It may not seem like it now, but as with every breakup, everything will be OK. Case in point: when the world crumbled and then picked up the pieces after Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston’s infamous 2005 split.
On the heels of Pitt’s shocking divorce from wife Angelina Jolie — news broke earlier today, September 20 — let’s look back at when we all thought love was done for good:
Aniston, who has been happily married to Justin Theroux since August 2015, and Pitt split after almost a decade together in January 2005, shattering our #relationshipgoals (in a pre-hashtag world) of Hollywood power couples and endless love.
“We would like to announce that after seven years together we have decided to formally separate,” the exes said in a joint statement at the time. “For those who follow these sorts of things, we would like to explain that our separation is not the result of any 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.”
The “sorts of things,” to which the then-couple was referring, were rumors surrounding Pitt’s controversial relationship with costar Jolie.
The two met and fell in love while filming Mr. and Mrs. Smith in January 2004 — a.k.a. when Pitt was still married to Aniston. Us Weekly exclusively revealed that the pair were indeed a couple after publishing a photo in April 2005 of the then-lovebirds vacationing together at Diani Beach, Kenya, with Jolie’s then-3-year-old son Maddox.
Despite those damning photos, Pitt’s rep denied the romance was ignited prior to his split from Aniston. But the Friends alum was no dummy. In a no-holds-barred 2008 interview with Vogue, Aniston reminisced of Jolie’s infamous W magazine quotes: “That stuff about how she couldn’t wait to get to work every day? That was really uncool.”
Fast-forward to present day, and Aniston is remarried to Theroux, while Pitt is going through another shocking divorce.
As previously reported by Us, Jolie filed for divorce from her husband of two years on Monday, September 19. The actress cited irreconcilable differences.
“Angelina Jolie Pitt has filed for dissolution of the marriage,” Jolie’s rep said in a statement to Us. “This decision was made for the health of the family. She will not be commenting at this time, and asks that the family be given their privacy during this difficult time.”
Jolie is also seeking custody of their six kids: Maddox, 15, Pax, 12, Zahara, 11, Shiloh, 10, and twins Knox and Vivienne, 8.
