The Biggest Rumors About Brad Pitt That Just Won't Die
Brad Pitt has been the subject of countless romance rumors over the years. There's been so much speculation about who he's dating that the tabloids seemed to eventually tire of the gossip. Instead of suggesting that he was hooking up with a fellow actor or 20-something model in 2018, The Sun reported that Pitt had taken a year-long celibacy vow. But not every rumor about Pitt involves his love life (or lack thereof).
When Pitt was doing research for his 2007 biographical Western "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford," he read some old news reports about the titular, James. "I was surprised to see how tabloid journalism was alive and well even then and operating in the same way, just sensationalizing a complete fabrication of untruths," Pitt told Associate Press (via CBS News).
When it comes to a star of his caliber, the tabloids' tales don't have to be nearly that sensational. In 2019, Radar reported that Pitt had taken up beekeeping as a hobby. But normal hives wouldn't do for the "Moneyball" star's little honeymakers; a source claimed he was having special "bee villas" built for them. Innocuous rumors like this usually create little buzz, but some gossip sticks to Pitt like honey on a spoon — and it's not always the tabloids doing the talking.
Raising a stink about Brad Pitt's bathing habits
During an episode of "Live with Kelly and Mark" in 2024, Jason Priestley reflected on what it was like having Brad Pitt as a roommate back in the day. "We used to play this game, all of us, to see who could go the longest without showering," Priestley recalled. The "Beverly Hills, 90210" star likely wished he was in a different area code by the time it ended. He said Pitt always won, meaning Priestley couldn't always rely on his own stink to prevent the champ's body odor from reaching his nostrils. "He could go a long time without showering," Priestley revealed.
Perhaps Pitt's pits didn't smell too bad if he was already employing a time-saving trick he shared with his "Inglourious Basterds" co-star Eli Roth. In a 2009 interview with People, Roth recounted Pitt's confession that he sometimes wipes his armpits down with baby wipes if they start smelling too ripe. According to Roth, Pitt told him, "Man, I'm getting [peed] on all day. I don't have time to take a shower."
By 2013, the National Enquirer was reporting that Pitt had stopped bathing with soap and was instead using a DIY mixture that included an odoriferous ingredient: apple cider vinegar. According to the tabloid's source, Angelina Jolie complained that it left Pitt smelling "like a sheepdog."
Brad Pitt's rumored feud with Tom Cruise
Rumors of bad blood between Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise date back to their time playing a sophisticated pair of bloodsuckers in the 1994 film "Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles." Director Neil Jordan told the Independent that Pitt didn't want Cruise to play his co-lead, recalling that the "Fight Club" star found the casting "perplexing." In 1995, Pitt confessed to Premiere (via Pinkvilla) that it was somewhat difficult to work with Cruise because of their clashing personalities. "I always thought there was this underlying competition that got in the way of any real conversation," he said of their dynamic.
As time went by, other rumored issues arose. In 2008, a TMZ report claimed that Pitt was furious over Cruise receiving a Ducati Desmosedici RR motorcycle before he did when they started being shipped out. Pitt's rep denied that he even ordered one. The following year in 2009, the German publication Stern claimed that Pitt dissed Cruise's WWII movie "Valkyrie" by calling it "ridiculous" (via X17). At the time, Pitt was promoting "Inglourious Basterds," which was also set during Hitler's reign. Pitt's rep later told People he said no such thing and added, "Brad has never even seen 'Valkyrie.'"
"Over the years, they have steered clear of each other," an insider confessed (via New Idea). "Their rivalry is one of the industry's best-kept secrets."
Rumors about demanding and mercurial behavior
Brad Pitt wasn't director Edward Zwick's first choice for the role of the charming rebel Tristan in the 1994 drama "Legends of the Fall." In his memoir "Hits, Flops, and Other Illusions" (via Vanity Fair), Zwick revealed that Pitt only got the part because his rumored rival Tom Cruise turned it down. Pitt didn't yet have years of box office success behind him to boost his ego, but according to Zwick, he acted like a bit of a diva during filming.
When Pitt didn't like the way a table read went, he tried to exit the film. "He can be volatile when riled," Zwick wrote. He also recalled growing frustrated because Pitt wasn't being receptive to his feedback, which resulted in the two regularly getting into screaming matches. On at least one occasion, chairs were thrown. "Eventually the crew grew accustomed to our dustups," Zwick penned, adding that he and Pitt always made up afterward.
According to Express, Pitt stubbornly refused to kiss actor Megan Brown while filming "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," supposedly because he didn't want to make then-partner Angelina Jolie jealous. However, he did ultimately shoot the kissing scene. The National Enquirer's Mike Walker also claimed that Pitt refused to film "Ocean's Thirteen" if Catherine Zeta-Jones was in the movie because he was upset about her husband, Michael Douglas, criticizing him for divorcing Jennifer Aniston and dating Jolie (via the National Ledger). Pitt's rep denied the report.
Speculation about the star's appearance
Is Brad Pitt just a good-looking guy who is aging gracefully, or is something else going on? In an Instagram video that went viral in January 2024, aesthetician Dr. Jonny Betteridge suggested that Pitt had to go under the knife to pull a Benjamin Button. According to Betteridge, a supposed facelift scar is visible beside Pitt's ear in a 2023 photo of the actor at Wimbledon. Betteridge also used an older photo of Pitt to make the case that he's had some significant work done. "To have that degree of lift to the face and contour, especially in the mid and lower face, you can't achieve those results through non-surgical methods," Betteridge told The U.S. Sun.
In 2010, the National Enquirer (via Celebitchy) reported that Pitt had cosmetic work done to rejuvenate his face before filming "Moneyball." According to the tabloid, he previously tried hiding some signs of aging behind his facial hair but had to shave it off for the movie. "Now, with his smooth skin, he says his kids always want to touch his face — and so does Angelina!" a source said. However, in 2016, Life & Style claimed that Pitt was using alternatives to fillers and facelifts to fight Father Time. A source claimed that Pitt had become a fan of facials, as well as "collagen smoothies and anti-aging IV vitamin drips." The actor had also reportedly changed his diet to include more foods that promote skin health.
Fables about his friendship with George Clooney
Brad Pitt and his "Ocean's Eleven" co-star George Clooney have been the best of buds for years, but the tabloids have tried to tear them apart with rumors about a rift in their relationship. In 2015, the National Enquirer claimed that the friends had a falling out when they battled over the film production rights for a book. That same year, Gossip Cop debunked an OK! magazine report claiming that Pitt felt like he'd outgrown his old pal. "At times, Brad actually finds George's behavior embarrassing and childish," a source had told the tabloid.
Back in 2010, Life & Style tried a different tactic to attract readers. It focused on the pals' penchant for playing pranks on each other, claiming that Pitt once paid someone to pee inside Clooney's vehicle. "Brad and George track each other down on their individual sets and send an endless stream of male escorts to each other's hotel rooms," an insider told the tabloid (via Gossip Cop). Clooney's rep denied the report. However, Clooney did once get Pitt in trouble with the police by pranking him. On "The Graham Norton Show" in 2015, Clooney revealed that he did this by slapping a "F*** cops" bumper sticker on the back of Pitt's car.
Proving that their friendship is actually still intact, Pitt and Clooney signed on to appear together in the 2024 thriller "Wolves." Here's to hoping their next project is a film about their prank war.