Sampurna Banerjee
After the Oscar-winning actor, Brad Pitt was attacked on social media platforms for flaunting a skirt on the premier red carpet of his movie Bullet Train. He opened up about the debilitating pressure to maintain a macho image off-screen, just like the characters portrayed by Clint Eastwood on screen in a Financial Times interview. However, this candid revelation took an unexpected turn. Although his heartfelt confession struck a chord with many, the actor received a lot of backlash yet again for his remarks, following the revelation of the alleged shocking abuse allegations against his ex-lover actress Angelin Jolie, concerning a private plane journey in 2016 from France to California.
Brad Pitt Called Clint Eastwood’s Machoness as “Exhausting”
In an interview with the Financial Times, the actor Brad Pitt candidly discussed the weight of expectations surrounding toxic masculinity in Hollywood. The conversation stemmed after he received severe backlash for wearing a skirt to the red-carpet premiere of his latest film, Bullet Train. Thus, he stated,
“It’s just exhausting to be anything but who you are,–You have to understand, at least where I grew up, we’re more the Clint Eastwood character; you hold everything within, you’re capable, you can deal with anything, you don’t show weakness.”
The actor blamed the character portrayed especially by Clint Eastwood back in the day for the rigid perception of masculinity. He further reflected by saying,
“I see that in my dad and the older generations of actors, and, man, it’s exhausting. As I get older, I find such a comfort in friendships where you can be [completely yourself], and I want that to extend in the outer world. What people make of it: I’m fine. I feel safe here because there’s a focus on our struggles as human beings, because it’s fraught with peril. And joy as well.”
He very well understands the problematic nature of expecting men to suppress their emotions, and he acknowledges that his upbringing was not the stereotypical one that propagated such notions. Although many agreed with his words, there was skepticism about the extent to which he practiced what he preached.
Angelina Jolie Accused Brad Pitt of Abuse
People were quick to call out Brad Pitt after this, people started talking about the alleged abuse allegations following his comments on masculinity. Although sources leaked information about the incident prior, Angelina Jolie countersued her ex-partner for physical abuse immediately after that. According to her filings reported by the New York Times,
“Pitt choked one of the children and struck another in the face–grabbed Jolie by the head and shook her, —he poured beer on Jolie—, he poured beer and red wine on the children.”
All of this happened in a plane ride back to their home from their winery in France. However, the specific details regarding what actually happened are not known to the public. This was allegedly the incident that led Jolie to ultimately file for divorce. Thus, the star’s heartfelt confessions about toxic masculinity further brought a pile of hatred towards him and failed to do the damage control he initially intended it would.
Source: Financial Times
