This week in nostalgia history: Angelina Jolie kisses her brother, Jennifer Aniston files for divorce and more

Angelina Jolie kisses her brother, March 26, 2000

As Angelina Jolie’s star began to rise in Hollywood – first for her Golden Globe winning performance as supermodel Gia Carangi in Gia – so did her reputation for being a wild child. After her Golden Globes win, she famously celebrated by jumping into a pool while still in her gown.

Her next media frenzy would create quite the stir at the 2000 Academy Awards, when Jolie attended the Oscars with her brother James Haven by her side. After winning Best Supporting Actress for her role in Girl, Interrupted, she gave an intimate speech, saying, “I’m in shock, and I’m so in love with my brother right now.” Later, while on the Vanity Fair Oscars party red carpet, Haven leaned into Jolie for a quick kiss on the lips. Media outlets went wild sparking rumours of incest between the siblings. Jolie addressed the kiss with Entertainment Weekly saying that they had nothing “more than brotherly” love for each other, and also mentioned, “my parents really loved that moment, and that’s what will always matter.” Haven also had some words about the moment in question and told Daily Mail, “I did not give Angie a French kiss. I congratulated her on the Oscar win and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. It was snapped and became a big thing.”

The incident was later parodied on Saturday Night Live, when Molly Shannon and Chris Kattan appeared on Weekend Update as Jolie and Haven, making out and revealing their love child played by Rachel Dratch.

Halle Berry is the first black woman to win Best Actress at the Oscars, March 24, 2002

Halle Berry made history at the 2002 Oscars by being the first black actress to win Best Actress. Berry won the award for her portrayal in Monster’s Ball. Upon accepting the award, she was flooded with emotion, saying, “This moment is so much bigger than me.” She also thanked the women who came before her, and mentioned this award is “for every nameless, faceless woman of colour that now has a chance because this door tonight has been opened.”

Although many thought this moment would change the Academy Awards judging panel, it unfortunately did not. Since Berry’s historic win, no black actress has won an Oscar, but has only been nominated. Years later, Berry commented on her Oscar win, telling Variety, “The morning after, I thought, ‘Wow, I was chosen to open a door.’ And then, to have no one … I question, ‘Was that an important moment, or was it just an important moment for me?’ I wanted to believe it was so much bigger than me.”

In 2016, The Hollywood Reporter released a list of previous black artists that have won an Academy Award from 1927 until 2016. The list is comprised of 32 Oscars awarded to various black artists in the 89 years of Academy Award history. Since then, there have been many conversations being had about the lack of diversity within all award shows. The framework of these conversations is making progress, as the Academy Awards just announced their most diverse nominations ever for the 2021 Academy Awards.

Jennifer Anniston files for divorce from Brad Pitt, March 25, 2005

Before Brangelina, there was Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt. Aniston and Pitt were Hollywood’s supercouple in the late 1990s to the early 2000s but reached their end in 2005 after rumours of an affair between Angelina Jolie and Pitt.

Aniston and Pitt were set up on a dinner date in 1998 and two years later, they got married in an extravagant ceremony in Malibu, California. After four and a half years of marriage the pair released a joint statement to People on Jan. 7, 2005, saying, “We would like to announce that after seven years together we have decided to formally separate. For those who follow these sorts of things, we would like to explain that our separation is not the result of any of the speculation reported by the tabloid media. This decision is the result of much thoughtful consideration.”

The rumours circulating about Pitt’s affair with Jolie were one of the many reasons Pitt and Aniston split. It comes as no surprise that these rumours came about after Jolie and Pitt met while on set filming Mr. and Mrs. Smith. The chemistry between them in the film was unmatched. It especially didn’t help the rumour mill after their iconic, steamy W Magazine spread was released while Aniston and Pitt were still married.

The announcement came after the iconic breakup vacation Aniston and Pitt shared, which many presumed was the trip where they decide to end things between them. There were, however, some sources that said the couple decided to split before their pre-booked holiday. Other sources said Pitt finally came clean to Aniston about his feelings for Jolie on the trip. They were seen kissing and cuddling on a Caribbean beach on New Year’s Day 2005 but announced their split seven days later.

In the court papers it cited that there were irreconcilable differences for the split. The actress, who had legally changed her name to Pitt, also asked to have her former name restored to Jennifer Joanna Aniston.