Why People Would Rather Blame Angelina Jolie Than Admit Brad Pitt Might Be An Abuser
Hollywood's golden boy still hasn't been canceled.
taniavolobueva / Tinseltown / Shutterstock Angelina Jolie is doubling down with her abuse allegations against Brad Pitt.
The actress divulged more details in a counter complaint filed as part of Pitt's lawsuit against his ex-wife over the sale of her stakes in their joint French winery, Chateau Miraval,
In the most recent claims, Jolie claimed that Pitt was “physically and emotionally abusive to Jolie and their children, who were then between the ages of eight and 15,” during the September 2016 flight that dissolved their marriage.
Pitt, who allegedly “choked” one of his children and “slapped another in the face,” has largely managed to avoid the wrath of the internet — unlike other high-profile celebrity abuse allegations in recent memory.
When Johnny Depp and Amber Heard's similar allegations were at the front of our consciousness, the headlines, tweets and opinions were inescapable.
So, why aren’t more people talking about Angelina Jolie’s accusations against Brad Pitt?
There are many reasons why Pitt and Jolie’s legal battles haven’t been as widely talked about as Depp and Heard.
A lot of it has to do with the nature of the trials as well as preconceived notions that were already established since the start of their divorce in 2016.
Jolie is going up against one of Hollywood's most beloved men and is facing a world that never embraced her.
Since the earliest days of their relationship, which began whilst Pitt was still married to Jennifer Aniston, Jolie has been framed as an adulterer who corrupted Pitt.
It didn't matter that it was Pitt who was unfaithful in his marriage — Jolie has always taken the brunt of the criticism.
Pitt's PR team has used this perception to their advantage throughout Jolie's allegations against him.
Almost immediately after Jolie’s newest claim in her countersuit, one of Pitt’s reps bashed the claims and denied that there was any truth to them.
“(Jolie’s) story continues to evolve each time she tells it with new, unsubstantiated claims,” they said in a statement provided to CNN.
“Brad has accepted responsibility for what he did but will not for things he didn’t do. These new allegations are completely untrue.”
RELATED: Why Brad Pitt Allegedly Hasn’t Spoken To His Older Children In Years
This narrative plays into what the public already believed about Jolie, making her a manipulator of the truth and her main goal is to inflict harm on the “Bullet Train” actor.
A source close to Pitt told Daily Mail, “She continues to rehash, revise and reimagine her description of an event that happened six years ago by adding completely untrue information each time she fails to get what she wants. Her story is constantly evolving."
What is missing from Pitt's narrative is the fact that these are not just claims made by Jolie. His own son testified against him in Jolie's fight for full custody of her children.
Then there is the added issue of what society demands from women in order to believe them.
Abuse allegations rarely happen without someone casting doubt on them and women who have had to come forward with accusations know the impacts of victim-blaming all too well.
But Jolie, like Heard, is grappling with another demon.
Her public persona throughout her long career has been many things — sexy, stoic, strong, and independent but rarely vulnerable.
Jolie is no damsel in distress and, through no fault of her own, she is often not liked.
Without likability and a loyal fanbase, she has struggled to win her case in the court of public opinion, even with all the evidence that exists against Pitt.
Pitt, meanwhile, has been steadily reinforcing his image as one of Hollywood's most enduring hearthrob.
The roles he plays in movies are of men who are suave, funny, and relatable, and thanks to the parasocial relationship his fans have with him, many likely take those perceptions of the actor into real life.
People don’t want to believe Jolie or acknowledge the claims simply because they like Pitt too much and don’t want to taint their perception of him.
Depp’s situation was similar because, although he lost his case against Heard in the UK where they legally acknowledged his abuse toward Heard, he won the public’s hearts in his defamation suit in the US, which many believe aided in his legal win.
The “Pirates of the Caribbean” actor was already adored by millions of fans across the country, so it was easy for people to shrug off Heard’s claims.
It certainly doesn’t help that the legal battle between Pitt and Jolie isn’t being televised, but it’s much harder to turn the public against someone they already adore.
Isaac Serna-Diez is an Assistant Editor who focuses on entertainment and news, social justice, and politics. Keep up with his rants about current events on his Twitter.