Luck really wasn’t on Ella Purnell’s side as she got pulled into the Brangelina separation despite being innocent.

As if relationships weren’t already so complicated, in Hollywood, it is a completely different level of mess. From lies to secrets to cheating scandals, every other fairytale couple in Tinseltown has been through that and more. Especially if it is a high-profile case, the whirlwind leaves a few rumors behind in the dust. The highly publicized Angelina Jolie-Brad Pitt split is a great example of that, where Pitt was once linked with Fallout star Ella Purnell.

Back when Jolie and Pitt’s separation was fresh in the air, tabloids were busy sniffing out any possible names that led to the break up of Hollywood’s once favorite couple. And one of the rumors hit Purnell smack in the face, when it was reported that she and Pitt were getting it on together.

Years after the rumors subsided, Purnell decided to speak up on the issue.
Ella Purnell’s Family and Friends Thought the Rumors Were True
Ella Purnell had just won the lead role in the TV adaptation of Stephanie Danler’s bestselling novel of 2016, Sweetbitter. Brad Pitt just happened to be a producer on the show. Purnell, who was just 21 at the time, recalled in an interview with The Independent,

“It was my first job in America so that was really scary and it was my first time going to New York. I was like, ‘That’s so funny.’ I sent it to a few of my friends [as a joke]. And then I went to bed and woke up the next day, and it was f***ing everywhere. I had family members texting me to congratulate me.”

Purnell eventually regretted even joking about the rumor, as it went on to make her life miserable. She said,

“I was terrified. I was really upset. I felt like I couldn’t leave the house and I felt embarrassed. I read all the comments saying, ‘She’s a little slut. She’s a gold-digger. She wants to get famous. She’s a homewrecker.’ Not one person was saying, ‘Shame on Brad for dating practically a child.”

The comments made the situation even worse, as many believed the rumors were true. The reality, however, was far from it.

Ella Purnell Hadn’t Even Met With Brad Pitt At That Point

The truth came out long after Brad Pitt and Ella Purnell’s names were dragged through the mud. The two had never even met before, and the tabloids painted them as cheaters. The Yellowjackets star reflected how the situation could’ve been different if the genders were reversed,

“Essentially, what the tabloids were implying was that I’d only gotten the [Sweetbitter] job because I slept with the producer. This would never happen to the 21-year-old male lead of a show. I wished I had “nipped [the rumor] in the bud quickly to say, A) I’ve never met him. B) Use my platform to make a political stance”.

Purnell eventually let the rumor “ride itself out”, and after a few weeks, it was quite clear even to the public that there was never anything between her and the Fight Club star.