Somewhere in middle America there is a woman in her 50s who loves nothing more than snapping adorable pics of her kids. In the mornings, she enjoys a moment of “alone time” with a hot cup of coffee and a book about female leadership. On Sundays, she goes to church, where she is known as a model member of her religious community. The woman in question could literally be any American soccer mom, but this particular momma bear is different in one, major way: her brother is Brad Pitt.
Julie Pitt Neal has managed to dodge the spotlight and maintain a sense of normalcy despite the fame of her sibling. However, while her life is strikingly ordinary, it seems that Julie has had to put forth quite a bit of effort to keep it that way. Here’s the inside scoop on Brad’s sis and how she has carved out a tranquil world for herself, in the shadows of the Hollywood spotlight:
What Is Julie Pitt Neal's Religion?
One of the most grounding forces in Julie’s life is clearly her Christian faith. Her Instagram profile describes her, first and foremost, as a “lover of Jesus.” Afterwards, she considers herself a “wife” and “mother of five amazing kids.” That’s a total commitment to her religious beliefs!
On top of simply owning her Christianity, Julie has gained a considerable amount of respect from within her church community. Not only is she an active community member; she has also served as a speaker on numerous occasions. In fact, Julie has even contributed to a Christian talk series for women, called She Is Fearless. According to the Christian Life Assembly, Julie gave, “a beautiful testimony of what God can do with a heart willing to step out in faith and obey Him.”
Julie’s religiousness does not stop there. She has also partnered with a group called World Serve, which raises money to bring clean water to places where there is still very little access. In this capacity, she has spoken about God in order to raise funds to build a well in an Ethiopian village.
Julie Pitt Adopted Children Like Brother Brad Pitt
Although Julie’s world of religious commitment seems to differ from her brother’s past of tabloid divorces, the siblings have more in common than what meets the eye. For one thing, they both have huge families. While Brad raised six kids with his ex-wife Angelina Jolie, Julie and her husband have raised five children. But the similarities do not stop there.
The wildest parallel between Julie and her brother is their shared tendency towards adoption. Brad famously adopted three of his six children, and Julie adopted two boys from Ethiopia. Perhaps adoption is a family affair!
The proud mama bear has opened up about the experience of raising non-biological children, stating that it has not always been breezy... but not for the reasons that most people would think. In an Instagram post, Julie wrote, “when we chose to adopt, we knew we’d have some challenges... particularly racial ones. But what I didn’t realize was HOW differently I would have to parent (our boys) because of the color of their skin. This is so wrong on so many levels.”
Julie went on to speak out about the sense of fear she has experienced on the behalf of her boys, due to the racial bigotry that they face in the United States. “I haven’t been able to find the words for my sense of helplessness, anger, feat, and outrage for racial discrimination,” Julie told her followers. She then confessed “I’m wrecked. I’m scared in a different way (than my older white children) every time my boys go with friends without me.”
Are Siblings Julie Pitt And Brad Pitt Close?
Julie has made an enormous effort to keep her life as normal as possible. One major element of this means that Brad does not appear in any of her family photos. Not even the ones involving his and Julie’s parents.
This choice is strikingly clear in the pictures that Julie shared of her and Brad’s mother on her eightieth birthday party. According to Julie’s Instagram, the bash that they threw for “Grammy” was not a simple affair. Not only did the whole family wear themed t-shirts, but they also headed out to Santa Barbara, California to celebrate. It’s hard to imagine that Brad wasn’t around for his mother’s big day. Nonetheless, he doesn’t appear in a single one of Julie’s photos.
A similar situation arose on Mother’s Day, when Julie gathered with her husband, five kids, and parents for an adorable family shot. Brad, however, was nowhere to be seen.
Though Brad does not appear on Julie's social media, that does not mean the two siblings are not close. This could just mean that Julie would rather not be involved or associated with Hollywood, and would rather focus on her work and life with her family.
Brad's brother Douglas also does not publicly associate himself with the famous actor.