Alia Shawkat Finally Opens Up About All Those Brad Pitt Dating Rumors

Alia Shawkat and Brad Pitt became an unlikely tabloid pairing in 2020. They were only ever just friends, but that didn’t stop the press from obsessing over Shawkat’s every move. The Arrested Development star is finally discussing what really went down.

Videos by Suggest

A Quick Review

Brad Pitt is probably the most scrutinized male celebrity in American tabloids. He’s been a fixture for decades within their pages, and can’t befriend a woman without it becoming a major news story. Shawkat’s a Hollywood veteran, but for a few months in 2020, she was apparently Pitt’s everything.

Stories poured in claiming everything under the sun. Shawkat was getting married to Pitt, or she was carrying his baby for Jennifer Aniston. They were supposedly moving in together. All of this came about simply because they started hanging out. Shawkat’s always denied any romance them, and now she’s really opening up.

Didn’t Have A Clue

In an interview with The New Yorker, Shawkat was asked what it was like under such a harsh tabloid spotlight. She was asked if the media circus was entertaining. “It was not fun at all. I’m not an actor who has ever dealt with the paparazzi,” she says.

Her frustration had nothing to do with Pitt personally, “he’s a great fucking guy. But of course, the idea of me being romantically involved with an older white guy is what gets me the most attention.” Shawkat wishes her 20-year career is what would get more attention. Shawkat says the paparazzi stalked her fiercely: “There are all these embarrassing photos, they had followed me there. Then they just disappeared, and now they don’t give a shit.

Her Grandmother Loved It

While Pitt and Shawkat were not an item, it did delight Shawkat’s grandmother. During a recent visit, Shawkat spotted one of the many tabloid covers with her face on it. Shawkat asked her grandmother, “‘Why do you have this?’ She’s, like, “It’s you and this movie star! And it’s your face.” I was embarrassed by it. I told her she had to throw it away. And she laughed.”

This interview also provided a bit of wisdom about Pitt himself. Fully in line with his reputation, Shawkat says “he had no awareness of [the rumors] at all. Which is so funny. Because he doesn’t read that shit.” Pitt told her, “I’m sorry. It happens. If you hang out with me, it happens.”

You can see Shawkwat in Being The Ricardos, streaming now on Amazon.