Continued from page 2

Going Their Own Way

Originally posted Thursday January 20, 2005 12:00 PM EST

Pitt (also wearing his ring) strolled on the beach in Santa Barbara on Jan. 17. He and Aniston "are trying to work out their differences in a very civilized way," says an industry source. Photo by: Ramey

Things – or people? In the aftermath of the breakup, intense speculation – bordering on a national conversation – swirled around two perceived trouble spots: (1) tension over whether to start a family; and (2) talk that Pitt got too close to Angelina Jolie, his costar in the upcoming summer caper Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Jolie, who like Pitt has denied any affair, was shooting a documentary in Niger when news of the separation broke. "She was surprised," says a source close to Jolie. "She knows what people are saying. She told a friend that there's not a doubt in her mind that he's never cheated on Jennifer. She doesn't believe he's done that or ever would do something like that."

Clearly in evidence on the Mr. and Mrs. Smith set, however, was the actor's fondness for Jolie, 29, which sources have said bothered Aniston. "There was a platonic relationship going on," says Efren Ramirez, who appears in the film. Pitt and Jolie often relaxed in a patio area that Pitt set up outside his trailer, according to one crew member. "We called it Brad's grotto," says the crew member. "Quite often Brad and Angelina were out there talking while her little boy [3-year-old Maddox] was playing next to the grotto."