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How NFL Once Played Surprising Role in Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's Dream Wedding’s Success
A throwback to when Hollywood's power couple outsmarted the paparazzi with a little help from America's favorite sport.
Ten years ago, Hollywood's golden couple, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, pulled off the seemingly impossible: a paparazzi-free wedding.
As we look back on this masterful media escape, it's clear that the stars aligned perfectly - with an unexpected assist from the National Football League (NFL).
The last weekend of August 2014 saw a unique convergence of events that created the ideal cover for Brangelina's secret nuptials.
The entertainment world was caught up with back-to-back award shows: the MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday and the Emmys on Monday.
These double-mega events of glitz and glamour effectively diverted the attention of Hollywood's press.
But why were these events scheduled so closely together? The answer lies in America's favorite sport: football.
NBC decided to air the Emmys that year, which faced a scheduling conflict with their Sunday Night Football program.
Unwilling to sacrifice those advertising dollars, the network made an unprecedented move, shifting the Emmys to Monday for the first time in 38 years.
This domino effect, set in motion by the NFL's scheduling, inadvertently provided the perfect timing for Jolie and Pitt's intimate ceremony at Chateau Miraval, their French estate.
Angelina Jolie's reputation as a media savant is well-established.
Known for her ability to control narratives without the aid of a publicist, Jolie has a history of outwitting the paparazzi.
From negotiating with photographers to protect her family's privacy to strategically releasing information about personal matters, Jolie has consistently demonstrated her media acumen.
The timing of their wedding announcement on Thursday morning was another stroke of genius.
This strategic delay ensured that the news missed the print deadlines of major celebrity magazines, effectively neutralizing a cycle of speculative headlines and unverified stories about the wedding details.
Since leasing Chateau Miraval in 2008 and purchasing it in 2011, the couple had kept the media guessing about a potential wedding at the beautiful venue.
For six years, speculation ran rampant, with the property's private chapel fueling rumors of a long awaited ceremony.
The prolonged anticipation made the eventual surprise all the more effective.
As one industry insider noted, "She knows the weeklies' printing schedule. OK! closes on a Thursday [the week before] so they had no chance. The others close on Monday night at midnight, so they were out."
The couple's masterful execution of their private wedding set the stage for their upcoming professional collaboration.
With filming for By the Sea - their first on-screen pairing since 2005's Mr. and Mrs. Smith- scheduled to begin the following month, the renewed public interest couldn't have been better timed.
Looking back, it's clear that Jolie and Pitt's wedding was a testament to their media savvy and the unpredictable nature of celebrity news.
The NFL's role in this Hollywood fairy tale, while unintentional, highlights the interconnectedness of American pop culture.
In an era of constant social media updates and 24/7 news cycles, the ability to pull off a move like Jolie and Pitt to maintain privacy for their special day seems almost impossible right now.
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