After nearly a decade of headlines, Brad Pitt has finally opened up, albeit briefly, about the long, messy end to his marriage with Angelina Jolie.
In a new interview with GQ published on May 28, the 61-year-old actor sat down to discuss his upcoming Formula 1 film. But when the conversation veered toward his high-profile divorce from Jolie, Pitt kept things measured and minimal.
Asked whether he felt any “relief” following the finalization of their divorce on December 30, 2024, Pitt brushed it off. “No, I don’t think it was that major of a thing. Just something coming to fruition. Legally.”
That legal process began all the way back in September 2016, when Angelina Jolie first filed to dissolve their marriage, triggering what would become one of Hollywood’s most contentious and closely watched splits.
Unlike Jolie, who has spoken publicly about the impact of the breakup, Brad Pitt has mostly stayed tight-lipped. Media outlets have instead relied on insiders to fill in the blanks. One source told PEOPLE in March that Pitt was “happy the divorce is behind him” and enjoying a “great place” in life with his girlfriend, Ines de Ramon, whom he’s been dating since 2022.
Jolie, according to her lawyer James Simon, has been focused on “finding peace and healing for their family” after years of legal warfare. “Frankly, Angelina is exhausted,” he told PEOPLE. “But she is relieved this one part is over.”
For much of the past eight years, the Jolie-Pitt divorce has been a magnet for public fascination. Pitt, for his part, said the media obsession has never really fazed him.
“[My personal life has] been in the news for 30 years, bro,” he told GQ. “Or some version of my personal life.”
He called the attention “a nagging time suck,” adding, “Mostly I feel… my life is fairly contained. It feels pretty warm and secure with my friends, with my loves, with my fam, with my knowledge of who I am. It’s like this fly buzzing around a little bit.”
A relationship that defined an era
Pitt and Jolie first met in 2004 on the set of Mr. & Mrs. Smith. At the time, Pitt was still married to Jennifer Aniston. Rumors of an affair quickly spread, and by early 2005, Pitt and Aniston had announced their separation.
In 2006, Jolie confirmed she was pregnant with their daughter, Shiloh. Pitt had already legally adopted Jolie’s two children, Maddox and Zahara, solidifying their new family unit.
They got engaged in 2012 and married in 2014 at their French estate, Château Miraval. But the fairytale unraveled fast. Just two years later, Jolie filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences and seeking full custody of their children.
The fallout was immediate and dramatic. Reports surfaced of an alleged altercation between Pitt and Maddox on a private plane. Jolie later accused Pitt of abusive behavior toward her and their children. Pitt was investigated by both the FBI and Child Protective Services, and ultimately cleared of any wrongdoing.
Still, the custody battle dragged on for years, peaking in 2022 and 2023 as both parties clashed over parenting rights, finances, and the future of Château Miraval.
Now, with the legal chapter closed, both stars seem to be turning the page, albeit in very different ways. Pitt, ever the minimalist, isn’t lingering on the past. “Just something coming to fruition,” he said.
And maybe that’s all the closure we’ll get…
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