Brad Pitt: Inside His Life Now
In the six months since his split from Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt has mostly avoided the spotlight-but behind the scenes, he's spending time with his kids, revving up his career and enjoying a more peaceful relationship with his ex. "He's much happier," says a source. As for divorce and custody negotiations, Pitt, 53, and Jolie, 41, are working with a private judge as they agreed in January. "He's very relieved that things are not playing out in public anymore," says the source. "It was a rough time, but they were able to resolve it. This is a work in progress."
The two have even talked to each other directly, and Pitt knew in advance that Jolie planned to take their kids Maddox, 15, Pax, 13, Zahara, 12, Shiloh, 10, and Knox and Vivienne, 8, on her recent work trip to Cambodia and Europe. The once-acrimonious relationship is now at least cordial. Jolie even recently told ABC she thought Pitt was a "wonderful" father. "He's always been extremely positive about how Angie's a good mother, and the goal was to resolve everything for the kids and the whole family, and they're working toward that," says the source.
Most importantly to Pitt, he's seeing his kids more regularly than he did right after the split. "He is spending more time with the kids when they are in L.A.," says another Pitt insider. "He has even spent some time with Maddox and Pax. Things are definitely calming down. Occasionally he still gets a bit down. He went from having quite the chaotic, full house to a very quiet house. Waking up with the kids every morning seemed to make him very happy."
Pitt-who isn't dating, according to sources-has a low-key social life. "He often has friends over. Old friends are back in his life, and he seems happy about it," says the insider. And the two-time Sexiest Man Alive has been working out almost daily. "He's lost a few pounds. He's in very good shape," says the source. Pitt has also been lining up his next movies as an actor and producer, developing the sequel to his 2013 hit World War Z while reportedly considering a role in another sci-fi film, Ad Astra. (Next up he stars in Netflix's War Machine, out May 26.) And he's continuing his charity work, stepping out Jan. 14 at the Rock for EB! benefit.
Another passion he's diving into: sculpting. An art aficionado, he spent the morning of the Oscars working on his own creation at artist Thomas Houseago's L.A. studio before watching the awards ceremony on TV with friends. (Moonlight, which he executive-produced, took home Best Picture.) "People close to him are happy he has found something new to be passionate about," says the insider. Adds an entertainment-industry source: "Brad is lying low and concentrating on his work-and he loves being a dad. He is in better spirits."
-With Pernilla Cedenheim, Linda Marx and Sara Nathan
