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Dogs Are Now Racist, Too
In 2017, Ella Purnell found herself under intense scrutiny when it was reported she’d started dating Brad Pitt after his relationship with Angelina Jolie went wrong. The allegations suggested the pair met while Purnell was working on Tim Burton’s “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children.” And when it came to casting TV series “Sweetbitter,” producer Pitt apparently fought for Purnell to win the lead role. While these rumors were quickly dispelled by Pitt’s team, who proclaimed the tabloid reports as fabricated while speaking to Insider, Purnell faced immense backlash from the general public.
Discussing the impact the false allegations had on her, Purnell told The Independent, “I was terrified and really upset. I felt like I couldn’t leave the house, I was so embarrassed.” Purnell also found herself drawn into comments posted about her on social media, all of which were overwhelmingly negative. As she explained to the publication, “I read all the comments saying, ‘She’s a little s***. She’s a gold-digger. She wants to get famous. She’s a homewrecker.’ Not one person was saying, ‘Shame on Brad for dating practically a child.'” At the time the rumors initially circulated, Purnell was 21 years old, while Pitt was 53.
The “Fallout” star especially took issue with the notion she was only cast in Starz series “Sweetbitter” because of her alleged romance with Pitt. However, one slightly funny reaction did come out of the gossip, as Purnell told Vulture, “My grandma texted me, saying, ‘Congratulations!'”
