At the 2024 Venice Film Festival, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt successfully managed to steer clear of one another.
Since their breakup in 2016, the former couple has not shared a space together—not even on the same red carpet.
So, how did Brangelina manage to avoid an encounter at such a prominent Hollywood event?
Was it meticulous planning or mere coincidence?
Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie Both Present at the Venice Film Festival
Angelina was anticipated to attend the festival to promote her latest film, *Maria*, in which she portrays the renowned opera singer Maria Callas. Meanwhile, Brad is set to join his friend George Clooney for the premiere of *Wolfs*.
It likely comes as no surprise that organizers took proactive measures to ensure both Oscar-winning stars and ex-spouses were kept separate.
However, the extent of these measures is quite surprising.
In an interview with Vanity Fair, Venice’s artistic director Alberto Barbera revealed that the festival took special precautions to prevent the ex-couples’ film schedules from colliding.
“Angelina will be there on the opening day, Thursday [Aug. 29], and will depart right after with [*Maria* director] Pablo Larraín for the Telluride Film Festival in Colorado,” Barbera explained. “Brad will only arrive on Saturday, hence there’s no chance they’ll cross paths at the Lido,” the renowned island hosting the festival.
Therefore, it was early on determined that keeping Brad and Angelina apart was in everyone’s best interest.
Honestly, this may be for the best.
Brad and Angelina Continue to be at Odds
In a 2021 Vogue interview, Angelina stated that her decision to separate from Brad was made for the “well-being” of her family. “It was the right decision,” she reflected.
However, that decision has had significant emotional and financial repercussions.
Currently, they are engaged in a legal dispute over their shared assets from their marriage, particularly concerning the Chateau Miraval Winery.
Located about a nine-hour drive from the Venice Film Festival, the winery was acquired during Brad and Angelina’s marriage.
A June 2023 Vanity Fair article disclosed that Angelina reached out to Brad in January 2021 about her intention to sell her stake in the winery, citing it as a venture centered around alcohol.
“Even now, it’s impossible to write this without crying,” Jolie stated. “Above all, this is where we brought the twins home, and where we married over a plaque in my mother’s memory. It was a place… where I thought I would grow old… but it marks the beginning of the end of our family.”
For reasons still not fully explained, Brad declined Angelina’s proposal to sell her portion of the estate. When discussions fell apart, she ultimately sold her interest to Russian oligarch Yuri Shefler for $67 million.
This event marked the onset of their ongoing discord, preventing them from being in the same location.
Angelina Jolie at the Venice Film Festival for ‘Maria’
Angelina Jolie became the center of attention at the festival following her acclaimed performance in *Maria*.
Pablo Larraín’s biopic chronicles the life of the renowned opera singer Maria Callas during her final days in 1970s Paris.
Although Angelina’s singing in the film is synced with that of the legendary Callas, she underwent extensive training for her role. “I was incredibly nervous,” she confessed during the film’s press conference. “I trained for nearly seven months because when you work with Pablo, you must fully commit. His expectations are high in the best possible way.”
Brad Pitt Will Have His Moment
Meanwhile, Brad Pitt is set to arrive for the premiere of his film with George Clooney, *Wolfs*, on September 1.
This action-comedy reunites the duo as two “fixers” tasked with eliminating each other.
The film is slated for release on AppleTV+ this fall.
By the time Brad arrives for his premiere, Angelina will have long departed.
Perhaps their paths will never cross again.
