In the early months of this year, a curious thing kept happening: Brad Pitt kept hanging out with Alia Shawkat, an actress perhaps best known (to me) as Maeby Funke on Arrested Development. Alia is 31 years old. Brad Pitt is 56. Alia is very “hip/cool comedy actress/writer with young friends in the LA scene.” Brad is… not that. Not part of that crowd at all. There was even a rumor that Alia was the one writing Brad’s awards season speeches, which is something I still believe. So… is this really a thing? Could it be that while we were waiting for Brad to date Charlize Theron or Ana de Armas, he’s actually been quietly spending a lot of time with Alia?
Brad Pitt is strictly adhering to the coronavirus quarantine at his Los Angeles home — but he has accepted a few visits from Alia Shawkat.
“They’re hanging out plenty,” a source close to the Oscar winner, 56, exclusively reveals in the new issue of Us Weekly. “They’re only about 10 minutes away from each other, so Alia will bike or walk to Brad’s place whenever they have time to chill. It’s all very organic and easy.”
Pitt and the Arrested Development alum, 31, were first spotted together at the L.A. on Fire exhibition in November 2019. They quickly bonded over art, and she has since been helping with his sculpting work. “She’s been by his side at his art studio, helping him brainstorm projects to get involved in, and vice versa,” the source tells Us.
However, a second insider insists the pair are just friends despite their chummy hangouts.
This feels familiar to me in a strange way. Like, I relate to Alia – the “weird girl” who is friendly with people outside my traditional friend group. I used to be like that. I would have thought nothing of befriending a man 25 years older than me and doing casual hangouts at his home or art studio, or going to concerts with him or helping him write his speeches. I would have told myself that we were “just friends” too. And hell, maybe that’s all this is. But since it’s Brad, I kind of feel like he has some kind of agenda. Maybe it’s not a sexual or romantic agenda, but there’s *something* happening here.
Photos courtesy of WENN, Avalon Red and Backgrid.
I don’t care what their relationship is: they’re breaking quarantine.
Depends on what’s California’s stay at home order is. Where I live we are allowed to visit close friends & family members.
Well what the hell is the point of quarantine then ???
Ask my governor that question.
@ME it definitely doesn’t make sense — we’re still allowed to go to the hardware store, liquor store, etc. — places that are really not essential right now. Me and my parents have seen each other because we’ve all been legitimately quarantining for almost two months, so I’m grateful we’re allowed to see each other, but at the same time, I’m sure there are people visiting each other who are still going out and about and then spreading it to others. Not the smartest.
I love the game of loopholes people are playing. If you don’t live with them, and they will continue to live without you, you shouldn’t see them.
I dont think anyone but people with positive results and suspected cases are in “quarantine” in California. Most of the US is on a modified lockdown. Non essential business are shutdown, but no one is getting arrested or stopped from visiting a friend or relative. They reccomend against it, but it’s not against the law as far as I know.
I’m being cautious and havent been over to anyones house. I only go to work and the store for groceries. But you can see the isolation fatigue happen in WA in the past week or so. WA and CA were the start of the lockdown for the US and people were pretty good about it for the first 6 weeks. But I’ve been seeing more and more people start to disregard it as the weather is getting nicer and the kids are getting restless.
How is she allowed to visit him? I thought LA is in lockdown? Here in UK during lockdown we can’t visit people, unless essential?
We have freedom to move about, but we are “encouraged” to stay home. No services are available except essential (ie, banking, food, hospitals), but people are getting twitchy. More bike rides and evening walks. Yesterday was cinco de mayo and ALL the Mexican restaurants were doing take out, to include margaritas (which is typically not done. You cannot get take out alcohol in CA prior to covid). All that said, if I had a single pal who lived less than 5 miles from me, I would be hanging out 6 ft apart chillin.
The quarantine laws in the US are mainly written as prohibitions on what businesses can do and public places that are shut down. But cops can’t really stop anyone walking or driving and ask them their purpose like in other countries.
He looks like a melting wax figure in that Oscars picture.
As for Alia, the media really doesn’t want him to date her do they? One picture of him standing next to Neri Oxman gave tabloids romance fanfictions for months despite “denials”, yet when Alia is seen with him multiple times it’s nope he isn’t dating her.
Do you think it’s because she’s not conventionally attractive? Or something else?
And maybe Brad is trying the single dad who’s only focused on his kids, but the witch Angie won’t let him pr angle and him dating a woman who’s 25 years younger wouldn’t look good, so they are only “good friends”.
I find her conventionally attractive, and very much so. Her face is insanely beautiful to me. I don’t enjoy her fashion, nor do I understand her hair styling decisions, but to each their own.
Just wanted to say I went on her instagram and then realized I’m already following her but had no idea that she was the same girl from Arrested Development. I like her. As for Brad, I have no opinion about him anymore. He’s just like a blank space. He always was to me, since I was a kid. I do love him in some films, but that’s all. Probably cause he reminds me of a guy who went to my school who everyone thought looked like Brad and was hot but had no personality, nada.
She can do much better, even just friend-wise.
They are JUST friends!!! LOL
Umkay seriously doesn’t surprise. He uses people. He used her during awards season and got the credit. He is easy wasted space. She probably wrote what he did for SNL. I’m do hard on him for a lot of reasons this being one.
she has a small resemblance to Jolie.
I don’t see the resemblance but she is gorgeous. I don’t know what people who say she’s not conventionally attractive see?!
To me, she and Angie are the only beautiful women Pitt has dated (Thandie Newton too but I don’t know if it’s just a rumour).
I don’t find Aniston or Paltrow pretty or attractive.
I entirely agree with what @crogirl said. Angie is a godess, but Alia is very very beautiful herself, and from where I’m standing indeed much more beautiful than the other ladies mentioned.
Alia does not resemble Jolie in any way. They do not share any of the same facial features.
Here in NJ we’re still permitted to visit family and close friends if we so choose, so I’m not going to shade them for that. If those visiting each other have been strictly following the rules, it shouldn’t be an issue. Me and my parents have only visited each other, we’ve kept a safe distance from one another while visiting, and we’ve been having food delivered, so we’ve very literally been away from the outside world for 50+ days now.
NJ has pretty much said only visit if essential and stay 6′ apart.
That’s what I’ve done too, visited my parents only to bring them groceries, and we take all the precautions we can. My neighbors, on the other hand, had like 10 people over this past weekend, all hanging out together, no masks, no distancing. 🙁 I really hope none of them are carriers.
But as Brad and Alia are “just friends” and their visiting each other is not essential, I am going to shade them for it. I’d love to go hang out with a friend, but if everyone starts doing that, we’re right back to square one.
It’s very frustrating to see people going back to having parties. Just the other day there were balloons out on my neighbor’s mailbox and all sorts of people going in and out. People truly just got bored of this and decided they’re going to stop following the rules.
I say I’m not shading them because given their money and resources, I’m guessing they’ve genuinely been inside this whole time and aren’t going to the grocery store and the pharmacy. I’m sure they’re staying very safe in their homes. But that said, you are right — it sets the wrong example. The more people who just casually visit with friends, the more other people will want to do it — people who are still going out into the world for various reasons and could easily spread it, and therein lies the issue.
“But as Brad and Alia are “just friends” and their visiting each other is not essential, I am going to shade them for it. I’d love to go hang out with a friend, but if everyone starts doing that, we’re right back to square one.”
Exactly, and I hope he’s keeping distance from his kids since his not respecting quarantine
has he been hanging out plenty with his kids during quarantine or are his visits still supervised?
In interviews she usually says she dates women.
Oh, please, I bet they are together since last fall and they are quarantining together. Pitt just wants to do that roll out on his own terms, it’s all about public perception. Why is that important, it beats me, because he obviously can’t do anything wrong in public eye, all the vicious vile is reserved for Angelina – it was like that during their relationship and it is the same now.
If they are dating, it is really a super random couple. I’m guessing Pitt will have quite a few “good friends” that he is seen and photographed with in platonic situations. I don’t think he will submit any romantic interest to the public gaze until it is something important like a moving in together or marrying situation. I don’t see either of those happening for a long time.
I don’t think it’s random at all. She is accomplished painter (she exibited in us and internationally) so they have that art connection, plus she is an actress/comedy writer so they have industry connection and by Brad’s own admition, he is all into comedy these days. With her style, look and interests, she totally fits into his artsy life he is trying to create for himself nowadays, so yeah…
She could be his AA sponsor / friend / support / sober companion – helping him stay sober. Not every connection between a man and a woman has to be romantic and it could be a legitimate reason why they spend time together during the quarantine and because of confidentiality, they wouldnt announce the real reason.
ding ding
this is what i have always thought, because there have never been stories/rumours about Alia being on drugs or having issues with alcohol, so if they say “she’s his sober buddy” that inadvertently outs HER
My tinfoil hat theory is similar to yours. it would explain a lot.
what makes you think she is sober? seriously asking because i know nothing about AA
I know nothing about her (Alia), this is just a theory. I have family members who still struggle with addiction or in recovery. Pitt talked about attending AA meetings and usually people there have sponsors and fellow members support each other. But also confidentiality is one of the main pillars of AA. You would never out a fellow member or discuss anything that happens there. So she could be someone who also in recovery and they are supporting each other or she could be his sponsor.
There are also people who provide support for addicts in recovery, they dont have to be former addicts.
I know nothing about their situation, all I was saying they might have an AA connection.
Alcoholism is a mental health issue and it is incredibly hard for the addict (you are never cured or stop being an addict. when you are not using, you are in recovery).
(oh and i wasn’t super clear that for this theory i am proposing Alia is the one with a problem and not open to discussing it publically)
1. it’s weird for someone with no history of any substance problems to decide to be a sober buddy unless they’re a trained social worker/counselor, which I don’t believe she is – people usually get into that as part of their “acts of service” if they’re 12-stepping –
2. he claims he’s sober for ~3 years when they started hanging out, right about the time he would be doing his AoS.
5. if he’s *her* sober buddy, that would explain absolutely everything, right down to why he keeps emphatically denying they’re dating while not denying how much time they spend together and providing detailed explanations of what they do together which you have to admit, is weird (just say “they’re bros”)
3. …and a little hurtful if they *are* dating and just not ready to come out about it yet – the denials have been really flat – if you read them as though you’re Alia and you guys are actually dating, idk if you’d be thrilled about it 🙂
just my tinfoil hat theory!! we’ll see!!
I’m sorry but this is a super random couple and she doesn’t fit into Pitt’s usual type (looks wise). And why would she want to be tied down to an aging alcoholic father of 7? Or however many kids he has. It’s just so weird.
I’ve been watching Meet Joe Black over the past 3 nights on Starz (it’s a THREE HOUR long movie, so watching in installments) and man, is Pitt gorgeous in that film, or what?!?! Almost beyond belief, his staggering masculine beauty in those days (1998). Costarring is ethereal beauty Claire Forlani, whose promising career (love interest to Brad Pitt!) imploded right after, thanks to that dickwad Harvey Weinstein. Anyway, I hadn’t seen Joe Black before but I’d say it’s worth a watch…if only to ogle on Brad. Anthony Hopkins also gives a tremendous performance as the father.
Love that movie. For years I hadn’t really seen anything with Brad in it and assumed he was just a pretty boy, but he’s very good in that film.
She’s too beautiful for gross Brad. Like why does he think he deserves a mermaid? Idiot
Brad pitt > 99% of men in the look department (even at his age but even more when he was younger)
She’s the sort of person Brad Pitt would have run around with and hung out with during his pre-Gweneth days.
I agree. Alia’s more Juliette Lewis type than Jolie, Paltrow or Aniston.
Agree with you both that he is into the “indie” type if he has a type at all, but will add Saggies instinctively move towards gaining “range” and “tasting the buffet” will often play the field. He’s dated all “types” but the “indie type” is a distinct trend. Source: Saggie poster here.
Totally dating. Muse and older man situation happening here. They’re both (possibly highfalutin) artists!
Has James Franco ever been married though?