Posted on: Wednesday, February 16, 2005
Brad 'n' Jen breakup is magazine megaseller
By Karen Thomas
USA Today
Breaking up may be hard to do. But for celebrity watchers, it's big business.
Although it has been five long weeks since the separation of superstars Brad Pitt, 41, and Jennifer Aniston, 36, the couple continues to sell magazines, and there's no end in sight.
"Anything involving hope that they might get back together or signs that either of them is moving on is fascinating to our readers and the world," says Sheryl Berk, editor in chief of Life & Style. The Johnny-come-lately among a crop of highly competitive celebrity magazines has featured Aniston on the cover four times since the split.
Other signs of news value:
• The breakup has spawned the first-ever instant book from the publishers of Us Weekly. "Brad & Jen: The Rise and Fall of Hollywood's Golden Couple" ($6.99) is due in stores Friday. • Grainy, long-lens photos of Aniston kissing friend Vince Vaughn, which surfaced last week, prompted a bidding war between Life & Style and Us. "Kissing Brad Goodbye?" asks Life & Style's current cover. "Dating Already?" wonders the new Us Weekly. • Us has featured the couple on its cover for five consecutive weeks, the longest run ever for a single news story. The Feb. 7 "How Jen Found Out" was the magazine's highest-selling issue with 1.25 million copies. • People, which has an exclusive first photo this week of Julia Roberts' twins on the cover, also includes a mug of Pitt with the teaser "Brad & Angelina: Their Movie Wedding!" Gossip watchers say Aniston and Pitt are of more interest to readers than any other Hollywood pair.
"Even Nick (Lachey) and Jessica (Simpson), they're not on the same level," says Mara Reinstein, Us Weekly senior writer and co-author of "Brad & Jen."
The shocking split of Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise wasn't as earth-shaking. "Nicole moving on from divorce was very interesting, but Jennifer (Aniston) is the girl next door," Berk says. "Women relate to her, they wanted her to find true love on 'Friends,' and they want her to find it in real life, too."
