Since the dawn of Hollywood, average, everyday people have been obsessed with the love lives of actors and actresses. They enjoy seeing these couples date, fall in love, flourish, wed, and have families.
Sometimes, they even relish in these pairings failures. With paparazzi cameras following stars throughout their day to day lives, it’s almost impossible to avoid what they are up to at any point in time.
One of the best examples of a movie star couple is Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston. Like any relationship, they had their ups and downs. They dealt with friends and family who weren’t thrilled about the pairing, had a beautiful wedding, and had to put up with years and years of people asking them if they were ever going to have children.
Even though the duo didn’t last, they are often held in high regard as one of the premiere Hollywood couples of the last few decades. Had they been able to stay together, this year would have marked the 20th anniversary of their very first date.
So, let’s take a look at the relationship of a couple that America and the world followed and fell in love with. Here are 16 Secrets About Jennifer Aniston And Brad Pitt’s Marriage.
They Met On A Blind Date
When you have one of the most recognizable faces on the planet, it can be hard to meet that special somebody. You have to navigate the seas of stalkers and folks trying to ride your coattails.
Also, if you’re an A-list movie or TV star, you’re generally onset for 12 hours a day. That doesn’t leave much time for a love life.
Luckily for Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston, they had their managers looking out for them.
In 1998, representatives for both stars decided to set the two up on a blind date.
Neither Pitt nor Aniston ever admitted who requested the arrangement, but it worked. Their first date? A low-key night of hanging out at Pitt’s house. VHS and chill?
Aniston’s Friends Were Worried About Pitt
No, not Joey, Chandler, Ross, Monica, Phoebe, and the monkey Marcel-- we’re talking about Jennifer Aniston's actual close, personal friends.
Aniston’s buddies, having her best interest in mind, were pretty trepidations when news broke that the couple was dating.
As Aniston said in an interview with Rolling Stone, "My friends were all supportive. Especially when they found out what a loving human being Brad is. At first, they're like, 'I hope he's not an a**hole, some conceited f**k or whatever.’”
Of course, they would eventually come around on the fact that Aniston and Pitt were an item and warmed up to the movie star.
Although, with the way things turned out, maybe she should have listened to them in the first place.
Their Engagement Was Announced On Stage At A Sting Concert
Even though they had only been dating for a little over a year, Pitt knew that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Aniston (for the time being).
With no social media accounts to alert their millions of adoring fans, the couple had to get creative to share their announcement.
During a Sting concert in New York City, Pitt and Aniston took to the stage and sang along with the former Police bassist.
Aniston then casually lifted her hand to show everyone in the crowd that the two were planning on getting married. That’s a little more impressive than a tweet.
As you can tell from the picture, Aniston and Pitt were extremely proud to show off the hefty rock on her hand.
They Sued The Jewelers Who Made Their Engagement Ring
Along with their wedding bands, the engagement ring was created by Damiani International jewelers and designed by Pitt himself.
He was under the impression that these would all be one of a kind, with him and Aniston having the only copies. This wouldn’t be the case, though.
The company would go on to sell replicas, stating that they had the couple’s approval. They did not.
According to the lawsuit, "Damiani embarked upon an outrageous, fraudulent scheme to manufacture copies of Aniston's engagement ring and the couple's wedding rings."
Pitt and Aniston sued the company, claiming that their names were used to sell jewelry without their permission. The dispute was settled for $50 million and Pitt and Aniston would go on to help Damiani create a line of products that they officially endorsed.
Their Extravagant Wedding
It shouldn’t be surprising that the two big-name actors had one heck of a wedding. The $1 million affair (poor choice of word) was truly a sight to be seen.
On July 29, 2000, two hundred of their closest friends and family were invited to Malibu for an incredible evening that we’re sure they’ll never forget.
They rented an estate that overlooked the Pacific Ocean, and their high-end florist placed over 50,000 flowers throughout the venue.
For music, not only did a 40-member gospel choir entertain the guests, but Melissa Etheridge was there to perform.
Making sure they went out with a bang, the evening was complete with a 13-minute fireworks display. Finally, to make sure they kept all of the riff-raff away, Pitt and Aniston spent $100,000 on security alone.
Aniston’s Mother Wasn’t Invited To Their Wedding
The guest list was a veritable who’s who of Hollywood stars. Attendees consisted of fellow actors Courteney Cox, Salma Hayek, Cameron Diaz, Edward Norton, and Aniston’s father, Days of Our Lives actor John Aniston. One person who was conspicuously absent was Aniston’s mom, Nancy Dow.
Dow had recently published a tell-all book titled From Mother to Daughter to Friend: A Memoir that detailed her relationship with Aniston.
Aniston felt that her mother, a former model, had always been hypercritical of her and the novel took things one step too far.
Aniston didn’t feel like inviting her mom was a good idea for what was supposed to be the best day of her life.
The mother and daughter would eventually reconcile after Aniston and Pitt divorced and remained civil until Dow passed away in 2016.
Pitt’s Guest Role On Friends Was One Of The Worst
It was fun for a lot of die-hard Friends fans to see Brad Pitt guest star in the episode “The One with the Rumor”. The episode saw him play Will Colbert, the co-founder of the “I Hate Rachel” club.
Pitt even garnered an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series (he’d lose to Anthony LaPaglia for Frasier).
Not all critics were as nice to Pitt, however. When the show came to a close in 2004, Eric Deggans of the St. Petersburg Times listed the show’s best and worst guest stars. Pitt’s role was in the latter category.
Deggans really tore into the Fight Club star saying, “Stilted reactions, overly exaggerated comedy, near-palpable self-consciousness -- despite his cred as a film actor, Pitt knew he was out of his depth on a sitcom stage. After five minutes' viewing, the audience did, too.”
They Were Only Married For 4-And-A-Half Years
For two people who were, at the time, America’s sweethearts, it is pretty surprising that they were only married for four-and-a-half years.
From 2000 until 2005, Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston were the couple that everyone strived to be. They were seemingly perfect and happily married.
However, in August of 2005, the couple decided to separate. Fans held out hope that they would be able to make things right and get back together.
These hopes were put to rest two months later.
On October 2, 2005, Jennifer Aniston would be the one to file for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences.
It was a whirlwind romance that, sadly, didn’t last.
However, for those years, people the world over fell in love with the pair.
Pitt’s Affair With Angelina Jolie May Have Begun On Set
Practically everybody knows that once Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston split up, Pitt was quickly revealed to be in a relationship with Angelina Jolie.
For a lot of amateur sleuths, it was almost too convenient that he was able to rebound so quickly. Pitt and Jolie met on the set of Mr. & Mrs. Smith. The two megastars played a pair of married hitmen who were assigned to take down the other.
Spending so much time on set brought the actors closer together than either could have ever expected.
Both Pitt and Jolie swore up and down that there was no infidelity between the two, meaning nothing physical happened until the divorce was finalized.
However, the couple both admitted that they “fell in love” with each other while filming the 2005 shoot-em-up.
They Planned On Having Children
There were many conflicting rumors going around at the time of their divorce as to the reason why Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt separated.
Most of these theories pertained to the couple being unable to agree on having kids.
Right after their divorce, an unnamed “pal” of Aniston said that she didn’t want to take the time off to have a kid and was unwilling to get pregnant, fearing the toll it might take on her body. Some friend, right?
Aniston would go on to debunk this claim, saying in an interview with Vanity Fair, “I’ve never in my life said I didn’t want to have children. I did, and I do, and I will!”
She even went on record saying that she was hoping to have kids with her second husband, Justin Theroux. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen either.
Brad Called Their Wedding An “Experiment”
It’s not a good sign when your spouse says in an interview that your marriage is an “experiment.” Experiments are generally held because you are unsure of the outcome.
If you’re going to go into a marriage, you should know the outcome that you desire. In an interview with Vanity Fair, while still married to Aniston, Pitt was extremely flippant about the married couple’s arrangement.
In addition to calling their relationship an “experiment,” Pitt believed that there would be no hard feelings if they couple were to split.
However, it doesn’t seem like she Aniston the same sentiment. When she had her own Vanity Fair one-on-one following the divorce, Aniston broke into tears as soon as the recorder began to roll.
The Divorce Caused Aniston To Withdraw From The Public Eye
If you thought Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt garnered a lot of attention when they got married, you should see much their divorce was covered. It was everywhere.
From people speculating as to why they didn’t make it to various parties vilifying them both, you couldn’t get through a checkout aisle without seeing their faces on the cover of a magazine.
All of this gossip and attention proved to be too much for the former Friends star.
She did her best to avoid being seen in public and focused more on her work than her social life.
Paparazzi stalking her day in and day out also took a toll on the actress. She was forced to have security follow her practically 24/7 just so she could have a respite from the nonstop flashing lights.
"Team Jen" Shirts Made A Comeback In 2016
When Jenifer Aniston and Brad Pitt split in 2005, you couldn’t walk through a mall (there were still malls back then) without seeing t-shirts with the words “Team Jen” written on them. They were a fashionable way of showing your support for a woman who just had her heart broken.
Then, when Pitt and Angelina Jolie divorced in 2016, companies once again cashed in on ol’ Benjamin Button’s failed relationship.
Clothing line Missguided printed shirts with “Team Brad,” “Team Angelina,” and “Still Team Jen” written on them. They didn’t seem to be as big of a hit as they were over a decade before, though.
Many online periodicals like Cosmopolitan and the Huffington Post called the brand out for exploiting divorce and dragging Aniston into something that she didn’t need to be a part of.
Aniston Held Onto Notes That Pitt Sent Her
Some people hold on to keepsakes from previous relationships. They can serve as nice reminders of a good time in their life, even if things eventually didn’t work out.
Apparently, Jennifer Aniston was one of those people. She held onto some handwritten notes scribed by Brad Pitt from their time together. She held onto these for over ten years, even when she was married to her new husband, Justin Theroux.
According to Us Magazine, they were, “Sweet little Post-its like, ‘You looked nice tonight’ or ‘Miss you already.’”
Theroux, who stumbled upon these keepsakes, was not a fan of his wife holding onto these mementos.
Even with Aniston assuring him that they weren’t a big deal, they made her husband feel awfully insecure.
They’re Both Currently Single
Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston’s first marriage was to each other. They would be married from 2000 until 2005. Since then, they would both go on to marry again.
Pitt, of course, married Angelina Jolie in 2014, after the two dated for nine years. Aniston would marry Justin Theroux the following year. Oddly enough, both of these second marriages would end around the same time.
Pitt and Jolie would call it quits in 2016, with Jolie citing irreconcilable differences, just like Aniston did 11 years prior.
Aniston’s second marriage wasn’t built to last either. She and Theroux announced their separation the day after Valentine’s Day in 2018. With both Aniston and Pitt being currently single, fans' imaginations have been running wild.
Rumors Circulated That They Got Back Together
Following Jennifer Aniston’s split with husband Justin Theroux earlier this year, rumors began circulating that she had turned to her former husband for solace.
With Brad Pitt and Aniston both being single, it wouldn’t be entirely surprising for the two to find them once again in each other’s arms. They were, after all, Hollywood’s favorite couple for a time being.
Unfortunately, for those out there hoping that the couple has reunited following the end of their respective marriages, Aniston’s publicist has called these reports “complete fabrication.”
Sorry to rain on anybody’s parade who was hoping that the former couple is back together., but it currently seems very unlikely that we’ll be reliving the glory days of the early 2000s any time soon.
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Can you think of any other secrets about Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt's marriage? Sound off in the comments!