GettyAlthough our hearts still say Brangelina, it seems it’s now all about Brella.
Brad Pitt is reportedly now dating British actress Ella Purnell who – at 21-years-old – is 32 years younger than the the 53-year-old Fight Club actor.
According to In Touch Weekly, the long-time Hollywood Heartthrob is apparantly so ‘enchanted’ by the Never Let Me Go actress, he’s given her a part in his new Starz series, Bittersweet.
The upcoming drama is based on a novel about a waitress based in New York City and Brad apparently wanted Ella as the star from the very beginning.
According to In Touch Weekly’s source, Brad ‘went out of his way to cast her’.
The source also adds how Ella is equally besotted with her new A-Lister beau:
Ella is incredibly flattered by all the attention she’s getting from Brad,
She’s told friends he’s always been her number one celebrity crush.
PA ImagesAlthough the enormous age gap is likely to raise a few eyebrows, the mysterious source is adamant the new couple’s feelings for each other run much deeper than mere physical attraction:
He realises the huge age difference and that everyone would look at the relationship as a midlife crisis mistake.
He’s taken with Ella’s spunky, funny demeanor and formidable acting skills.
Since splitting with Angelina, Brad has reportedly enjoyed flirtations with Sienna Miller as well as with a Los Angeles-based sculptor.
However, this could well prove to be his first serious romantic attachment since the highly-publicised separation.
Although she may be young, Ella has indeed already proved herself in the acting world; steadily building up an impressive and varied portfolio.
She starred as Emma Bloom in Tim Burton’s quirky Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, and played Winston Churchill’s secretary Helen Garrett in biographical drama Churchill.
The Sylvia Young Theatre School trained actress has also won numerous awards for her stand-out role as MacKenzie in Indie flick WildLike.
Miss Pergrines Home For Peculiar Children/20th Century FoxOh and if you think she bears an uncanny resemblance to, erm, a certain someone, then you wouldn’t be far wrong.
Basically, Ella played Angelina Jolie’s younger, less twisted self in dark fairy-tale retelling Maleficent, which I’m sure isn’t awkward at all…
I mean, there’s having a type and then there’s dating somebody who was cast as your ex-wife before her wings and her innocence get ripped away and she becomes an embittered, evil witch.
But you know, the heart wants what the heart wants.
Maleficient/Walt Disney StudiosHead-over-heels Brad apparently can’t stop thinking about his new love interest, even as he busies himself with other projects.
According to this all-seeing source:
Although Brad’s been working on his sci-fi space travel film Ad Astra, he’s been checking in with Ella weekly as she preps for production.
Brad plans on coaching Ella for the show. He’s sure it’s going to be a hit and that it’s going to make Ella a star.
The budding romance is still in the very early stages, however the unnamed celebrity oracle has strongly hinted things won’t stay platonic for very long:
It’s only a matter of time before Brad takes their relationship to the next level.
Could love be in the air for this unlikely pair?
Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.