Brad Pitt and his wife Jennifer Aniston arrive for the official premiere of “Troy” , 13 May 2004, at the 57th Cannes Film Festival in the French Riviera town. (AFP PHOTO/BORIS HORVAT/AFP via Getty Images)
Few people encapsulate a period of time like Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt. A mainstay of red carpets and screens everywhere, they were the darlings of noughties Hollywood, so when Pitt eventually left Aniston for his Mr & Mrs Smith co-star Angelina Jolie, the split led to a scandal that is still a hot topic nearly two decades later.
Fast-forward to 2019, though, and the narrative around the former couple has softened. Following his divorce from Jolie, the actor reportedly tried to make amends with his first ex-wife when she turned 50. According to reports, Pitt marked Aniston’s milestone birthday with an elaborate gift: a $124 million (AUD) Beverly Hills mansion that had once been their shared marital home.
The sprawling estate had been their place of residence during their marriage from 2000-2005. After their divorce, the property changed hands, but when it reappeared on the market, Pitt reportedly seized the chance to reclaim a piece of their shared history, knowing Aniston’s fondness for the abode.
Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston at the premiere of “Rock Star” at the Mann Village Theater in Los Angeles, Ca. 9/4/01. Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images.
Whether it was guilt-fuelled, a friendly gesture, or even something to twist the knife, we’ll never know, but it seems the two are on good terms after Pitt’s second public divorce.
Sources close to the actor suggested that this grand gesture was part of an effort to mend past wounds with Aniston.
“He’s been determined to apologise for everything he put her through,” a source told In Touch Weekly back then. “It was the most intimate conversation Brad and Jen have ever had.”
“Jen was overcome with emotion,” they continued. “All the hurt feelings and resentment she’d suppressed for years came flooding to the surface, and she broke down in tears.”
Aniston, who has been hounded with questions about the break-up for decades, explained during an interview with Vogue that it wasn’t the toxic fallout it was being painted as.
“It wasn’t mean or hateful,” she shared in a 2008 interview reflecting on their divorce. “The marriage didn’t work out, but there’s no ill will.”
The rumoured gift of the mansion is an interesting bit of lore for the couple, who famously reunited backstage at the 2020 Screen Actors Guild Awards.
Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston attend the 26th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at The Shrine Auditorium on January 19, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. 721313 (Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Turner)
Despite separating in 2016, Jollie and Pitt have been embroiled in a years-long divorce settlement, largely due to their shared winery, Château Miraval.
Though some explosive details from their ongoing divorce settlement have gripped headlines here and there over the past eight years, given the legalities of the divorce, both Pitt, 60, and Jolie, 49, have remained relatively quiet about their split.
Pitt has since begun dating Ines de Ramon, while Aniston remains tight-lipped about her current romantic pursuits. She was previously married to Justin Theroux from 2015 to 2018.
