Body Language Expert Decodes The Decline Of Brad & Angelina's Relationship For Us
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's public appearances convinced us all that they had the perfect marriage. Whenever the power couple walked a red carpet together, their beaming smiles led us all to believe that there was no one else they would rather share that special moment with. When Jolie and Pitt weren't gazing lovingly into each other's eyes, they were pulling each other in closer for a side hug or sneaking kisses. Even when the A-listers kept their PDA aside, Jolie and Pitt seemed to have a lot going for them, including their different but still well-aligned worldviews.
While speaking to Vanity Fair in 2008, the "Girl, Interrupted" star explained how their philanthropic efforts only brought the couple closer. "We have similar interests but different approaches. [Pitt's] more involved in rebuilding New Orleans, environmental issues, green sustainability," she shared. "I am more refugees. But when it comes to common goals — orphans, orphans' rights, children — we support each other. It brings us together and makes our relationship work." Despite all the signs that their marriage was thriving, though, there were subtle cues that everything wasn't as wonderful as it seemed.
Nicole Moore, celebrity love coach and body language expert, exclusively informed The List that Jolie and Pitt's public appearances showed the highs and lows of their relationship. When Moore saw snaps of them in the early years, she acknowledged that they were head over heels in love. Meanwhile, in other clips and photos, Moore spotted several signs indicating that their relationship was on the rocks years before the celebrity couple's eventual divorce in 2016.
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's mutual attraction to each other was evident in 2005
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's paths first crossed in 2003 when they shared the screen in "Mr. & Mrs. Smith." Back then, the "Salt" star was fresh out of her marriage to Billy Bob Thornton, and Pitt was still married to Jennifer Aniston. For a few years, it seemed as though Jolie and Pitt were just friends with amazing onscreen chemistry. However, when body language expert Nicole Moore took a closer look at the above snap, taken at the "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" premiere in 2005, she argued that they were already showing signs of a romantic connection.
"Angelina is staring directly into Brad's eyes with an intense gaze and a full wide smile while Brad is also gazing directly into her eyes with a smile on his face, indicating that these two had an intense and possibly romantic connection back then," the body language expert pointed out. Moore further asserted that both actors appeared to display "a subconscious desire to be close" by trying to bridge the small gap between them with their bodies.
The celebrity love coach and body language expert also believes that the "Maleficent" star felt secure with Pitt because she opened her chest up towards him. Moore explained the meaning behind the seemingly small gesture: "It's almost as if her body language is saying 'my heart is yours.'" It's worth noting that the premiere pic was snapped mere months after Pitt and the "Friends" alum shockingly announced the end of their 5-year marriage.
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt initially appeared to have a thriving relationship
Nicole Moore, celebrity love coach and body language expert, exclusively authenticated with The List that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie were completely smitten when they first got together. She noted that the above photo of the once-beloved celebrity couple, which was taken in 2007, perfectly demonstrates their close bond. Moore elaborated that Pitt and Jolie showcased a major sign of harmonious love by mirroring each other with their well-aligned facial features. "Angelina is pulling Brad into her as if she can't possibly get enough of him and she wants to devour him and Brad is yielding to her desire to be as close as possible," she said. "Brad's arm is loose and open by his side while his side body is pressed into Angelina, indicating he's fully open to her, comfortable with her and wants to be close to her."
Further, Moore maintained that the "Eternal" star's love for her partner didn't falter in the subsequent years. After the celebrity love coach viewed this YouTube clip of them sharing a kiss in 2008, she told us that Jolie's facial expressions remained extremely soft and relaxed around her beau. According to Moore, the Oscar winner's laidback demeanor showed that Pitt was still a safe haven for her. Ultimately, the expert contended that the A-list couple's body language indicated that they were happy, secure, and well-connected until 2011, when the first cracks appeared.
Power couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie seemed distant beginning in 2011
Body language expert Nicole Moore started seeing signs that Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's relationship wasn't going to last in their 2011 public appearances. When she took a look at this YouTube clip of the celebrity couple from the time, Moore noticed that Jolie's body wasn't angled towards Pitt like it typically had been in older snaps. Additionally, she spotted some signs of underlying tension in the "Bullet Train" star's stiff shoulders, his muted sighs, and the lack of eye contact exhibited between them.
Moore noticed further signs of disconnect in this video of the It couple at the 2012 Oscars, which occurred just months before they announced their engagement. The celebrity love coach asserted that Jolie and Pitt weren't as relaxed as before, and their smiles seemed to be played up for the cameras. Moore also claimed that after that awkward moment, their public displays of affection weren't as genuine as before. She even noticed that Jolie's happy expression changed to a rather displeased one when the cameras weren't on them in this clip from 2014.
Moore reckons that the A-listers started to show more glaring signs of discord just a few months after their wedding in 2015. She elaborated on the subtle body language cues in the image above. "Brad's face appears tight and drawn with his eyes squinting slightly, indicating inner discomfort while Angelina is tense with a tight neck and pursed lips," Moore summarized. "The couple's body language here indicates they may not have even wanted to be standing next to each other at that moment as their connection appears forced rather than genuine."
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's divorce continued burdening them years later
In September 2016, Angelina Jolie filed for divorce from Brad Pitt after almost two years of marriage. However, the heartbreak and stress continued plaguing them years later. When celebrity love coach and body language expert Nicole Moore viewed pictures of Jolie at the 2024 premiere for "The Outsiders," for instance, she noticed a few underlying signs of sadness beneath the actor's outwardly happy demeanor. The body language expert exclusively told us, "In this picture, Angelina no longer appears tense as she did when with Brad, however, there's a weariness in her eyes and her chin is jutted out as she's smiling, indicating she's putting on a show of being happy more than she is actually happy." Interestingly, Moore suggested that Pitt wasn't left entirely unscathed by the split either and showed eerily similar signs of sadness through his own body language at the "One Love" premiere that very same year.
She felt that his smile in the above photograph wasn't all that genuine because his lips are closed and his eyes didn't have a lively spark of happiness. Moore further explained, "Brad's eyelids here are heavy and his under eyes are very creased, indicating that sadness or strain is weighing him down." The former A-list couple's stressful disposition is only natural given that they'd already been involved in a bitter legal battle over their once-jointly-owned winery since 2022. Furthermore, they weren't yet able to reach either a divorce settlement or a custody agreement for their six kids nearly eight years after legal proceedings began.