A divorce can be tricky, personally, professionally and financially. A public divorce—well, that requires a bit more of a strategy.
As Angelina Jolie shook the public by filing for divorce on Monday from her partner of over a decade, Brad Pitt, more questions than answers surfaced about what was next for the long-loved couple.
What will happen with their children? Was there trouble brewing behind closed doors? Had either been unfaithful? What is next? As those queries and more remain to be addressed, according to an expert, there are some things both actors can do immediately to protect their reputations in the court of public of opinion, particularly Pitt, who was not the one to file the divorce.
"I think he should get in front of the cameras immediately," Eric Schiffer of Reputation Management Consultants tells E! News. "He will have empathy as long as he gets in front of it. If he allows things to go untouched, it's going to hurt him. If he were my client, I would say get in front of the cameras, tell your truth, be vulnerable, explain the story."
As Schiffer described to E!, acting quickly and being honest are both key in moments like these. "If you don't address today's super-fast media cycle, you're labeled and defined in perpetuity," he continued. "Let everyone see your pain and it will humanize you and allow people to empathize with you."
Since news broke of their split, Pitt did release a public statement, telling E!, "I am very saddened by this, but what matters most now is the wellbeing of our kids."
"I kindly ask the press to give them the space they deserve during this challenging time," he continued.
"I think he addressed it quickly, which protects his image," Schiffer said of the statement. "He made himself look like a good dad who cares about his kids and not about himself. It was the right response."
As for Angelina, her longtime manager Geyer Kosinski told E! News in an exclusive statement Tuesday, "Angelina will always do what's in the best interest of taking care of her family. She appreciates everyone's understanding of their need for privacy at this time."