Brad Pitt & Jennifer Aniston: America's Golden Couple and the Angelina Factor

What Happened

Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston were the definition of a Hollywood power couple. They married on July 29, 2000, in a lavish Malibu ceremony featuring 50,000 flowers, four bands, and a 13-minute fireworks display — a wedding that reportedly cost $1 million. For the next four years, they were considered American royalty, gracing magazine covers and red carpets as the picture of wedded bliss.

Everything changed in 2004 when Pitt filmed Mr. & Mrs. Smith with Angelina Jolie. Reports of an on-set romance between Pitt and Jolie dominated tabloids for months. On January 7, 2005, Pitt and Aniston announced their separation in a joint statement. The public overwhelmingly sided with Aniston, launching the enduring 'Team Aniston vs. Team Jolie' narrative that dominated celebrity culture for over a decade.

Despite the enormous public interest and emotional intensity surrounding the split, the divorce itself was remarkably clean. The couple had no prenuptial agreement, but they also had no children, which simplified proceedings considerably. Aniston received their Beverly Hills estate, valued at approximately $29 million, and retained a stake in their production company, Plan B Entertainment, though Pitt became sole owner. The divorce was finalized on October 2, 2005 — less than nine months after their separation announcement.

Aniston later described experiencing what she called 'PTSD' from the public nature of their breakup, noting that the media scrutiny was far more painful than the divorce itself. The case illustrated how public opinion can become an uncontrollable factor in celebrity divorce, and how even amicable splits can be weaponized by the media. Years later, both Pitt and Aniston appeared to have made peace, with Aniston attending Pitt's 50th birthday party in 2019.

Legal Breakdown: Public Sympathy and Private Settlement

What This Means for Your Divorce