Who Is Brad Pitt's Rumored New Girlfriend, Neri Oxman?

Brad Pitt is reportedly dating Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor and architectural designer Neri Oxman, the first woman to whom he's been linked since his acrimonious divorce from Angelina Jolie in September 2016.

"They got romantically involved almost right away," a source told Us Weekly. "He's been going to great lengths to make sure he's not spotted by prying eyes ... Brad's absolutely smitten by her. Their chemistry is off the charts." The source added, "Brad and Neri have traveled together internationally on several occasions."

However, some have been quick to deny the sparks between the pretty pair. Pitt's rep told Gossip Cop that any claims of a romantic relationship between Oxman and Pitt were an "exaggeration" and that there isn't any evidence of a coupling between the two. 

Still, an insider insisted to Us Weekly that any denials are just that: denials and a cover-up, noting, "They are very much a couple."

Let's go ahead and assume the rumors are true and get to know this lucky rebound lady, shall we?

Brad Pitt was reportedly inspired by his close pal, actor George Clooney, who dropped his habit of dating small-time actresses and cocktail waitresses in favor of pursuing his now-wife, beautiful brainiac barrister Amal Clooney. As a result, some say Pitt also jumped at the chance to date a brilliant brunette who has nothing to do with show business.

A source told People, "It took him a long time to date, but he is now. He likes women who challenge him in every way, especially in the intellect department. Brad has seen how happy and different Amal has made his friend. It has given him something to think about."

An insider close to the designer told Us Weekly, Oxman is "genius and gorgeous ... Neri is a very passionate, extremely smart and talented woman. She is very extroverted, outgoing, vivacious and loving ... Men and women love Neri. She has a way of making you feel as if you're the only person in a crowded room. Being around Neri is intoxicating as if you're flying high above the mountains."

What's more, a source told Hollywood Life that George is all about the coupling. "He knows it would score points with Amal," the insider said. "He's always trying to impress her, he still has her on this huge pedestal. He loves the idea of them all going out on double dates, he's sure that it would please his wife to be spending time with other super well-educated woman."

In an interview with W magazine in 2017, Neri Oxman dropped Brad Pitt's name in a less-than-flattering (but not necessarily outright insulting) way.

When asked about being a relatively young woman in the heavily male-dominated architecture industry, the wordy Oxman explained, "I can say on some days I turn this off and I just go about my day and get on with it. Yet even on the days when I turn it on and I may think, Why am I doing this? Is this a waste of time? I just get on with it. I tune in, listen and identify, respect and admire the qualities of being a woman and how that adds to my work. I also acknowledge it's much better now then in the past, so for me thinking about this sexual divide is not productive."

She added, "I can say that my best projects ... have been endorsed and supported by women. And that's been true throughout my career. I'm thankful for that ... [Industries are male-dominated] for the same reason we have the Brad Pitts and the George Clooneys, it's just part of human nature to idolize stereotypes ... Such singularities are useful to the common perception of heroism. But it's not only true for architecture; it's true in musical composition, for females working in theater, for film directors. This isn't just a disease of the architecture profession; it's a phenotype of human culture and how we develop stereotypes and perceptions."

In 2014, Oxman debuted a 3D printed acoustic chaise she dubbed Gemini. She said she was inspired by 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) to make the chaise, which she also described as a "musical instrument as an architectural piece." The materials used in the chaise are designed to absorb sound, Oxman said, "creating a quiet and calm environment."

Of course, when describing the chaise in PR terms, Oxman was even more poetic: "The twin chaise spans multiple scales of the human existence extending from the warmth of the womb to the stretches of the Gemini zodiac in deep space. It recapitulates a human cosmos, our body, like the constellation, drifting in quiet space," she told PR Newswire. "Gemini is fundamentally about the complex and contradictory relationship between twins, which is mirrored in the geometrical forms of the two-part chaise and the dualities that drive their formation, such as the combination of natural and synthetic materials." She added that the various materials used "not only target specific pressure points on the body to form a sensorial landscape, but also act as a soundproof anechoic chamber, an architecture for quieting the mind."

If you're not impressed (or if you're just confused,) fear not: Pitt was reportedly entranced by the piece, Us Weekly reported, and requested to meet Oxman to discuss it. The rest was history.

"Design is her speciality," a source told Us Weekly, "so it's not hard to see why Brad would be attracted to her."

Both Oxman's parents are architects, but she told CNN that they actually expected her to go into medicine. She was raised in Haifa, Israel, and served in the Israeli army — as required by law — when she turned 18. Once out, she went to medical school.

"It was one day, I remember it clearly — it was a hot day in Jerusalem, and I left class and called my father and announced to my parents I was going to leave medical school," she said. "I don't think I would have made for a good doctor. It was not meant to be, and it took me a long time to realize that."

Of her parents' influence on her career choice, she said, "I grew up in a modernist house, in a modernist culture. There was a love for modernism everywhere — the furniture, the books, the food, even the cutlery, so I learned very early to appreciate the value of design and the value of architecture."

This alleged relationship is said to be serious enough that Pitt is considering introducing Oxman to the six children he shares with Jolie. (At the time of this writing, Jolie has maintained primary custody of the kids since the split, and their divorce settlement is still being worked out.)

"Brad and Angelina made a pact when they split that they wouldn't step out with other people until their divorce terms were formally agreed [upon]," a source told The Sun. "That didn't stop either of them from quietly dating other people, but he has been very clear about not rubbing her face in it and vice versa. Of course, this goes beyond image. Their biggest concern here has always been the children. The last thing any of the kids need is to see Mommy or Daddy dating other people while they're still technically married. Once the dust has officially settled on his and Angelina's marriage, he will absolutely want them to be introduced."

The source added, "This is a sensitive subject and he will be respectful to Angelina but, make no mistake, he is seeing this as a serious relationship. That will eventually mean she'll meet his kids, for sure."

This arrangement may also be why Pitt's camp is still insisting that he and Oxman are just professional, platonic BFFs.

Neri Oxman's most famous project was a human-sized pavilion made from silkworms and a lot of skilled engineering.

"We've managed to motion-track the silkworm's movement as it is building its cocoon. Our aim was to translate the motion-capture data into a 3D printer connected to a robotic arm in order to study the biological structure in larger scales," Oxman explained to Dezeen.

"The worm rotates its head in 8-figure movements so as to allow for the distribution of silk, its density, its thickness and through these manipulations it controls its mechanical properties based on structural and environmental constraints. For instance, the inner layers of the cocoon are relatively soft while the outer layers of the cocoon are stiffer. The silkworm than varies the properties of silk according to function and can be considered the biological equivalent of a mobile 3D multi-material printer."