Angelina Jolie Just Sold a Gift Brad Pitt Got Her for Millions
She made some serious cash, too.
In the early 2000s, there was no couple more talked about than Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. The announcement of their divorce in 2016 shocked the world and even five years after its dissolution, the relationship is still making headlines. They're also still in the midst of finalizing their divorce, and amid the tumult, Jolie reportedly sold a very expensive item that was gifted to her from Pitt. Read on to find out which of her ex's gifts she sold off, and for more on former celebrity couples, check out Bradley Cooper's Ex Just Got Candid About Raising Their Daughter Together.
Angelina Jolie just sold a rare painting in her art collection.
Jolie just sold a rare painting from her extensive art collection. According to The Art Newspaper, "The Jolie Family Collection" sold Tower of Koutoubia Mosque by Winston Churchill for around $11.5 million (with fees) at a London art auction on March 1. According to the publication, the bidder was an anonymous telephone buyer likely from Belgium who also bought two other Churchill paintings, Scene at Marrakech and St Paul's Churchyard, for around $2.2 million and $1.2 million, respectively. And for more up-to-date celebrity news delivered right to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.
Brad Pitt reportedly gave Jolie the painting as a gift.
Pitt was reportedly the last buyer of this Churchill painting in 2011, according to the New York Post. The art piece was sold for $2.95 million then by New Orleans antique dealer M.S. Rau. According to the outlet, Pitt's role in Inglorious Basterds helped inspire his interest in Churchill's work, and he and Jolie reportedly visited the Churchill War Rooms together in the U.K. during a private tour. And for more on this former iconic couple, check out Angelina Jolie Just Made a Rare Comment About Her Split From Brad Pitt.
Jolie sold the painting for much more than expected.
The oil painting, which features a sunset over Marrakech, Morocco, was the only painting the late British prime minister created during World War II, according to Christie's, the auction house that handled the sale. Churchill had first gifted it to former U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1943. However, Christie's pre-sale estimate for the painting was at most around $3 million, so Jolie sold the painting for much more than anyone expected. And for more on Jolie's life post-Pitt, Angelina Jolie Says Her Kids Won't Let Her Do This One Thing.
Jolie has said the last few years have "been pretty hard" for her family.
Jolie and Pitt were one of the most iconic celebrity couples in Hollywood for more than a decade. The pair got married in 2014, after first meeting on the set of Mr. and Mrs. Smith in 2004. After rumors that the pair had an affair on set, Pitt's then-wife Jennifer Aniston filed for divorce from him in March 2005 and Pitt was seen vacationing with Jolie just a month later. After that, Jolie and Pitt launched into a very public relationship for years before their secret wedding in 2014—at that point, Pitt had adopted Jolie's children Maddox, Zahara, and Pax. They also had three children together, Shiloh and twins Vivienne and Knox.
Then, in Sept. 2016, Jolie filed for divorce from Pitt and petitioned for primary custody of their six children. However, the couple is still in the middle of divorce proceedings and custody battles now in 2021. Jolie recently told British Vogue that she has been "focusing on healing" her family, which has "been pretty hard" over the past few years. And for more current celebrity pairs, check out 17 Celebrity Women Who Have Much Younger Partners.
