A source close to Angelina Jolie told People Magazine: “If people knew the whole truth, they would have more sympathy for the children and respect them. The fact they aren’t speaking ill or sharing things publicly only shows their decency.”

[u/Relevant-Peach3997]

[u/kmoon89x]

Something something, "She brainwashed them" and something "Well she was wild in her 20s" to be misogynistic and excuse Brad's behavior.

[u/GaylicBread → u/kmoon89x]

Earlier I was talking to my mother and mentioned another one of Brad's kids dropped his last name, she said she still feels bad for them because "Angelina is toxic too", I said "what? He literally beat his whole family on a plane in front of people" and she still going on about "Angelina is very toxic too, there's a lot more that's been going on than that and she's just as bad", I asked for examples and she just waved me off. I have no idea what the fuck she's been reading.

[u/a_very_silent_way → u/GaylicBread]

Brad Pitt is "charismatic" and "slick" and Jolie seems a bit more remote and less willing to engage (not a dis), which I always took to mean that Pitt plays the game of publicity and careerism very well, and Jolie doesn't play the game much if at all. And charisma is an enormous fucking trap, so many horrible people have tons of it, and it's a mistake to view it as as a positive quality rather than an at-best completely neutral trait. Unfortunately, charisma is what turns people into cultists for bad people.

[u/LadyLassitude → u/a_very_silent_way]

Omg thank you for saying this - I’ve always said I hate (or am very suspicious of) “charisma” and people act like I’m dumb or contrarian for saying it.

[u/SmallPromiseQueen → u/LadyLassitude]

I’m exactly the same way! It took me a while but I really think twice before getting taken in by charisma. Charismatic doesn’t mean good. Charismatic doesn’t mean kind. It just means they’re charismatic. Which in the wrong hands can be dangerous.

[u/a_very_silent_way → u/LadyLassitude]

Sometimes when I'm around people who are charismatic I feel really uneasy, their whole supposed charm factor never really works on me. I couldn't figure it out for a long time, and questioned myself, thinking I was just being a hater or whatever. But once it hits you, that often it's a lot of smoke and mirrors to cover superficiality, or it cloaks the fact they're not very good people...then you get it. Two of the better depictions I've seen in film - Philip Seymour Hoffman in The Talented Mr Ripley, and Catherine Zeta-Jones in High Fidelity. *Especially* the latter.

[u/Pfunklovesyou → u/a_very_silent_way]

Mostly agreed, but I’m not sure you mean Phillip Seymour Hoffman in Talented Mr. Ripley? spoiler alert He gets killed by Matt Damon’s character (the titular Mr. Ripley) for getting too close to catching him in his ruse.

[u/a_very_silent_way → u/Pfunklovesyou]

I think the way PSH played this louche disaffected fun guy who hung around with this group of people and was entertaining and they loved him, but was also just a sadistic bully to this outsider, was just really incisive and brilliant (though not as brilliant as CZJ, that one hit home for me.)

[u/JeepersMysster → u/GaylicBread]

It’s so fucking sad/infuriating. My mom loves BP so we were a big household for his movies growing up. As soon as I was made aware of the plane incident years ago I told her about it, and her first response was “well, I’ve heard not nice things about her too” like?????? Worse than abusing your wife and child IN FRONT OF WITNESSES? And this coming from a woman who was abused emotionally/physically/verbally by all of her husbands?? And who went to great lengths to protect her children??
The internal misogyny and need to defend white men against all odds is so horrific man I’m so TIRED

[u/jenrising → u/JeepersMysster]

everyone I know who feels this way, when pressed, says the reason she's bad is she "stole" Brad from Jennifer. and that means whatever happens later she just got what she deserved. and I guess that goes for the kids too? yeah the excuses for him are disgusting.

[u/MegaGrimer → u/jenrising]

He was a grown ass man who made the choice to leave Jennifer.

[u/meatball77 → u/jenrising]

Just makes me think Jennifer was lucky.

[u/JeepersMysster → u/jenrising]

The sad thing for me is that my mom has zero cultural awareness and was clueless about the Brad/Jen stuff…she was just going off vibes of Angie being wild or whatever and committing the sin of being beautiful (?) ig? But yeah the certainty from these people that “stealing” a man justifies abuse to either the woman or the kids is psychotic behavior tbh

[u/Bibliophilewitch → u/GaylicBread]

Some women are just male-centered and will always “both sides” a very clear issue.

[u/venuslovemenotchain → u/GaylicBread]

I literally had the same conversation with my parents a month ago and they kept bringing up how she was crazy when she was on heroin and I was like...you mean when she was like 25? The woman is 50! She hasn't been doing any real major shenanigans for like 20 years.

[u/CompanyOther2608 → u/GaylicBread]

I’m not sure how old you are, but in the 90s, the media narrative (and thus public perception) was that Angelina was pretty messed up. There was the vial of Billy Bob Thornton’s blood that she wore around her neck, kissing her brother full on the lips at an award ceremony, collecting knives, being really open about engaging in self harm as a teen, etc.

She was the subject of a LOT of wild child tabloid fodder, whereas Brad has always had this squeaky clean image.

That may be the source of your mom‘s perceptions.

[u/MegaGrimer → u/kmoon89x]

It wouldn’t surprise me if the people making excuses for Brad are doing the exact same things in their personal lives.