Body language experts say Brad and Jen have unfinished business.
It's been 15 years since Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston divorced (open in new tab), but America clearly hasn't forgotten about them.On January 19 (open in new tab), after each received a SAG Award, Pitt and Aniston had an impromptu backstage reunion and it was the moment everyone was talking about.
Emma McIntyre's photos for Getty captured Aniston and Pitt, who were married from 2000 to 2005, in the midst of a conversation; both were elated by the awards and seemingly elated by each other. E. News earlier shot In the video, Pitt stood and watched on a monitor as Aniston received a statue for her performance on "The Morning Show" (opens in new tab).
Their bodies tell a story. Pitt's eyes are crinkled and smiling, the expression of a man reunited on land after being lost at sea. Aniston looks like a woman whose husband has just returned from war, their hands clasped, reaching out, rowing back through the years to a time when they were together.
Now, it may be over the top to make this reunion the stuff of romantic comedy, but any onlooker can add up the elements of this picture and conclude: these two are compatible.
Body language expert (opens in new tab) Patty Wood (opens in new tab) says we are not wrong to jump to that conclusion.Snap: Making the Most of First Impression, Body Language, and According to the author of Charisma (opens in new tab), Pitt and Aniston make a "deep connection" in the photo. Wood points to Pitt's right hand, which is clutching the statue. 'His prize is in his hand, but he holds it lower than his waist. It is she who is important to him," Wood said. Pitt's left hand gripping Aniston's right arm underscores that message. According to Wood, it is a grip that says, "Stay here with me."
On Aniston's side, we see a woman who clearly cares for Pitt and tries to protect the interaction. Says Wood, "Her expression is a very sincere combination of laughter and tears." 'Her breasts are a little off Pitt's chest. She cares about him, but she is protecting the connection between their hearts."
Aniston's caution is understandable given the very public breakup of their relationship. When Pitt puts Mr. and Mrs.
side by side with the first photo taken shortly thereafter, however, the story in the image becomes much juicier. In this shot, also by Emma McIntyre, Aniston appears to walk away reluctantly.
According to Wood, this exchange is the most "powerful" moment. 'She is completely unable to leave him. Her arms return to their full extension as she turns to leave. He smiles and gently embraces her," Wood told OprahMag.com.
Perhaps the way Aniston's hand is placed is indicative of her feelings of being torn apart. Wood continues, "The awkward finger placement and the tension in her fingers indicate her inner conflict, her desire to connect with him, to be close to his heart, and to move on."
But her left hand may be conveying another, more obvious message: Aniston appears to be wearing what looks like a giant engagement ring. Although she has not publicly announced her relationship, the diamond ring sends a signal (open in new tab) that can be understood without the help of a body language expert.
I'll note this as another entry in Pitt and Aniston's unfolding dating story. Perhaps they don't grasp it, but the public and the media certainly do.
This awards season is evidence of Aniston and Pitt's continued association. Both Pitt and Aniston are buzzing the film world: Pitt swept the Best Supporting Actor category (open in new tab) for his laid-back stunt double role in Once Upon a Time. (opens in new tab); Aniston's many emotional breakdowns on Apple TV+'s (opens in new tab) Morning Show (opens in new tab) have earned her the love of award shows.
Whenever either Pitt or Aniston gets attention during a live show broadcast, the camera immediately tries to get a reaction shot of the ex-lover in the audience. This happened at the SAG Awards, before the now iconic backstage photo was taken. When Pitt playfully joked (opens in new tab) that he needed to "stretch" to play "the guy who gets high with his shirt off and can't get along with his wife" in Once upon a Time.in Hollywood, the camera caught Aniston's amused reaction. She gets the joke (even if he was referring to Jolie).
Aniston and Pitt have been tabloid cover regulars since they first got together in 1998, but rumors of a reconciliation have intensified now that both are single (and reportedly back on the dating scene). Jolie filed for divorce from Pitt in September 2016, and Aniston divorced her second husband Justin Theroux in 2018. Since then, the former spouses have remained as close as ever. Pitt attended Aniston's 50th birthday party in 2019 (opens in new tab).
As always, Aniston and Pitt remain gracious, if a little irritated about the public's obsession with projecting their desires onto them. She's a great friend," Pitt told ET on the red carpet at the Golden Globes earlier this year (opens in new tab), "and she's a great friend.
But being friends is not the same as making up romantically over the strains of a violin.
It is clear that the former couple is still compatible, as the photo shows. However, it may be time to put the fantasy to rest. Aniston and Pitt seem to be, according to Wood, even if their bodies are not.
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