Experts reveal why we're so affected by Brange split

Celebrity splits are always big news, but when the ultimate A-List power couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie announced their divorce earlier this week, a shock tsunami erupted around the world.

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From identifying what went wrong to speculating what happens next, there’s no denying this has been the biggest story to come out of Hollywood since, well, Johnny Depp and Amber Heard’s breakup.

But with interest still at an all-time high as information surrounding their split continues to emerge, what is it that makes us so affected by the fact Brad and Ange have decided to call it quits?

“I think what it comes down to is what they represent,” relationship expert Melanie Schillings tells Be. “Their story over the last 12 years has been through so many different phases that almost everybody can relate to one aspect – the people who have been cheated on, people who have a blended family, people who have adopted, those who’ve had aspirations to change the world.”

Indeed, although Brad and Ange have been together the past 12 years, this is a story in the making since 1999 when Brad asked Jennifer Aniston out on their first date. From there, it was a tale of a picture-perfect marriage torn apart when Brad was cast against ultimate sex goddess Ange in Mr and Mrs Smith.

“It’s pretty much a Disney story. There’s the prince, the princess and the wicked witch. It’s very much a story people relate to,” says Melanie.

“[Brad and Ange’s] relationship has been going for 12 years but all of a sudden the name that’s trending in Twitter is Jen Aniston. We’re making it about her, when it’s not really about her.

“For me, that speaks volumes about people still viewing the Brangelina relationship through the lens of him cheating on Jen, even though that was years ago.”

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Melanie admits it’s easy to forget Brad and Ange are real people and that the implications of the split for them, and the couple’s six children, are huge.

“I think the public feel that they have a certain ownership over Brad and Angelina’s relationship,” says Melanie. “They feel invested in it – they’ve invested 12 years of emotional voyeurism.”

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