Hollywood superstar Brad Pitt’s mother, Jane Etta Pitt, passed away on August 7 at the age of 84. In a touching moment, Brad Pitt expressed his love for his mother during a special screening of his film “F1” back in June, saying “Mom, love you” and blowing kisses towards the TV where his mother was watching.
Reported by People magazine, Brad Pitt, along with his brother Doug and sister Julie, grew up in Springfield, Missouri, under the care of their retired school counselor mother Jane and their father William, who was a former owner of a freight company.
While Brad Pitt’s parents mostly stayed away from the spotlight, they would occasionally accompany him to events such as the 2012 Oscars and the premiere of “Unbroken,” directed and produced by Brad Pitt’s ex-wife, Angelina Jolie, in 2014.
This year, Brad Pitt’s career reached new heights with his starring role in the film “F1” which became his highest-grossing movie to date. Two months ago in June, during an appearance on “TODAY,” Brad Pitt sweetly greeted his mother, joking that she watches the show every morning. He said, “Shout out to my mom, because she watches you every morning,” before declaring on camera, “Dedicated to Jane Pitt. Mom, love you!” and blowing a kiss.
As a retired school counselor, Jane Etta Pitt had kept a low profile until she gained media attention in 2012 for publicly voicing her anti-abortion and anti same-sex marriage views in a letter, criticizing then-President Barack Obama as a “liberal supporter of abortion and same-sex marriage,” which made her a target of left-wing attacks.
Following his mother’s passing, Brad Pitt has yet to speak publicly, but on August 7, “TODAY” replayed the heartwarming moment from two months prior when he expressed his love for his mother. Additionally, his niece Sydney Pitt shared a touching tribute on Instagram, saying: “Dear Grandma Jane Etta, we’re not ready to let you go yet, but knowing you can now sing, dance, and paint freely again makes it a bit easier.” She praised her grandmother’s generosity and unconditional love, reminiscing about their time together and expressing gratitude for having her love during their upbringing, knowing it will continue to impact each of them.
Brad Pitt has previously mentioned that his upbringing mirrored the extremely conservative Christian household depicted in the 2011 film “The Tree of Life.” Despite his parents being members of the Southern Baptist Convention, a conservative Christian denomination, Brad Pitt, a staunch supporter of Obama and advocate for same-sex marriage, found himself in a delicate situation following his mother’s public letter. To avoid family conflict, both Brad Pitt and his then-wife Angelina Jolie chose not to publicly address the issue at the time.