Anop-edquestioning why and howBrad Pitthas managed to escape cancel culture, despite accusations of abuse from his ex-wifeAngelina Jolie, has divided social media, with many users continuing to defend the actor.
“The crux of the matter is mortifyingly simple: It’s painful for an audience to let go of a beloved cultural icon. Could someone this hot, this talented, and this charming be responsible for real harm?” Koul writes.
“To challenge Pitt’s narrative is to confront our own complicity as an audience, one that’s always been eager to hear—and believe—his version of the story.”
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A group of people is expressing support for Brad Pitt following an op-ed that discusses how the actor has kept his reputation “intact” amid his legal battle against Angelina Jolie
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TheMariaactresssaid the incident occurred after Brad accused her of being “too deferential” to their children. He allegedly poured alcohol on the actress and the children and “choked” and “struck” two of them when they tried to defend their mother.
A source close to Bradclaimed at the timethat “the confrontation was spiraling out of control” but that “no one was physically harmed.”
Angelina accused Brad of shaking her and pushing her against a wall during a private flight they took with their children in 2016
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Image credits:Monica Schipper/Getty
After conducting a review of the circumstances at the time, the FBI and the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Servicesclosed the investigationof the incident without filing charges.
Six years later, in February 2022, theFight Clubactor sued Angelina for selling her shares of a French winery they once owned together, claiming she did so without his approval and defied an alleged agreement they had over the company.
Angelina’s lawyers brought up the 2016 plane allegations in a response filed in October 2022, claiming that it was Brad who refused to buy her interestsunless she signedan NDA designed to “force her silence about his abuse and cover-up.”
They also claimed that the actor’s history of physical abuse against Angelinastarted before the 2016 flight.
“To challenge Pitt’s narrative is to confront our own complicity as an audience, one that’s always been eager to hear—and believe—his version of the story,” wrote Scaachi Koul
Senior writer Scaachi Koul tracks Brad Pitt’s four-decade Hollywood career, his famous relationships, and the harrowing allegations of recent years to reveal the fuller story of the star—and why so many of us refuse to see it.https://t.co/O5ahnfrJyWpic.twitter.com/5l5hJmV9Ds
— Slate (@Slate)September 10, 2024
The actress decided not to press charges in 2016 because “she believed the best course was for Pitt to accept responsibility and help the family recover from the post-traumatic stress he caused,” according tocourt documents.
Angelina’s filing further states that before the FBI announced that Brad would not be charged with assault on an airplane, the FBI agent who investigated the incident had “concluded that the government had probable cause to charge Pitt with a federal crime for his conduct that day.”
The actress “looks forward to the eventual end of this litigation with its false narratives that continue to hurt the family and interfere with their ability to heal,”her lawyers statedin May.
A source close to Brad said at the time of the plane incident that “the confrontation was spiraling out of control” but that “no one was physically harmed”
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Image credits:20th Century Fox
According to Koul, whenAngelinafiled for divorce in 2016, the media and the general public perceived the actor as the victim and viewed him as the wronged party in the split.
“The questions weren’t around what happened on the plane or how Pitt might respond; it was all about whether Jolie was lying in order to tear down a powerful man she was once married to.”
Unlike many celebrities who have been canceled after facingaccusations of abuse, the 60-year-old’s reputation has remained “largely intact,” allowing him to continue enjoying a successfulcareer in media, Koul notes.
For the movieWolfs, an Apple production released on September 20, he and costar George Clooney werereportedly paidmore than $35 million each. Brad also producedWomen Talking, a 2022 film about a series of rapes inside an isolated Mennonite colony.
Image credits:Warner Bros. Pictures
The op-ed piece received mixed reactions. While many agreed on the need to reevaluate the actor’s career and reputation, others quickly defended him, insisting on his innocence.
“I’m surprised George Clooney and Amal [Clooney] are friends with this dude,” somebody else commented.
Meanwhile, a third user said, “I wonder why people need to write articles about people’s personal lives when they don’t know them,” to which someone responded, “He’s a public figure who parades his personal life in front of his fans. Why shouldn’t people talk about what kind of person he is?”
An additional user referred to theTroyactor as “a good guy. Full stop,” while another asked Koul to “stop villainizing” him.
While a group argued that the actor was being “villainized,” others agreed on the need to question Brad’s “heartthrob” reputation
Bored Pandaconsulted Dr. CarolAnn Peterson, author ofInterpersonal Aggression: Complexities of Domestic and Intimate Partner Abuse, about the public reaction toAngelina’s allegations against Brad and the impact these public lawsuits have on victims of gender-based violence.
Dr. Peterson provides instruction regarding domestic violence to graduate students of social work and psychology at the University of Southern California.
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Additionally, abusers don’t walk around with a sign indicating what they’ve done. Many do a great job of hiding it, saidDr. Peterson.
“The general public doesn’t want to believe that an icon they admire would commit abuse. However, this is exactly what abusers do in public—be the pillar of the community, attend their children’s events, be the wonderful neighbor who is willing to help others, etc.
“Therefore, it’s hard to believe that the abuser would be this terrible person to beat their spouse and/or children.
“In the DV community, we try to believe the victim unless proven otherwise.”
“The general public doesn’t want to believe that an icon they admire would commit abuse,” said domestic violence expert Dr. CarolAnn Peterson
Image credits:New Line Cinema
The Brad-Angelina case is ongoing, and no charges have been filed. Still, Dr. Peterson hopes it serves as a reminder for victims to seek help. “Any time attention can bring awareness to the issue of gender-based violence, it means someone who is being abused may see the information and know they are not alone. The victim may also then get the strength to leave.”
“Have a safety plan so you (the victim) and children (if there are any) can leave safely and have a safe place to go.”
Since the divorce, it has been reported that three of Brad and Angelina’s children have stopped communicating with their father and have publicly dropped his last name in favor of their mother’s.
Shiloh Joliemade the changeafter turning eighteen. Zahara, 19,introduced herselfto her sorority as Zahara Marley Jolie, while Vivienne, 15,listed herselfas Vivienne Jolie in the playbill for the musicalThe Outsiders.
If you or someone you know is struggling with domestic abuse, help is available.TheSafe and Together Instituteprovides international domestic violence resources.
People reacted to the op-ed piece, expressing differing views on Brad Pitt
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