Getty (2)
Brad Pitt ‘Spoiling for a Showdown’ With Angelina Jolie, Knows He’d Beat Her in ‘Popularity Contest’
Angelina Jolie may be winning the war against Brad Pitt when it comes to their kids, but he’s vowing to hit back hard in the Hollywood popularity stakes. Insults are flying and A-listers are forced to pick a side between the feuding duo like never before.
“Brad has so much power in Hollywood, which is one thing that’s tough for Angelina to compete with him over,” a source exclusively tells In Touch. “She does have a few friends and allies, like Salma Hayek and Ellen Pompeo, along with a handful of studio bosses, but for the most part, she’s not winning any popularity contests in Hollywood, whereas Brad’s the golden boy.”
While a different source close to Brad says otherwise, the insider insists, “Brad’s always going to have more sway socially and he’s gleeful about wielding that power against Angelina. When Oscar season rolls around, she’s going to have to hit all the events because the buzz is she’ll be nominated for her new biopic [Maria], and you can count on Brad being there too, if only to rub it in her face how well-loved he is.
The insider says that Brad, 60, plans to “go out of his way” to make his ex uncomfortable by bringing girlfriend Ines de Ramon with him to awards season events. “He’s spoiling for a showdown because he knows even if he can’t beat her in court, he can 100 percent beat her when it comes to a popularity contest among their peers,” the source concludes.
Things have been contentious between Brad and Angelina, 49, since their 2016 split. In addition to battling over custody – the exes still have two minor children – they’re also at war over the Château Miraval, the vineyard they purchased in France before their divorce.
The adult children seem to be taking their mom’s side amid the ordeal. In November 2023, an alleged 2020 social media post written by Pax Jolie-Pitt surfaced online. The now-20-year-old allegedly called the Oscar winner a “terrible and despicable person” in the alleged Instagram message.
Then, a clip surfaced earlier this month of Zahara Jolie-Pitt seemingly confirming that she’d dropped her dad’s last name. The video, taken at Zahara’s sorority ceremony in November 2023, featured the 19-year-old introducing herself by saying, “My name is Zahara Marley Jolie.” Meanwhile, on the day Shiloh Jolie-Pitt turned 18 in May, she filed paperwork to legally have Pitt dropped from her last name.
“Shiloh hired her own lawyer and paid for it herself, so Angie doesn’t know and can’t speak for it,” Entertainment Tonight reported at the time.
A source also told In Touch that Brad was “blindsided” by his teen daughter’s decision. “But he wasn’t surprised,” the insider added. “He feels that Angie has slowly but surely turned their kids against him. She absolutely influenced their decisions to distance themselves from their dad.”
Vivienne Jolie-Pitt, who is just 15, is seemingly following in her older siblings’ footsteps. She worked as an assistant for The Outsiders on Broadway and was listed in the Playbill without “Pitt” included in her moniker. Angelina is a producer on the show.
Have a tip? Send it to us! Email In Touch at contact@intouchweekly.com.
