Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio film driving scenes on Hollywood Boulevard for Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon A Time in Hollywood

I’m always prepared for the worst whenever Brad Pitt and his team of PR minions go dark for a few weeks. What’s funny is how many different angles they’ve tried in the past two years, and how often they jettison some new Pitt persona that isn’t working or isn’t being “bought” by people in general. Just think, about six months ago, we were hearing about Neri Oxman constantly and how she was the only woman who could truly stimulate him and she was prettier and more accomplished than Angelina, etc. Then that Pitt persona was jettisoned and it became all about how Brad Is Sad And Angry about the kids and he’s father of the year and Angelina is a terrible person. So what’s the new persona? I don’t know – Team Pitt seems especially eager to milk the potential for Brad getting remarried eventually, but this time he’s not going to be with someone famous. Really though, this Page Six piece is just another undercover hit piece on Angelina and how she’s made everything a “nightmare” for Brad. Some highlights:

Brad’s friends think he’ll eventually remarry: Brad Pitt’s marriages to two of the world’s most famous women, Jennifer Aniston and Angelina Jolie, may have ended in divorce — but friends still expect he’ll marry again. “He’s not a monk!” said one pal. The 54-year-old star has been dating quietly amid a turbulent and ongoing divorce from Jolie. “To say these two years have been a nightmare is an understatement,” a source close to Pitt told The Post.

He was never dating Neri Oxman: “Brad was never dating Neri — they are friends and their relationship is ­totally professional,” the pal said.

But is he dating Sat Hari Khalsa? On Oct. 1, Pitt was pictured enjoying the company of spiritual healer and jewelry designer Sat Hari Khalsa, 49. Pitt insiders aren’t convinced Khalsa’s the one for him, although she does fit his new MO.

Brad won’t end up with a famous woman: “I can’t see Brad dating someone super famous again, I can definitely see him dating someone with a lower profile,” said someone who has worked closely with the actor. Insiders say Pitt… has been “hanging out” with a few women over the past few months. But he’s working to keep things private after having had so many very public relationships over the years. The spotlight can be a “challenge” for people who aren’t used to it, said the source who has worked with Pitt. “There’s all this gossip and suddenly this person ­becomes a public character.”

He’s not going to end up dating a Playmate, like Ben Affleck has: “He just likes hanging out with his friends and anyone he meets will have to be from a place of trust… He’s focused on his children, his work and wanting to have some sense of normalcy. He’s dating casually but, for the foreseeable future, everything is about the kids.” That said, insiders tell The Post that Pitt is not looking to have more children.

Brad “rarely” speaks to Angelina: “The divorce is still an ongoing process. It’s not easy.” Insiders add that two years of public scrutiny have left the actor “wary” of launching into a serious romance anytime soon.

He believes in marriage, even through rough times: “He’s never been ‘woe is me’ — he’s very grateful for everything he has — but the public obsession with everything he does is just hard. He wants to be with someone nice, it’s just going to take a while before a long-term relationship can happen.” Asked if one could envisage a Mrs. Pitt Number 3 in the future, the pal replied, “Brad comes from a very traditional family, he’s very close to his parents, Jane and Bill, and his brother and sister are both married with families. I could see him marrying again, but it will be a much more low-key relationship.”

[From Page Six]

I think it’s sort of funny that sources are like “hey, he’s not going to go Full Midlife Crisis like Ben Affleck,” like that’s something deserving of a cookie. Affleck is a total mess, and of course Brad is more image-conscious and controlled than that. As for the repeated insistence that Pitt’s next wife won’t be super-famous… well, I have some thoughts. One, the failure of his second marriage wasn’t about fame, it was about his drinking and his abuse of Maddox. Team Pitt is making the argument that perhaps the Jolie-Pitt union failed because they were both mega-famous, like Brad was the one who wanted to leave Angelina. Again, she left HIM. And it didn’t have anything to do with fame. Secondly, I’m getting the feeling that he probably is seeing some non-celebrity already and we’ll find out about her soon enough. Maybe an assistant or publicist or makeup artist, someone within the industry but not a “celebrity.”

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid.
Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio back in their car on the set of 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood'
Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio back in their car on the set of 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood'
Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio back on the set of 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood' in LA
Brad Pitt is seen taking a break from filming "Once Upon A Time In Hollywood"
Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio film driving scenes on Hollywood Boulevard for Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon A Time in Hollywood
Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio film driving scenes on Hollywood Boulevard for Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon A Time in Hollywood