Brad Pitt's "confession" to Jennifer Aniston about Angelina Jolie before they officially divorced has been revealed.
Aniston, 56, and Pitt, 61, tied the knot in July 2000 and enjoyed five years of marriage before announcing their separation in January 2005.
In a joint statement, the couple explained that their divorce was "not the result of any of the speculation reported by the tabloid media".
"This decision is the result of much thoughtful consideration. We happily remain committed and caring friends with great love and admiration for one another," they added.
At the time, rumors quickly swirled that the Fight Club actor had fallen for his Mr. & Mrs. Smith co-star, Angelina Jolie.
While the pair denied any physical affair while Pitt was still married, they admitted they fell in love during filming. Shortly after the divorce, they confirmed their relationship, launching the era of “Brangelina".
However, it wasn't until later that a pivotal moment between Pitt and the Friends actress came to light.
According to The Morning Show star's long-time friend and co-star Courteney Cox, Pitt had been transparent with Aniston about his feelings for Jolie.
“I don’t think he started an affair physically, but I think he was attracted to her,” Cox said in a 2005 interview with Vanity Fair. “There was a connection, and he was honest about that with Jen.
"Most of the time, when people are attracted to other people, they don’t tell. At least he was honest about it. It was an attraction that he fought for a period of time," she added.
While the confession may have spared Aniston from finding out through tabloids, it came at a time when she was already going through a difficult personal chapter.
With Friends ending in 2004, sources close to the couple suggested she was navigating a transitional period while Pitt was away filming. Per The Mirror, one insider shared: "They gradually lost sight of themselves as individuals. And despite their nice lifestyle and having everything they might want, they weren't happy. They lost a sense of self."
Following the split, the Just Go With It actress was frequently cast by the media as the heartbroken ex, caught in an alleged rivalry with Jolie. But ten years later, she dismissed those narratives with poise.
"I think it's time people stop with that petty B.S. and start celebrating great work and stop with the petty kind of silliness," Aniston told Entertainment Tonight, adding that the fixation on the Jolie-Aniston dynamic is "tiresome and old," like "an old leather shoe".
Pitt and Jolie eventually married in 2014 but divorced in 2016 after two years. Their separation led to a protracted legal battle over custody of their six children - Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, and twins Knox and Vivienne - as well as disputes over a jointly owned vineyard.
Meanwhile, Aniston has continued to focus on her career and privacy, rarely engaging with the ongoing commentary surrounding her past relationships.