regimen with a yoga instructor-trainer, and she follows a vegetable-heavy diet and drinks tons of water. She’s 49 but still looks like a woman in her 30s,” says the friend. For his part, Brad kicked his pot-smoking habit and stopped drinking altogether in the wake of his 2016 split from Angelina.
Both are prepared to chase around a little one in their 50s. But they know they can’t wait much longer, says the insider: “Jen and Brad are seizing the now-or-never moment. They’re ready.” ◼