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Is Brad Pitt planning to retire from Hollywood because he fears everyone is getting sick of him? That’s the ridiculous claim in one of this week’s tabloids. Gossip Cop can set the record straight.
According to the National Enquirer, Pitt is terrified of overstaying his welcome in show business. “Brad is a big believer in leaving the party before it ends,” says a supposed source, adding that the movie star is “shy” and hates the spotlight. “It’s time to retire, to take a long break before he gets overexposed.”
The alleged tipster goes on to say that Pitt loves being an actor, “but hates being a celebrity” and all the attention that comes with it. “Expect to see less and less of Brad as he disappears in the shadows,” adds the questionable insider.
The tabloid’s report simply isn’t accurate. It’s likely this story was inspired by Pitt’s interview with the New York Times last year, in which he revealed he’ll be acting in fewer movies going forward. “It’ll be fewer and farther in between for me, just because I have other things I want to do now,” he explained. “When you feel like you’ve finally got your arms around something, then it’s time to go get your arms around something else.”
In addition to starring in movies, Pitt is a prolific producer who has his own production company, Plan B, which has been behind a number of prominent films and TV shows. Pitt said in an interview with GQ Australia last year, “I’m behind the camera on the producing side and I enjoy that a lot.” When it comes to acting, he added, “I really believe that overall it’s a younger man’s game.” The idea he’s quitting acting because he fears people are “sick” of him isn’t true at all.
Additionally, Pitt seemed less adamant about quitting acting in an interview with People magazine at the premiere of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood last year. When asked if he plans to retire soon, the actor responded, “No, I don’t know. I don’t know. I enjoy doing other things. I think that one day I’ll just wake up and organically it’ll be done.” He then joked, “Maybe I won’t wake up and that’s why it’ll be done.” Pitt has given many reasons when it comes to the possibility of stepping back from acting, but none of them have to do with hating the spotlight or feeling insecure about the public’s acceptance of him.
It should be mentioned, Pitt is in talks to star in the 1920s-set Hollywood drama Babylon, from La La Land director Damien Chazelle. He’s not out of the acting game just yet. Not only is the Enquirer blowing the actor’s past comments out of proportion, but it’s also putting a fake spin on what he expressed.
Still, Gossip Cop ran the story by an individual in the actor’s camp, who confirms it’s untrue. Our source notes, “He finished Ad Astra and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” further noting that his current downtime from acting is the “natural cycle of things.” This isn’t the first time the Enquirer has come up with a similar premise. Last year, Gossip Cop busted the tabloid for falsely claiming Pitt was quitting acting to become a beekeeper. In 2018, we called out RadarOnline for wrongly reporting that Pitt was quitting Hollywood for a career in art and furniture design. This latest take on the subject is more fiction.
Sources
Rawden, Jessica. “Brad Pitt Says He’ll Act In Fewer Movies Moving Forward.” CinemaBlend, 5 Sep. 2019.
Millar, Jake. “Brad Pitt On Tarantino And How Once Upon A Time Came To Life: “It’s A Love Letter To LA, But Also To Our Childhood.'” GQ Australia, 2 July 2019.
Russian, Ale and Huver, Scott. “Brad Pitt Thinks He’ll One Day ‘Organically’ Be Done with Acting: ‘I Enjoy Doing Other Things.'” People, 23 July 2019.
Kit, Borys. “Damien Chazelle’s ‘Babylon’ Lands at Paramount With Brad Pitt, Emma Stone Circling.” The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Nov. 2019.
Shuster, Andrew. “Brad Pitt NOT Quitting Acting To Become A Beekeeper, Despite Report.” Gossip Cop, 11 July 2019.
“Brad Pitt Quitting Hollywood For Art And Furniture Design Career?” Gossip Cop, 13 Apr. 2018.
Our Verdict
Gossip Cop has determined this story is totally false.