Theories about this year's most shocking celeb break-up
Farewell, Brangelina. Hello, Bradxit.
As the world continues to reel over the shocking news of US actress Angelina Jolie filing for divorce from US actor Brad Pitt after a 12-year romance (including two years of marriage), a plethora of theories from various sources have emerged, attempting to answer all our burning questions.
In her court documents dated Sept 15, Jolie, 41, cited irreconcilable differences for their split.
And in separate statements to the media, both parties have asked for privacy, with Pitt, 52, adding: "I am very saddened by this, but what matters most now is the well-being of our kids. I kindly ask the press to give them the space they deserve during this challenging time."
Hollywood's erstwhile golden couple have six children, three of whom are adopted (Maddox, 15, Pax, 12, and Zahara, 11) and three biological (Shiloh, 10, and eight-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne).
Reactions to the divorce came fast and furious, with many pointing a finger at Pitt, since Jolie was the one who initiated the break-up.
Her intention to have full physical custody of their six children, with visitation rights for Pitt, only adds to the unflattering picture being painted of him.
Her shock move allegedly blindsided Pitt, who is apparently "furious" at the unnecessary fallout.
Gossip website TMZ cited sources saying that he has blasted Jolie for "unleashing hell" and the media storm that will inevitably follow.
Pitt's ex-wife, US actress Jennifer Aniston, 47, has reportedly commented that the failed marriage is "karma", according to Us Weekly, as Pitt famously left Aniston for Jolie in 2005.
So what are the theories floating around about this year's most shocking celebrity break-up?
Theory #1
PARENTING CLASHES
A source told People magazine that Brangelina "always had disagreements when it came to disciplining the kids".
Pitt is the "stricter" one, insisting on "more structure" and "having rules", while Jolie adopts a more laissez-faire approach. He was also known to "get frustrated sometimes and yell at the kids".
There is no doubt that Jolie loves playing mum, a role she excelled at even before Pitt came into the picture.
She was a single mother to Maddox, who was adopted in 2002, three months after Jolie split from her second husband, US actor Billy Bob Thornton.
However, even if the pair don't see eye to eye when it comes to parenting styles, both were co-parents for 10 years before they exchanged vows (which they admitted was at their children's insistence) and their brood has always been the focus of their union.
So this theory is a bit far-fetched. Arguments over who does what are common, but never to the extent of being the chief cause of a divorce.
Theory #2
THIRD PARTY
Rumours are circulating that Pitt allegedly had an affair with French actress Marion Cotillard, 40, his co-star in the upcoming war romance Allied, and that Jolie hired a private investigator to watch him, according to New York Post's Page Six.
A source said: "He's in the throes of a midlife crisis, and Angie is fed up."
Possibly adding fuel to the fire is that the movie's trailer, showing them getting hot and heavy as on-screen lovers, was released mere hours after the divorce news.
But the "other woman" theory was quickly debunked.
"Marion had nothing to do with it," a source told Us Weekly, while another insider added that Jolie did not hire a private eye.
Another source close to Cotillard told The Daily Mirror that she's "absolutely devastated" after being fingered as the third party, as she is "blissfully happy" with her long-time partner, French actor and director Guillaume Canet, with whom she has a five-year-old son.
Theory #3
ANGER & DRUG ISSUES
TMZ cited sources who claimed that Pitt has "an anger problem" that has become "dangerous for the children", and that Jolie was "fed up" with his weed habit as well as his drinking, the combination of which created an unsafe environment.
This theory sounds more likely, as Jolie's lawyer said the filing was solely "for the health of the family".
Pitt has publicly discussed his lifelong battle with marijuana, though he told Esquire in 2013 that he gave up drugs to have a family.
Could he have suffered a relapse?
This is a likely scenario.
A source told Us Weekly that "an incident took place and prompted (her) to act and file", adding that it was one that "affected the entire family".
Jolie made the final decision to divorce only one week ago, not long after they had celebrated their second wedding anniversary, in August.
The source said" "She still says Brad is the love of her life, and the decision has weighed heavy on her heart. Her priority now is the children."
Theory #4
DRIFTING APART
This is actually the most mundane, yet common, reason for any couple - famous or not - to call it quits.
Especially when being together for 12 years is like an eternity in Hollywood.
People reported that both "have spent more time apart this year" due to their individual endeavours.
Jolie has been busy with her United Nations work and her next directorial effort, First They Killed My Father: A Daughter Of Cambodia Remembers.
Pitt is tied up with several movie productions, including a sequel to his 2013 blockbuster hit World War Z.
Their last project together was last year's By The Sea (above), also written and directed by Jolie, which could have inadvertently taken a toll on their marriage.
The drama about an estranged couple trying to repair their damaged marriage raised eyebrows back then, with many speculating the movie was somewhat autobiographical.
Although Jolie dismissed the idea in a 2015 interview with The Telegraph, during which she admitted to having "fights and problems like any other couple", it is sadly hard not to read it that way now.
Brangelina: A 12-year relationship timeline
Summer of 2004
The Brad Pitt-Angelina Jolie 2005 action thriller Mr. & Mrs. Smith starts filming. Pitt is married to Jennifer Aniston.
January 2005
After months of rumours that Pitt and Jolie hooked up on set, Aniston and Pitt announce their separation after five years of marriage.
March 2005
Aniston files for divorce from Pitt, citing irreconcilable differences.
April 2005
The official beginning of "Brangelina". Photographers snap Pitt and Jolie on holiday together in Kenya with her adopted son Maddox.
July 2005
Pitt and Jolie do a "happy family" photo shoot with a few children (none of them their own) for a W magazine spread titled Domestic Bliss.
January 2006
Jolie confirms to People magazine that she is pregnant with her and Pitt's first child. She has her adopted children Maddox and Zahara's surnames officially changed to Jolie-Pitt, as Pitt legally adopts them too.
May 2006
Their daughter, Shiloh, is born in Namibia.
March 2007
Brangelina adopt their third child, Pax, in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
May 2008
It is revealed at the Cannes Film Festival that Jolie is pregnant with twins.
July 2008
Knox and Vivienne are born in Nice, France.
November 2008
Pitt publishes his personal photographs of Jolie in W magazine.
December 2008
Pitt confirms to Rolling Stone magazine that he did fall in love with Jolie on the Mr. & Mrs. Smith set.
February 2010
The couple sue UK tabloid News Of The World over an erroneous report that they are separating.
April 2012
Brangelina get engaged.
March 2013
They debut their wine, the award-winning rosé Chateau Miraval.
May 2013
In an op-ed in The New York Times, Jolie reveals she had a double mastectomy after genetic tests showed she had a high risk of developing breast cancer.
August 2014
The couple tie the knot in France.
March 2015
Jolie reveals she had her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed after tests indicated markers that could be a sign of early cancer.
November 2015
Pitt and Jolie step out together for the By The Sea red carpet premiere.
July 2016
Last sightings of Brangelina, with Shiloh, Knox and Vivienne, in Los Angeles.
September 2016
Jolie files for divorce from Pitt, citing irreconcilable differences.
Celebs taken aback by Bradxit
George Clooney was stumped when CNN asked him about Brad Pitt's latest relationship status.
This occurred at a roundtable interview at the United Nations, where the 55-year-old US actor joined US President Barack Obama on a discussion on the refugee crisis.
"What happened?" Clooney asked the reporter, who then told him that Angelina Jolie had filed for a divorce.
Clooney replied: "I didn't know that. I feel very sorry then. That's a sad story and unfortunate for a family. That's the first I've heard of it."
Clooney has been close to Pitt ever since they worked on the 2001 heist film Ocean's Eleven.
The couple's own family members were taken aback at the sudden split.
Jolie's estranged father Jon Voight (above) told Inside Edition that he heard the news from his son and Jolie's brother James Haven.
"I am concerned for Angie and the children, and hopefully I will be seeing them very soon," said the 77-year-old US actor.
"It's very sad. Something very serious must have happened for Angie to make a decision like this."
British singer-songwriter Adele was also rocked by the news and she went to the extent of dedicating the second night of her six-night concert at New York's Madison Square Garden to Brangelina.
A few songs into her show, the 28-year-old asked the audience if she could "address the elephant in the room", then saying that news of the divorce marks "the end of an era".
According to fans who posted on Twitter, Adele, whose hit 2011 album 21 was largely about her own personal heartbreak, led everyone "in a group Brangelina break-up therapy session".
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