Brad Pitt Is Respectful Of Angelina Jolie In His Post-Divorce Interview

If you're hoping to get some dirt on one of the most high-profile former marriages in Hollywood, I have bad news for you. Brad Pitt's GQ interview about his life post-divorce makes it clear that he and Angelina Jolie aren't the kind of exes that are going to disparage each other publicly. As undeniable as Pitt's sadness about the breakup is, and pervading as it is in the entire article, he mentions Jolie by name only once, and it's in a positive light. Sorry to disappoint any drama vultures swooping in to try to get a piece of this, but the message here is clear: The split is tragic and Pitt is clearly heartbroken, but neither of those factors is going to make him stoop to the level of saying a single bad word about the mother of his children.

In fact, it's exactly the opposite; the only time during the interview that Pitt references his estranged wife directly, it's to encourage the interviewer to support her work. Jolie made a movie on Cambodia, called First They Killed My Father, which Pitt recommended to the interviewer, telling him, "You should see Angie's film." There are other, more oblique, references to Jolie, which is only natural after the two have shared a decade and six children, but they're kept both vague and respectful, so don't hold your breath for any gory divorce details from Pitt. He uses the pronoun "we" to describe ongoing custody negotiations, as in, "we're working on that now," and said,

"I was really on my back and chained to a system when Child Services was called. And you know, after that, we've been able to work together to sort this out. We're both doing our best. I heard one lawyer say, 'No one wins in court — it's just a matter of who gets hurt worse.' And it seems to be true, you spend a year just focused on building a case to prove your point and why you're right and why they're wrong, and it's just an investment in vitriolic hatred. I just refuse. And fortunately my partner in this agrees."

Even after the breakdown in communication and the deterioration of their relationship, for Pitt to still be able to call Jolie his "partner" is significant. Even if they're only collaborating on making path for their children through their parents' divorce as smooth as possible, Pitt and Jolie are still united in defense of their relationship, to keep out any prying eyes, and I think that's a really great thing.

Sometimes these things devolve over time, and there's no guarantee that the situation will remain so cordial and respectful, but at the moment, I feel confident that this is really all the information we'll get. I suspect Pitt and Jolie's communications with the media will be both intentional and carefully-worded to allow insight but no intrusion into the lives of their family in this difficult time. It's a classy way to handle a divorce, and I admire the crap out of them for getting on the same page.