It’s been more than a decade since Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt divorced, but there are still some fans who are hoping for a reconciliation. For many, these two were the Hollywood golden couple and their romance was like something from a fairytale, well, until it wasn’t. The couple parted ways in 2005, and although Aniston expressed that she had no regrets and felt lucky to have experienced being married to Pitt, it wasn’t long before he was linked to Angelina Jolie — who had been his co-star in a film, shortly before his divorce.
The attention on Pitt’s new relationship was intense, and the rumors about whether he and Jolie had fallen in love on the set of Mr. and Mrs. Smith continually made headlines — Jolie later told Vogue that she and Pitt became close while filming. But Pitt and Jolie didn’t let the reports affect them because what they had was domestic bliss. Unlike with his marriage to Aniston, Pitt waited almost a decade before walking down the aisle with Jolie, instead choosing to concentrate on family life and expanding their famous and international brood.
Both of these marriages are interesting, but they are also incredibly different, and below are some little-known facts about Brad Pitt’s two marriages.
20 Jennifer Aniston Says She’s ‘Lucky’ To Have Been Married To Brad
For many people who followed this couple, these two were the Hollywood golden couple and total goals. Although their relationship didn’t last, Jennifer Aniston has admitted she has no regrets.
“I still feel so lucky to have experienced it,” she told Vanity Fair in 2005 of her marriage to Pitt. “I wouldn’t know what I know now if I hadn’t been married to Brad. I love Brad; I really love him. I will love him for the rest of my life. He’s a fantastic man. I don’t regret any of it, and I’m not going to beat myself up about it…”
19 They Had A Massive Wedding That Caused A Paparazzi Frenzy
Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt were first linked in 1998 (and made their first public appearance in 1999), and they didn’t wait that long before heading down the aisle in 2000. They also didn’t think twice about spending money on their wedding, and it was an incredibly lavish celebration, which according to PopSugar cost them $1 million.
The celebration took place at a Malibu estate, and the couple realized there would be a paparazzi frenzy on the day so they requested restricted airspace over the estate. PopSugar reports that they spent approximately $100,000 on security. They also had guests sign confidentiality agreements and had “no parking” signs on the road leading up to the property.
18 And For Five Years, Brad And Jen Seemed Like The Perfect Couple
Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston’s marriage lasted five years, and during that time no one expected that there could have been trouble in paradise. For many, they appeared to be the perfect couple, which is a lot of pressure to put on a relationship.
“We were put on a pedestal, but we were just a couple like anybody else,” Aniston told Vanity Fair. “When we were home, we’d watch the shows we loved, and one time there was this program called It’s Good to Be Brad and Jen. It was all about us going to Scotland and Greece and having our matching S.U.V.s, and it wasn’t my life — I’d never even been to some of these places, but even I got sucked in…”
17 Jennifer Aniston Admitted That She Was In The Marriage For The ‘Long Haul’
When Jennifer Aniston exchanged vows with Brad Pitt, she thought she would be with him forever. She didn’t go into the relationship thinking they would be breaking up five years down the line, and we know this because she spoke about how she was committed to marriage and was willing to work at it.
In a 2001 interview with Rolling Stone, Aniston noted that if there was an argument between them they had to work on it, adding, “You're there for the long haul. It's a beautiful thing to actually realize that for the first time, to have that [knowledge].”
16 But She Wasn’t Quite Sure If Brad Pitt Was The Love Of Her Life
Although Jennifer Aniston has admitted that when she married Brad Pitt, she had intended to be in it for the long haul, she also gave an interview to W magazine in 2003 in which she expressed uncertainty about whether he was the love of her life.
When asked how it felt to find the love of her life, this is how she replied: "Is he the love of my life? I think you’re always sort of wondering, 'Are you the love of my life?' I mean, I don’t know, I’ve never been someone who says, 'He’s the love of my life.' He’s certainly a big love in my life... And I know that we have something special, especially in all this chaos…”
15 She Admitted That Brad Pitt Wanted A Huge Family, While She Wanted Two Or Three Kids
The former couple may have also been on different pages when it came to starting a family. Jennifer Aniston does not have children now, and Brad Pitt shares six children (both biological and adopted) with Angelina Jolie. But, back when Aniston and Pitt were still married, she spoke about starting a family.
"I always thought two or three children, but Brad's definitely [keen on] seven. He loves the idea of a huge family," she said, one year into their marriage, The Telegraph reports. Even back then, Aniston noted the difference in expectations they both had when it came to children.
14 The Relationship Is Believed To Have Ended On Amicable Terms
When Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt announced their decision to split in January 2005, they gave a joint statement to the press. “We would like to announce that after seven years together we have decided to formally separate,” they said, according to People. The couple addressed the rumors about Angelina Jolie, saying that they were not a result of their split, and added, “We happily remain committed and caring friends with great love and admiration for one another…”
That same year, Aniston gave an interview to Vanity Fair, and her comments on the split made it clear that there were no hard feelings. “We exited this relationship as beautifully as we entered it,” she said.
13 But Jen Later Said Brad Was Missing A ‘Sensitivity Chip’ After His Photo Shoot With Angelina Jolie
Fast forward nine months, and Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie were very much a couple. They also didn’t mind who knew that they were completely committed to each other and let the cameras into their lives. They posed for photos for W magazine in a spread that was titled “Domestic Bliss,” and many felt that the timing was inconsiderate.
Aniston addressed this, telling Vanity Fair that Pitt was "missing a sensitivity chip.” But she also noted that he probably didn’t realize his actions lacked sensitivity, saying, “Brad is not mean-spirited; he would never intentionally try to rub something in my face. In hindsight, I can see him going, ‘Oh — I can see that that was inconsiderate.’ But I know Brad. Brad would say, ‘That’s art!’”
12 Brad Said His Marriage Was Contributing To Him Not Having An Interesting Life
Jennifer Aniston doesn’t feel as though her ex-husband is a mean-spirited person, but his comments on how his marriage to her had negatively affected his life were unexpected. He later told E! News that in no way was this an insult to Aniston, and was not meant to be taken as a point about her.
In an interview with Parade in 2011, Pitt told the publication that he was very satisfied with Angelina Jolie and their family life, but he also drew a comparison to his past. “It became very clear to me that I was intent on trying to find a movie about an interesting life, but I wasn’t living an interesting life myself,” he said. “I think that my marriage [to actress Jennifer Aniston] had something to do with it. Trying to pretend the marriage was something that it wasn’t.”
11 There Are No Hard Feelings About The Relationship Ending Now
It is hard to remain friends with your ex, whether you’re an average person or a celebrity like Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt, but they have managed to forge a friendship. In the interviews that they have each given since their split in 2005, it seems like there is a lot of mutual respect between them.
Aniston also made it clear that she looks back on her marriages fondly (both to Pitt, and later to Justin Theroux, who she split from in 2018).
"My marriages, they've been very successful, in [my] personal opinion," she told Elle. "And when they came to an end, it was a choice that was made because we chose to be happy and sometimes happiness didn't exist within that arrangement anymore."
