Only One Tabloid Saw the Brangelina Divorce Coming

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Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

TMZ reported this morning that Angelina Jolie has filed for divorce from Brad Pitt, shocking the world and causing Jennifer Aniston in particular to choke on a refreshing sip of Smartwater. While the news seems to have come out of nowhere, one tabloid predicted the breakup back in June. That tabloid was Us Weekly.

The magazine reported at the time that there was “tension” between Brad and Angie over whether to sell their Chateau Miraval property in the south of France. Angie reportedly wanted to get rid of the estate to focus on her political aspirations, but Brad wanted to keep it. The report curiously never appeared online, but the Daily Mail printed the relevant quotes from Us Weekly’s “source,” who claimed that Angie was “ramping up her efforts in the political world.” The source believed that she was angling to be a candidate for the British House of Lords, and “only tax-paying British citizens are allowed into the House.” So, according to this source, Angie wanted “to sell Chateau Miraval,” but Brad wasn’t going for it.

Celebrity-gossip blogger Lainey Lui wrote at the time that Us Weekly’s report was “worth considering … This is a portrait of a couple with possibly diverging interests – for her a life of politics.” She continued, “Differences over lifestyle don’t make for the sexiest, most intriguing gossip headlines but this might be the difference between this particular story about potential Brange unrest and the others. In my experience, it’s also a teaser. Like a lead-in/warmup, to get us positioned and primed for more.”

Us Weekly and Lui turned out to be right: Angie filed for divorce yesterday citing “irreconcilable differences.” Tabloids will disseminate many theories about the divorce in the coming days — TMZ is already reporting that Angie didn’t like Brad’s parenting style — but look to Us Weekly as an authority on this story. The tabloid clearly got tipped off (by someone in Angie’s camp, perhaps?) months ago.

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