Were parenting differences enough to split Brangelina up?
Bringing up 6 children as a couple is a tough gig - let alone if you can't agree on how to do it
The internet's positively been breaking over the last 24 hours with this story - that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's 12-year relationship has come to an end.
There are all sorts of rumours and stories circulating about what led to the demise of the 2-year marriage of the king and queen of Hollywood, but one thing we're reading over and over again is that there was a dispute between the couple about how to raise their 6 kids - Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, Knox, Vivienne, Angelina and Brad.
Quotes from the stars in the past certainly hint at some differences in opinion when it comes to parenting.
Brad's the bad cop
"I used to be the tougher parent but since the birth of the twins, Brad’s had to play bad cop more often,” Angelina - who asked for the divorce - told OK! Magazine in March 2012.
“It also depends on which of the children we’re talking about.… I think I’m a little closer to the girls, maybe, but he’s always making them laugh."
Brad's the planner, Angelina's impulsive
In 2014, Angelina suggested she could be the slightly more dominant parent saying: "Brad is a wonderful teacher and guide, for the boys in particular.
"He likes to plan things and proceed in a very deliberate and methodical way. He is much cooler and calmer... I can be more impulsive and outspoken.”
Brad keeps the boys in line
Fast forward 3 years - and Brad definitely seems to have taken on the bad cop role again, telling the Telegraph in November 2015:
“I am [the disciplinarian] with the boys. Girls do no wrong, so I don’t have to be. I feel like my job is to show ‘em around, help them find what they want to do with their life, put as many things in front of them, and pull them back when they get out of line, so they know who they are.”
In case you need a reminder, Angelina and Brad have 3 adopted children - Maddox, Pax and Zahara - and 3 biological children - Shiloh and twins Knox and Vivienne. (The couple are pictured with Maddox and Pax above).
One thing's for sure, with 6 children under their wing, family life would have been pretty hectic for the Jolie-Pitts.
And we totally get that they're not going to be on the same page all the time when it comes to dealing with the kids - what couple is, eh? And isn't that sometimes a good thing?
But when do the differences become so hard to handle that you decide you can't go on in your relationship?
Obviously we don't know the ins and outs of everything that's happened for Angelina and Brad, and there are probably a range of reasons why things haven't worked out for them.
All we can say is that however they decide to move forward - we can only wish them - and their beautiful children - all the best with the new family arrangements ?
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Authors
Tara is mum to 1 daughter, Bodhi Rae, and has worked as Content Editor and Social Media Producer at MadeForMums since 2015
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