Brad Pitt, the superstar who hasn’t let his personal problems overshadow his image, turns 60

18 Dec 2023

Back in July, during the Wimbledon final, Brad Pitt caused quite a stir amongst the crowd. Even though Prince William and Kate Middleton were there too, all eyes were on Brad. People were amazed at how he still looked so great at his age, 59. But this is not new for Brad; he's always been a popular actor, having won an Academy Award and being one of the highest paid in the business. He's even been named People magazine's sexiest man alive twice, in 1995 and 2000. In a few days, on December 18th, he will celebrate his 60th birthday.

The majority of conversations concerning Brad Pitt tend to focus on his abilities as an actor, his physical appearance, and his past romantic relationships, which include Juliette Lewis, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Aniston, and Angelina Jolie. However, few people discuss the more negative aspects of his life, such as his complicated relationship with Harvey Weinstein, his acrimonious split from Jolie where she currently has primary custody of their children, and the claim from his son Pax that he is "a horrible and awful person." Brad Pitt is not just a well-known figure in pop culture, but he is also experienced in fixing any negative publicity that comes his way.

Celebrities Unite Against Weinstein

The year 2022 saw Gwyneth Paltrow disclose information about her relationship with Harvey Weinstein in an interview with The New York Times. The reporters who uncovered Weinstein's systematic mistreatment of women, Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey, stated that the actress was a crucial informant in their investigation. Paltrow recounted how Weinstein had harassed her and attempted to abuse her when she was a young, naive 22-year-old staying at his Beverly Hills hotel. She declared in the interview that she was scared and unsure how to react to his advances.

Weinstein requested her to keep quiet about the incident. Nevertheless, she confided in her former partner, Brad Pitt. She recounted Pitt's statement to Weinstein, "If you ever make her feel uncomfortable again, I will take your life."

Pitt eventually verified the incident and shared that he wanted to ensure that there were no further problems as the actress was going to work on two films with Weinstein. He also expressed his approval for the #MeToo movement, acknowledging that the entertainment industry and workplaces, in general, needed to recalibrate their dynamics between men and women. This change is a positive step towards rectifying long-overdue issues.

Although he was aware of Weinstein's inappropriate behavior, Brad Pitt still participated in the making of the movie Inglourious Basterds in 2009. The movie was directed by Quentin Tarantino and produced by Weinstein Company. Three years later, in 2012, Pitt starred in and produced the movie Killing Them Softly, which was distributed by the same production company.

Angelina Jolie had an interview with The Guardian in 2021 where she discussed her experience working with Weinstein on the movie Playing by Heart back in 1998. Jolie was 21 years old and she revealed that she had to leave the situation quickly after the producer invited her to his hotel room. She also mentioned that she warned her first husband, Jonny Lee Miller, about Weinstein and told him to spread the word so that other male colleagues would not let girls go alone with him. Jolie declined an offer to work on the movie The Aviator because of Weinstein's involvement and she never worked with him again. She expressed that it was difficult for her when Brad Pitt worked with him.

Jolie, who was together with Brad Pitt for 12 years, expressed that she felt the actor downplayed her ordeal and that they argued when he resumed work with Weinstein. "It was undoubtedly painful," she said.

Brad Pitt is not only an actor, but he's also well known for being a remarkable producer. He, Jennifer Aniston, and Brad Grey, a previous CEO of Paramount Pictures, created Plan B production company in 2002. Pitt then took over Plan B as the sole owner in 2006. While Plan B's initial project was Troya in 2004, the company has primarily focused on developing political films. Interestingly, their recent project was the 2022 movie She Said, which was based on the book from 2019 that revealed the investigative reporting of the Weinstein matter.

Pitt and Jolie were together for 12 years before they broke up in 2016. Jolie was the one to file for divorce, citing "irreconcilable differences" and asking for custody of their six kids. They agreed in September of that year that Jolie would have temporary custody of the children, but they've been locked in a legal battle over it ever since. Jolie says that Pitt abused two of their kids and shook her by the head on a private plane in 2016, which Pitt denies. They're also fighting over a mansion and vineyard in the French Riviera called Château Miraval. Jolie sold her share of it for $164 million without Pitt's permission.

During February 2022, Pitt took legal action against Jolie over the sale of a property. Pitt stated that they both agreed not to sell their portion of the estate, where they got married. Nonetheless, as documented by The New York Times in October of that same year, Jolie attempted to sell her portion to Pitt, but as a condition, Pitt requested that Jolie sign a confidentiality agreement promising not to disclose details about the 2016 plane incident. Jolie declined this proposition.

Once the thespian initiated the process of ending her marriage, Brad Pitt expressed regret for his behavior in multiple public discussions. In one chat with GQ in 2017, he discussed his struggles with alcohol and shared that he had abstained from drinking for half a year. He admitted, “I was consuming too much alcohol. It had become an issue.” According to sources, for him to be able to visit his kids, Pitt had to comply with drug screenings.

The performer also talked about his imperfections and faults and expressed a desire to improve himself. Brad assumed responsibility for all his actions from the beginning - which is more than can be said for his opponents, as mentioned by his lawyer, Anne Kiley, to Page Six. He will not take accountability for things he did not do, according to the statement. Brad has been the target of countless personal attacks and false accusations.

Zahara, who is now 18 years old, has removed her father's last name from her surname and now goes by the name Zahara Jolie. Another adopted child of Pitt's, Pax Jolie Pitt, who is now 20 years old, made news headlines when a message that he posted on his private Instagram account was leaked. In that message, which he posted on Father's Day in 2020, Pax stated that Pitt had made their family's life a miserable experience.

On the occasion of Father's Day, someone wrote a message targeting their father, whom they considered to be a horrible person. They accused him of having no concern for his four younger children, who are afraid of him. They believe that their father has caused a lot of damage to their family, but he is incapable of understanding this fact. The writer warns their father that although he may try to hide the truth, someday it will be exposed.

A few individuals close to Brad Pitt have accused Jolie of causing the children to have negative feelings towards him and utilizing tactics of "textbook parental alienation." Although Jolie has been captured in various photographs with her children, Brad Pitt hasn't been publicly seen with them since the incident that occurred in 2016.

Pitt has been focused on his career lately. He has acted in eight movies since 2016, and he just released his own cosmetics brand, Le Domaine, in 2022. He also released a new gin line called The Gardener Gin in 2023 while keeping his personal life away from the media. Pitt is apparently dating a jewelry designer named Inés de Ramón. Instead of addressing any scandals, he is opting to work hard and keep things private to control any potential damage.