Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt are suing tabloid over breakup story

Game on! Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are taking legal action against the British tabloid News of the World for its story last month that alleged the couple were working out details of a split.

"The News of the World has failed to meet our clients' reasonable demands for a retraction of and apology for these false and intrusive allegations which have now been widely republished by mainstream news outlets," a lawyer working for the couple in London said in a statement. "We have advised them to bring proceedings, which they have now done."

In a letter cited in that statement, Sorrell Trope, the divorce attorney whose name was mentioned in the NOTW article, denied that he was in touch with the couple.

The Jan. 24 article, which was picked up by the Drudge Report late Jan. 23, the night of the Screen Actors Guild Awards, immediately caused a rip in the celebrity space-time continuum. Then on Jan. 25, the Monday after the Globes, the Ministry of Gossip treated the claims as a total joke, much to the dismay of readers clicking through for hard news.

Hayley Barlow, a spokeswoman for the News of the World, had no comment on the court filing.

Doesn't get much savvier than showing up and smooching at a game that turns out to be the most viewed TV event ever, and then immediately telling your detractors -- in court -- to kiss off.

-- Christie D'Zurilla

[For the record, 7:58 p.m.: A previous version of this post said the Golden Globe Awards were held Jan. 23. In fact, Jan. 23 was the night of the Screen Actors Guild Awards; the Ministry was in fact in the SAG Awards press room when we first heard -- and dismissed -- the NOTW rumor. A thousand pardons for our award-season fumble, and thanks to commenter Theo Kingma for the catch./cdz]

Photo: Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt arrive on the red carpet for the premiere of "Inglourious Basterds" in Cannes, France, on May 20, 2009. Credit: Francois Mori / Associated Press

Comments

[seawa]

These rich people need to get a life.... Ignore the gossip! After all, gossip is what their wealth was built upon.

[cathy]

couldn't brad make a clean break up with physco ang, and then show jen he's serious? what, he's only going to break up if jen takes him back. what a loser.

[Terri]

They have treated most of the trash printed about them as just that, trash. But when supposedly legitimate news sources (CNN--a crawl announcing the "break up), MSNBC, CBS news, Roger Ebert and others, all treated this story as "fact", then it had moved beyond the tabloids. How would you feel if a member of your family saw on CNN that you had "broken up" or died (Johnny Depp and others). If it had stayed tabloid, there would be nothing, but when idiots in the real news reported it, they had to fight back. The trashy tabloids will continue, but this is a signal to them as well. Thanks for not being so gullible.

[NoFalsePress]

@seawa -- completely disagree with you. The press can't masquerade as News, if they're in fact producing works of fiction. It's about time every person on the receiving end of lies stood up & did something about it.

[dandelionmom]

The news needs to be held accountable when they print lies.

[Andrew]

I knew the tabloids were wrong. Hersay on their part as well as the medias.

[dina]

To CATHY--
It is people such as you that keep the gossip nonsense going!! Get a Life and mind your own business. You know nothing about Brad and Angie's personal business, your speculation is just that. Stop the Gossip Loser.....

[guest]

I'm so tired of the 'Brangelina' circus. Angelina has claimed in the past she doesn't employ a publicist. But one doesn't need to be a publicist, to do the work of a publicist. And it's abundantly clear, they both court the world's attention... as long as it is on their own terms. Angelina in particular has long tried to manipulate the particulars of how she is portrayed. And it's not for nothing, she doesn't receive very favorable press. One only has to read between the lines to see that the press is aware of more than they print.

So many of these Hollywood celebrities act as if the public is completely oblivious to the sheer hysteria and blind ambition that makes up most of Hollywood's inhabitants. They seem to exist in a vacuum of their own making... expecting the public to buy into their facade.

It's easy to brush off the tabloids as unreliable trash and for the most part I would agree... except for when they are right. As far as News of the World is concerned, who can forget it was their reporters that went undercover and filmed Gary Goldsmith as he spoke bluntly and crassly about the likely engagement between Prince William and his niece Kate Middleton -- this, as he was shown cutting up lines of cocaine. And indirectly offering the reporters 'young, fresh girls". In the same conversation, he joked about having his own wing at Buckingham palace. If that's not disturbing...

[slick]

Suing the tabloid is a good thing. The money which will be definitely worth millions of dollars would be used for a good cause. Thank goodness for the gossip, Brangelina could use some help (money) on their charity work. What a briliant move Brangelina! Keep it coming!

[Wanda]

Who really cares!

[Christin Grace]

I think that these two are beautiful. and i refused to believe such trash in the very beginning, they are just so powerful together, and I dont mean hollywood power. these two have real love between them and they have proved it. not that they need approval. I hope they stay happy and continue the good will that they do.

[Lorelei Shark]

They need to sue every tabloid and website. Despite the fact they stay to themselves, the media can't help itself. The trash that's thrown around is absurd and I'm glad they're doing something about it. It's difficult enough to have a relationship these days, without reading everyday that you're no longer a couple. Today - one tabloid has Jennifer with Brad and another has her with her current co-star, Gerard Butler. Everybody - the Gerard Butler story is a PR thing for their film. They want to get the publicity. None of it is true - none of it!!

[wjme]

I hope they take Murdoch's lying rag for every dime it has!

Pity his other trash-mongering businesses (like FAUX NOISE) are not sued for each lie they spew...they would all be bankrupt in less than a day !

Good Luck to Brad and Angelina !

[Carol]

Brad says Angelina is his soul mate. I understand that completely with my man but I also understand the soul mates have times of aggravation, irritation and plain need for days apart. No matter how much you love someone, rocky times happens. That does not mean you are breaking up if not seen together 24/7 nor should anyone be criticized for not being joined at the hipbones for every photo-op. Media leave them alone.

[Cameron]

Personally, they lost any right to sue over any press the day they sold their children's photos. The children didn't ask to have this mayhem. The children aren't actors. They are minors in the care of two "adults". They make enough to donate to charities without selling their children's photos.

Too many other actors and actresses do their jobs; go home and live their lives without all this bruhaha. If Jolie and Pitt want to use the press for "candid" shots and PR announcements... well.. sorry, this is the price you pay.

It is also interesting to note this story died a very quick death - - until Jolie and Pitt dredged it back up a g a i n... these two just smell of "any press is good press".

I wish these two would just do what they are paid to do.. play dress up, read someone else's words and go home and parent their children with some sense of stability and consistency.

[Bas]

Why can't we just leave them alone? Who CARES!!

[Betty]

Brad and Angelina deserve respect for their family and personal life. They are doing great bringing up their children, spending time with them and taking them to their shoots (their job actually). It makes me happy just to see them together, made-up news are really not necessary to get people reading about them. I hope Brad and Angie stay strong as a couple in spite of the efforts of people who can't wait to see them fall apart.

[Angelica]

I think that they should leave them alone. PLEASE. They make a good couple, they are parents, and people. They make a great couple and I love them together. I think that the media make things bigger than what they are, like the Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson break up.Gosh let them live their lives and step of media.

[Anewor]

thats good that they are suing those gossipers! they make so much mayny making peoples lives seem unhappy and miserable when in fact they arent coz Brad and angie are so much together and they are still inlove.

[Bluejeans]

GOOD! They should sue every single publication who picked up the story too!

[Bluejeans]

@seawa - I disagree with your comment. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's wealth most certainly was not built upon gossip. It was built upon movies. I appreciate their contribution to the arts. People like you probably venture no further than TMZ anyway.

[CDZ from the Ministry]

Hey all -- Christie D'Zurilla here from the Ministry with a reminder of our zero-tolerance policy here on profanity.

Not mild profanity, not harsh profanity, not acronyms that are abbreviations for profanity, not with aster*sks or d-ashes in the words to try to trick the "filter" that it isn't profanity. I'm the filter, and I've figure out the whole asterisk thing.

So if your comment hasn't been made live, it's probably because you cussed, or called someone a profane name or label.

Feel free to resubmit clean -- and thanks for reading and taking the time to comment.

//cdz

[jos san fran]

big babies

[Annie]

Oh come on, is this a joke? Whatever tabloids are reporting is written clearly on the faces of these two showmen/women. When the going was great, they took full advantage of media, made their money, careers etc. Now that things have turned sour, sue them for reporting. Hypocrites.

Angelina must get a taste of what it must have been like for Jennifer Aniston when she snatched her man without so much as a whimper of guilt. Now come enter the world of tabloids when you split and get the ridicule yourself.

Angie looks like an old obsessive hag and brad pitt looks pot bellied, haggard blah blah blah. They don't look happy together. When they split is the question. If they are so sure why not walk thr altar and show us you are good as gold??

Attention seeking self obsessed idiots.

[margarita]

Angelina should sue Jennifer Aniston for all those hateful, spiteful lies she's perpetuated and the author of that silly book, Brangelina, and finally, say to the media, give me some respect! She deserves it!