In an interview last month Angelina Jolie gave a rare answer to a question about her split from Brad Pitt, saying she chose to separate “for the wellbeing” of her family.
It was a statement that sounded just bursting at the seams with an undercurrent of animosity, the kind of relationship we’ve come to know between the world’s most famous exes.
Related: Alia Shawkat Finally Opens Up About Her Friendship With Brad
However… we haven’t actually seen so much of that hostility lately. Back in May a source told Us Weekly the movie stars (who are apparently still both single btw) were “more cordial” lately, saying:
“Things between Brad and Angelina are better than they have been. They’re more cordial — they’re aiming toward resolutions that work for each of them.”
Just a week or so ago Brad was spotted riding his motorcycle (hot!!! sorry…) away from his Mr. & Mrs. Smith co-star’s home, leading fans to infer the former couple were getting along well enough for visits — which is a big deal for them considering the blowout fights and custody battles we’d been hearing about.
Now a source is confirming to People the parents have indeed found common ground, and everything is going well as Brangelina have discovered a real co-parenting rhythm:
“The younger kids go back and forth between their houses, and Brad loves spending as much time with them as possible. He seems much happier.”
And apparently it’s all thanks to something a lot of folks still scoff at — therapy. The insider explains:
“It’s taken them a long time, with a lot of family therapy, to get to this point.”
So glad to hear this worked for them! It was a necessary step, as the source adds:
“They definitely needed help figuring out all the child-custody issues and how Brad could be a dad again. Since the kids are older now, they are no longer dealing with separation issues from Angie.”
Maddox Jolie-Pitt is 18 now, which we still can’t wrap our heads around. Pax is 16, Zahara is 15, Shiloh is 14, and twins Knox and Vivienne are 12. So not all teens yet, but definitely old enough to have a better grasp of their rather unique family situation.
Unfortunately for Brad, Maddox and Pax apparently still have issues with their father to work out — they are not going back and forth for visits. But who knows? Maybe with a little more work in family therapy, those rifts will be healed as well!
[Image via Adriana M. Barraza/WENN/Instar.]