Angelina Jolie Shut Out of the Oscars—Was Hollywood’s Brad Pitt Allegiance to Blame?

The recent Oscar nominations sparked widespread debate, particularly regarding the absence of some notable names from the list, including Angelina Jolie. Despite delivering a much-discussed performance as opera legend Maria Callas in the Netflix biopic Maria, the Girl, Interrupted star was notably absent from the Best Actress category. Many fans and critics were quick to speculate that her snub might be linked to the lingering tensions from her highly publicized divorce from Brad Pitt, with some suggesting Hollywood is still “Team Brad Pitt.”

While the lack of a nomination for Jolie has fueled online discussions, film historian and UCLA Theater & Film professor Jonathan Kuntz offered his professional perspective on the matter. In an exclusive interview with The Mirror US, Kuntz addressed the speculations that Angelina was overlooked due to lingering bias following her divorce from Pitt, which was finalized earlier this year.

“The idea that there were enough folks who felt loyalty to Brad Pitt meant they must deny Jolie a nomination is quite a stretch,” Kuntz explained. “The Academy may have shown favoritism in the past for well-liked individuals, but with the modern Academy voters scattered all over the world, this is less important.” According to Kuntz, the global reach of the Academy voters makes it unlikely that personal animosities from Hollywood’s past would have any real bearing on the nomination process.

Instead, Kuntz pointed to several factors that likely contributed to Jolie’s absence from the Oscars race. “Jolie’s film was not seen as much as some of the others, and she may very well have come in sixth,” he stated. “Also, Maria is a Netflix streaming film, which didn’t generate raves, and Angelina has three prior nominations and two wins, so she has already been well-rewarded by the Academy.”

While the speculation around Jolie’s snub continues, Kuntz’s analysis highlights the importance of the broader context surrounding a film’s reception and visibility during awards season. Despite her outstanding work, Jolie’s portrayal of Callas was not enough to secure a nomination in an extremely competitive year.

The notion that Hollywood’s alleged loyalty to Brad Pitt played a role in the snubbing may be an appealing narrative for some, but Kuntz’s insights suggest that the reality is more complex. Ultimately, it seems that factors such as the film’s exposure, critical reception, and the evolving nature of the Academy’s voting body played a larger role in the outcome.