Posted by
Chloe Taylor

Happy ending for the Brangelina Jen triangle?

Cast your mind back to 2005, a year that saw the sad passing of Rosa Parks; a pivotal figure in kicking off the U.S race equality movement, the beginning of Saddam Hussein’s trial for human rights abuses and the devastation of Katrina. It was also the year a fiery debate would ignite, destined to smolder for many years to come, provoking, incensing and dividing.

Team Ang or Team Jen?

In her ivory tower; America’s sweetheart Ms Jennifer Aniston. Shooting to fame in 1994 with a starring role in smash-hit U.S sitcom Friends playing loveable goofball Rachel, she was both gorgeous and likeable and seemed to embody the goofy nature of her character with Jen’s own down to earth persona. The attainable girl-next-door; girls wanted to befriend her and guys wanted take her out for pizza.

One day, towards the end of the nineties, a handsome prince – Mr Brad Pitt, came along and rescued Ms Aniston from that tower. Remarkably good looking, Pitt had played various bit parts in movies and television series before striking gold with his role as the sexyJ.D in Thelma and Louise (1991). From here on in his career continued to soar with successes such as the movie adaptation of Interview With a Vampire (1994) and crime thriller Seven (1995). His personal life had previously involved romances with fellow actresses Juliette Lewis and Gwyneth Paltrow.

Our prince and princess married in a summer sunset ceremony set on a Malibu beach in 2000, witnessed by Hollywood royalty such as Bruce Willis and Cameron Diaz, as well as the cast of Jen’s Friends; including best buddy Courteney Cox. And they lived happily ever after? Not quite…

Despite an image as one of Hollywood’s most successful couples, there was growing tabloid speculation over the couple’s failure to start a family and career issues. Now seems a great time to introduce the wicked witch of our tale. The villainous temptress herself. Ms Angelina Jolie… A striking beauty, Ang was well known for her portrayals of characters often slightly on the edge of society and kick ass heroines, particularly Lara Croft in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001). Known for her dark side, she struggled with demons in her youth including experimenting with knife play and self harm. Jolie had also suffered with suicidal depressive tendencies during her late teens and early twenties.

Angelina had been married twice. First to British actor,Jonny Lee Miller – a wedding she turned up to wearing black leather pants and a white t-shirt with the grooms name written on it. In blood. The couple divorced eighteen months later with Angelina blaming timing.

Secondly to Billy Bob Thornton, marrying two months after meeting in a quickie ceremony in Las Vegas. The relationship was notoriously steamy, a US Weekly interview with the pair in June 2000, saw Angelina describing their bedroom antics, saying: ”It’s amazing that we actually leave the room – ever. But you know what? It’s beautiful and I think I’m going to die every few minutes. Then I feel so complete and safe and warm and in love and then I just feel like I’m on fire and I’m so excited and I didn’t know I could feel like that through my entire body.” The fire fizzled out just two years later and they divorced in May 2003.

Jolie had adopted a son; Maddox and kept a low personal profile in the following couple of years, concentrating on being a Mom and her increasingly successful film career.

Ang met Brad whilst filming Mr & Mrs Smith (2005). The chemistry was electric. Although Brad and Jen officially announced their separation early in 2005, reports of a reconciliation continued to circulate until the fairytale spell was truly broken as Brad was spotted out and about with Angelina and Maddox. Neither party spoke to the media about the relationship, only adding to the frenzy and earning the newly formed alleged couple the moniker; “Brangelina.” In October of that year, Jen and Brad were officially divorced.

Finally, in January 2006, Angelina’s announcement that she was expecting Brad’s child actually confirmed the relationship and the manic levels of media attention that followed lead Associated Press to describe the forthcoming baby as “… the most anticipated since Jesus Christ.”

While all this was going on, Jen had garnered much positive attention by the way she had held onto her dignity, despite this, her love-life seemed to encounter set back after set back, going from one famous face to another in a series of ill-fated romances with Vince Vaughn, Gerard Butler and John Mayer, among others.

Brangelina continued to increase their brood, notching up six children so far. Despite continuous press speculation as to when they intend to marry, the couple have stated on multiple occasions intentions to wait until everyone in the U.S have the right, affirming their stance in support of same-sex marriage.

Without tempting fate, it does seems like Jen may have actually found herself a keeper this time, in the form of fellow actor Justin Theroux. The couple got together last May and during a recent interview on a Sydney radio station, she described her happiness level as “ten plus“, saying that this is due to approaching life in a ‘Zen‘ like manner. “You have a more relaxed sense of the world and life,” she explains, “and you realize there’s nothing to be taken too seriously besides doing your work and being a really good person.”

As the relationship between Brad and Angelina has progressed into a happy family and Jen finally seems to have found her peace, public opinion seems to have shifted from condemnation to acceptance.

So could it be that Brad and Jen were just two people who didn’t belong together? That Brad and Ang are two people that do? While this has been a saga with many twists and turns, we’re quietly optimistic that this fairy tale could have a happy ending after all.

Selma: Angelina would never let Brad off his leash long enough to realize if he ever did want to end up with Aniston again.  Rumors have it that Jolie is quite the jealous type and Pitt may already know this hence the GREEN emerald engagement ring. But we all know that jealousy can run down any relationship, it’s just a matter of time.  Who knows, maybe Jenn and Brad will be together again one day.. If Angelina and Brad are smart they will play this DiscoveryGame and not let jealousy get in their way.

Giulia: It’s no secret that Angelina Jolie has an interesting past. She wasn’t always the A-list humanitarian she is today. I recommend this DiscoverGame for her to help work through her past and realize how her past experiences are shaping her future.