This archive report was first published on 24 August 2020.
On January 7, 2005, Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt shocked the world by announcing their separation. In a joint statement, they refuted claims that Brad's head had been turned by Angelina Jolie, his co-star in the film Mr. and Mrs. Smith.
According to friends, the real reason for the separation was that Brad and Jen's busy work schedules had made it almost impossible to maintain intimacy. The constant pressure to be the perfect couple had taken a toll on their relationship, and they had lost sight of themselves as individuals.
A mutual friend revealed that Brad had stalled on having children, which was a major point of contention in their relationship. When Jen struggled emotionally with the end of Friends in 2004, Brad was not there for her, and she felt abandoned.
Despite Brad's denials of an affair with Angelina, his friend Courteney Cox revealed that he had warned Jen about his intense feelings for the actress. Courteney told Vanity Fair that Brad had been honest with Jen about his attraction to Angelina, but had fought against it for a period of time.
It wasn't long after Brad and Jen parted ways that he was spotted playing happy families on a beach in Kenya with Angelina and her son Maddox. Just months later, Jen was heartbroken when it emerged that Angelina was expecting their first baby.
