How George Clooney’s bromance with Brad Pitt crumbled over ‘exceptionally ugly’ Jolie feud – as star makes ruthless move

FOR a quarter of a century they were the undisputed kings of Hollywood cool. George Clooney and Brad Pitt personified the ultimate A-list bromance, from their swaggering Ocean’s Eleven days to their impossibly handsome joint photoshoots. Insiders have revealed to The Sun that George Clooney and Brad Pitt’s famous bromance might be over as their once-unshakeable bond is tested Credit: Getty George is said to have had his aides quietly ban Brad from the Clooney Foundation For Justice’s upcoming Albies awards Credit: Getty But behind the scenes, the curtain seems to have fallen on their friendship as insiders claim the Clooneys have quietly distanced themselves from the under-fire star. The Sun can reveal that the duo’s once-unshakeable bond is being tested, as those close to George, 65, say he had his aides quietly ban his former best pal from the Clooney Foundation For Justice’s upcoming Albies awards and fundraiser. The gala is to take place at London’s Natural History Museum in October. But when the world’s highest earners gather beneath the museum’s vaulted ceilings, 62-year-old Brad will not be there. A source said that the difficult decision was made due to concerns about being too closely associated with the Fight Club actor, as he remains embroiled in toxic abuse allegations from ex-wife Angelina Jolie and their children. An insider, who has worked with George’s wife Amal, a human rights lawyer, revealed: “It’s reputation over loyalty, plain and simple. George, and especially Amal, are fiercely protective of the foundation’s global humanitarian standing. “The Albies are about celebrating brave defenders of justice, so having Brad appearing on the red carpet after being accused of domestic abuse is an absolute non-starter. “Brad has strongly denied all the allegations made against him but in reality, it still feels like it could overshadow the event — and that’s not what anyone wants to happen.” “For now, they have chosen to publicly put some distance between themselves and Brad. When it comes to the foundation, George and Amal will always do what they think is best. George had no choice but to freeze out his old pal.” Brad remains embroiled in toxic abuse allegations from ex-wife Angelina Jolie and their children, which he strongly denies Credit: DHUB_Search_Alamy_NUK George and Brad attend Wolfs screening in Venice with partners Amal and Ines in 2024 Credit: Getty The Albies, named after South African anti-apartheid hero Justice Albie Sachs, have become a key event in the global calendar. The couple have previously invited their A-list friends including Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, Kate Moss, Cate Blanchett, Scarlett Johansson and Anne Hathaway. And perhaps most hurtful of all for Brad is that his and George’s Ocean’s Eleven co-star Matt Damon never fails to get an invitation to the annual bash. It was on the set of the 2001 film when George and Brad cemented their friendship after a decade in Hollywood together. The Oscar-winning actors, who have both won People’s “Sexiest Man Alive” twice, teamed up again for sequels Ocean’s Twelve in 2004 and Ocean’s Thirteen in 2007. Such was their closeness that Brad was widely tipped to be George’s best man at his 2014 wedding to Amal. But, sources say, the idea of hosting Brad at this year’s fundraiser is “unthinkable”. The insider explained: “Amal’s entire brand is built on human rights and protecting the vulnerable. “Brad is currently locked in an exceptionally ugly, decade-long legal battle involving serious allegations of family violence. George Clooney and Brad Pitt on the movie set of the ‘Wolves’ in 2023 Credit: Getty George and Brad were the stars of 2001 movie Ocean’s ElevenCredit: Refer to source “Having him sip champagne at an event celebrating justice would look hugely hypocritical. The charity is not prepared to take that hit.” Not helping matters is Brad’s recent admission that he is drinking again after seven years of sobriety, including an 18-month stint in Alcoholics Anonymous. He told Esquire magazine: “I was sober for seven years. And then I got back off the wagon.” “In a more restrained manner. I got overconfident a couple times, went, ‘Yep, nope, not good for me’. “Not in big quantities. I can have a few. But I can’t have a lot. I have to be professional about it.” Many in Brad’s inner circle believe his relationship with alcohol is at the heart of his woes with ex-wife Angelina and their six children, after accusations of an explosive meltdown during a private jet flight in 2016. In an FBI report detailing the row, Angelina alleged an enraged Brad pulled her into a bathroom, punched the ceiling, choked one of their children and struck another in the face while pouring beer over the family. The incident led to an investigation by children’s services, with Angelina being awarded temporary full custody and Brad only allowed supervised visits. He was later fully cleared. Since that fateful flight, Brad has watched in horror as his family unit has disintegrated. In a series of brutal moves, Brad’s children have systematically stripped their father’s name from their lives Credit: Getty An insider, who has worked with George’s wife Amal, said: ‘It’s reputation over loyalty, plain and simple’ over the decision to ban Brad from the gala Credit: Getty Images – Getty In a series of brutal moves, his children have systematically stripped their father’s name from their lives. Earlier this month Brad’s youngest daughter Vivienne, 18, followed in the footsteps of her three older siblings who have requested to legally change their names. Maddox, 25, and Zahara, 21, previously both filed court petitions to drop “Pitt” from their surnames, while Shiloh, 20, has also cast his name aside in recent months. Knox, 18, remains estranged from his dad, while Pax, 22, famously branded Brad a “world-class asshole” in a leaked Father’s Day post, writing that his younger siblings “tremble in fear” in his presence. Even though Angelina filed for divorce in 2016, the final settlement was only confirmed two years ago. George was blindsided when first asked about the split by a CNN reporter in 2016. He replied: “I didn’t know that. “Wow. I feel very sorry then. That’s a sad story and unfortunate for a family. This is the first I’ve heard of it.” His comments came during a cooling of their friendship after Brad and his then-wife had missed George and Amal’s wedding in 2014. It was claimed the couple were too busy filming romance movie By The Sea in Malta. But it was widely believed their absence was due to tensions between Angelina and George’s new bride. Sources previously told The Sun of the intense “rivalry” between the two women, despite the closeness of their husbands. In 2024, Brad said that he knew that George ‘had his back’ Credit: Getty Many believe that Brad is only making things worse for himself by continuing his fight with Angelina, revealed our insider Credit: Getty Brad had been seen as the obvious choice for best man, but that honour went to Rande Gerber, husband of Cindy Crawford and co-founder of George’s tequila brand Casamigos. After Brad’s divorce though, the pair once again grew close and even starred together in 2024 action comedy Wolfs. In an interview with GQ magazine promoting the film, Brad said he turns to George for advice as he has experienced the same level of fame that few others could understand. He explained: “George is probably the best at seeing the chessboard and the potential moves. “I’ll call George on numerous occasions when things get bumpy. “George is going to understand something that no one else is going to understand, that we don’t even have to speak about. There’s a comfort in that.” But once again the relationship appears to be cooling as Brad’s personal problems show little sign of dying down. Not only are his children dropping his name, but Brad continues to fight Angelina in a bitter $350million dispute over their 1,300-acre French vineyard. This is despite reports that Brad’s partner of four years, 33-year-old jewellery designer Ines de Ramon, has begged him to surrender. An insider said: “Many believe that Brad is only making things worse for himself by continuing his fight with Angelina and turning his own kids against him. “Things will only get more messy. Any publicist worth their salt would tell them to stay away from him publicly.” In the 2024 GQ interview, Brad also reflected on his relationship with George and said they had “been through so much life at this point and so many twists and curves and turns. I know he’s got my back. I got his back”. But as the controversy in Brad’s personal life rumbles on, that may no longer be the case.