Angelina Jolie has revealed that working with Brad Pitt on By the Sea (2015) was a last-ditch attempt to save their failing marriage — but sadly, we all know the end to this story.
The couple worked on the gloomy relationship drama shortly after their wedding, marking their first project together since meeting on Mr. and Mrs. Smith (2005).
“We had met working together and we worked together well,” the 42-year-old told The Hollywood Reporter’s podcast, Awards Chatter. “I wanted us to do some serious work together… I thought it would be a good way for us to communicate.”
“In some ways it was [good for communication] and in some ways we learned some things,” she said. “But there was a heaviness probably during that situation that carried on and it wasn’t because of the film.”
The movie, written and directed by the actress, follows the story of a deeply unhappy couple as they try to repair their marriage — a plot line which she admits may have been reflective of their own private issues.
“It was something that we were dealing [with]… things happen for different reasons,” she said. “Why did I write that exact piece? Why did we feel that way when we made it? I’m not sure.”
Angelina said that while the project failed to repair their relationship, they did learn something from the experience.
“A piece of art can be something that’s healing or something that’s difficult,” she continued. “I don’t know. I’m glad we did that film because we did explore something together. Whatever it was maybe it didn’t solve certain things, but we did communicate something that needed to be communicated to each other.”
She added that dealing with a series of difficult realities over the course of their relationship may have also taken their toll.
“Over the span of that decade, I did lose my mother. I did have my mastectomy, and I did then have an ovarian cancer scare and had that surgery as well, and other things of course that happened in life that you go through.”
WATCH: Angelina walks the red carpet with all six of her children. Post continues…
The couple split last September, after over a decade together and two years of marriage. They share six children — Maddox, 16, Pax, 13, Zahara, 12, Shiloh, 11, and nine-year-old twins Vivienne and Knox.
The Oscar-winning actress reportedly filed for divorce following a fight between Brad and Maddox, while the family was aboard a private jet. Several reports have indicated that Brad was “verbally abusive” and became “physical” with the teenager as the altercation slowly spiralled out of control.
In a restrained though revealing interview for the September issue of Vanity Fair, the brunette beauty opened up about how her children are coping with the split.
“It’s just been the hardest time, and we’re just kind of coming up for air,” she told the publication. “We’re all trying to do our best to heal our family.”
She added that the family are still “healing” from events that led to the divorce.
“They’re not healing from divorce. They’re healing from some . . . from life, from things in life,” she said.
“They’re six very strong-minded, thoughtful, worldly individuals. I’m very proud of them. They’ve been very brave. They were very brave.”
