“Brangelina,” one of the most famous couples in the world, announced their split last week. People were in shock, devastated and upset over Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt deciding to end their two-year marriage.
Jolie and Pitt first met on the set of “Mr. and Mrs. Smith,” a movie about a couple hiding the fact that they both are assassins working for opposing agencies. Their romance was instant, and they soon became a power couple on and off the screen.
Along with their chemistry and prominence in the industry, the couple is known for their army of children. Jolie adopted her first child, Maddox, in 2002 and raised him alone following a split from her previous marriage to Billy Bob Thornton. In 2005, Jolie and Pitt adopted Zahara from Ethiopia. In 2006, Jolie gave birth to her first child with Pitt, Shiloh. In 2007, she adopted Pax from Vietnam and, in 2008, gave birth to twins Knox and Vivienne. Jolie filed to change all kids’ surnames to Jolie-Pitt and Pitt legally adopted his non-biological children as well.
Attention has always been on the Jolie-Pitt family because of their children, but more so when the two decided to get married two years ago. People Magazine covered their wedding and published intimate pictures of the family. Jolie’s dress incorporated sewings of the kids’ drawings and the cake was made by the children. The magazine had been the first to publish pictures of Shiloh and the twins when they were born.
Constantly being in the spotlight is challenging for all celebrities. One reason why Brangelina has garnered so much positive attention and support is because their children are such a large part of their identity. It’s hard not to notice their love for their children, and that’s primarily why the media and public loves them.
Despite however happy and in love Brangelina seemed, it’s obvious that there are some things the public just doesn’t know. But that doesn’t mean we should be prying into their life to figure out what happened, or making assumptions about their marriage. People, whether they’re celebrities or not, split up. It’s a fact of life. It’s not like Jolie and Pitt are going to watch an E! News segment on their lives and completely change their decision. It’s a personal matter and it’s not our right to know the details. Sure, it would be nice to know what caused this split. But it’s not crucial to our existences.
The important thing to mention is how many of us invest ourselves into popular culture, especially into celebrities’ lives. Hollywood has always been a crazy fantasy life that we like to idealize, and with the rise of social media, access to celebrities is now easier than ever.
We’re connected to celebrities and often feel that we know them. Admiration is one thing, but getting obsessed is another. Yes, it’s sad that Brangelina is breaking up after ten-plus years. But that’s not my problem, and it’s not yours either.
There are hundreds of other things we should be worried about and having conversations about. Look at Syria, or look at the murders of Terence Crutcher and Alfred Olango. If the rumors are true and the reason for this split is Pitt’s child abuse, then it’s vital to raise awareness on that. Let’s reevaluate what really matters to us as human beings and express that, rather than tweet about how true love doesn’t exist because a celebrity couple is breaking up.
