Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston used to be referred to as the Golden Couple, so despite the fact that they divorced and he’s now playing happy family man with Angelina Jolie, it was a shock to hear him speak negatively about his ex. If one of your former boyfriends makes harsh comments about you after a split, what should you do?

In a recent interview with Parade magazine, the A-list actor said, “I spent the ‘90s trying to hide out, trying to duck the full celebrity cacophony. I started to get sick of myself sitting on a couch, holding a joint, hiding out. It started feeling pathetic. It became very clear to me that I was intent on trying to find a movie about an interesting life, but I wasn’t living an interesting life myself. I think that my marriage [to Jennifer Aniston] had something to do with it. Trying to pretend the marriage was something that it wasn’t.”

When he was met with harsh criticism for dissing America’s Sweetheart, he apologized to her in a statement that HollywoodLife.com obtained exclusively. ”It grieves me that this was interpreted this way. Jen is an incredibly giving, loving, and hilarious woman who remains my friend,” the statement reads.

It continues, “It is an important relationship I value greatly. The point I was trying to make is not that Jen was dull, but that I was becoming dull to myself – and that, I am responsible for.”

Although he’s said his piece and taken some of the sting out of his words, it’s only going to make Jen feel worse that she couldn’t be the excitement he needed to liven up his life, that she wasn’t enough. No matter how you look at it, it took another woman — his Mr. & Mrs. Smith co-star, in fact — to give his life that thrill.

The only place that silence is the best policy in such a situation is Hollywood. Jen is smart to keep her mouth shut at the moment, especially because it appears that she’s finally getting over Brad with Justin Theroux.

If you’re in a similar situation, less is definitely more. That said, you want to say something; you can’t let a slight like that go.

If an ex calls you boring or pathetic or says his life was better without you in it, simply shrug and say, ‘I totally agree. Clearly that’s why I’m not with him.’

By issuing such a small, noncommittal statement, you’re saying that not only are you over your ex completely, but that it was you who did the dumping. Even if that isn’t the case, it still sounds as if the decision to break-up was yours. How’s that for winning?

.

Email me! | Follow Hollywoodlife.com on | Become a fan

Joe Jonas regrets making the great mistake of not only dumping Taylor Swift, but tearing her heart into teeny tiny shreds. But he doesn’t just feel remorse for his actions — he reportedly wants her back, and is doing everything in his power to make it happen. Should she forgive, forget and take him back?

Joe, 22, feels like a fool for dumping the country cutie so harshly. “He wants her back,” a source told Us Weekly. “He’s older and wiser and has grown up a lot since they first dated. He wants to show her he’s a changed man and would love to see what’s possible between them.”

He’s showing her, all right! When he released his “Just In Love” video Sept. 12, the actress playing his on-screen lover was a dead ringer for his ex! Additionally, he attended her LA concert at the Staples Center in August in a bid to show his support. A few days later he even traveled to see her perform in San Jose, California. Now that’s a man on a mission!

Although Taylor is currently being pursued by yet another ex, Taylor Lautner, she allegedly has a soft spot for her first love. And insider close to the singer says, “She was heartbroken when he left, but he was her first big love; she’s always held a spot for him in her heart.”

Do actions speak louder than words? Should Taylor give her ex another shot, and should you if you find yourself in a similar position?

People do change to a degree, and Joe was young when he decided to dump the country starlet. Still, when someone hurts you as badly as Joe did Taylor, it’s hard to completely accept that person into your life, and foolish to do so as well.

With age comes wisdom, and Taylor may just have enough common sense to realize that Joe hurt her badly enough that she’d never accept him back. It’s one thing to be friendly and casual with an ex, and another to let him back into your heart.

Who’s to say he won’t hurt her again? He didn’t seem to have any problem breaking the heart of Demi Lovato, an admittedly good friend of his, and parading his then new-girlfriend Ashley Greene around on tour.

If you’re thinking about taking an ex back, please be careful, and please heed this expression: ‘Trick me once, shame on you. Trick me twice, shame on me.”

It doesn’t matter how many grand gestures an ex makes, it’s the little things he does that count the most. If you can’t completely trust him, don’t take him back.

.

Email me! | Follow Hollywoodlife.com on | Become a fan

To the average eye, Kim Kardashian and new husband Kris Humphries look completely in love. But can any new marriage hold up under the pressure of working together, living together and learning how to live your life as a husband or wife? Although body language expert Dr. Lillian Glass already believes there’s trouble in paradise for the newlyweds, I don’t think that their specific situation will cause any additional problems.

After viewing photos of the the two at Duane McLaughlin‘s Ready To Live album release party on Sept. 10, Glass told HollywoodLife.com, “Kris is not used to the fame. [He] is hunched over and Kim’s awkward too. They are very tentative with each other.  Kim’s hands are cupped which means she’s not comfortable and she’s holding back. Kris has got a half smile, he’s very ambivalent, and he’s holding his glass instead of his girl. They are an awkward-looking couple. They don’t look right together. There is too much distance between them. Very uncomfortable to look at them.”

.

Email me! | Follow Hollywoodlife.com on | Become a fan

It’s not uncommon to find that, in relationships, one person loves more than the other. Guys like Robert Pattinson, Justin Bieber and Brad Pitt exemplify this trend; they seem to be whipped by the ladies in their lives. But should you have almost total control over your man like Kristen Stewart, Selena Gomez and Angelina Jolie seem to do?

The Biebs, 17, appears to be following his older woman, 19-year-old Selena, around the globe. Brad Pitt is often found toting around he and Angie’s six kids. R-Patz may be a vampire, but he’s constantly making wolfy puppy dog eyes at K-Stew…and I can’t even get into how whipped Kris Humphries is — his whole personality has been consumed by wife Kim Kardashian and her family.

The results of a recent poll on HollywoodLife.com indicates that you think Rob, 25, and Justin are the most whipped guys in Hollywood. At weigh-in time, the “Baby” singer was winning in the whipped games with 41.84% of the votes; the Breaking Dawn was a close second with 38.73%.

But is it a bad thing to be wearing the pants in your relationship?

To some women, love is all about control. If they can’t call the shots, they’re not happy. Similarly, strong women like Kristen, 21, and Angelina, 36, think they like to take the lead, but are also happy when the guys in their lives stand up to them. It’s a give and take relationship.

Any partner having complete control over the other isn’t a good thing. You want your man to be your equal. It’s human nature to want what we can’t have and ignore what comes too easily, especially for the less highly evolved. That said, each of the couples mentioned seems to have found what works for them.

It’s nice to be adored by the guy in your life, but don’t turn him into a slobbering puppy dog. I guarantee you, the longer he’s following in your footsteps, the more bored you’ll become.

.

Email me! | Follow Hollywoodlife.com on | Become a fan

Everyone knows that Miley Cyrus isn’t afraid of expressing her sexuality. The former Hannah Montana starlet’s most recent act of naughtiness? She engaged in some serious dirty dancing for boyfriend Liam Hemsworth‘s benefit at a Chicago nightclub on Wednesday, in front of mom Tish, no less! Should she be saving her sultry moves for a more private location, or is it OK to express her sexual feelings in public?
The 18-year-old, who boldly just admitted to “experimenting with her sexuality” and her 21-year-old Australian boyfriend were at a party celebrating British retailer Topshop’s arrival in Chicago. So what racy behavior went down inside the Windy City’s Paris nightclub?

According to the New York Post, “Liam was sitting down while Miley was dancing playfully and seductively. Nothing too over the top, though, as she was under the watchful eye of her mom. There was a very relaxed, good energy.”

But is any kind of public sexual display something that you should keep behind closed doors?

In Miley’s case, her mom — and the rest of the world, for that matter — are used to her blatantly over-the-top sexual behavior. As long as she didn’t give Liam a lapdance, it’s safe to say Tish wouldn’t have had a problem. The party guests probably expected it, in fact.

Let’s face it, dirty dancing is a fact of life. What do nightclubs exist for if not to do some sort of booty-shaking? Another fact of life: men love it. So doing a few bump ‘n grinds moves for your man definitely gets two thumbs up here.

That said, there is such a thing as taking it too far. Like I mentioned before, a public lapdance is a no-no, and that kind of move should absolutely be left for the boudoir. Anything that hints at what might happen behind closed doors without actually saying it is a plus, though.

Yes, you know what that means. If Miley’s dirty dancing was really as tasteful as the Post proclaims, the sexy starlet actually behaved appropriately for once!

.

Email me! | Follow Hollywoodlife.com on | Become a fan

Scarlett Johnansson wasn’t happy in her marriage to studly Ryan Reynolds and called it quits, taking up with Sean Penn soon after (they’ve since split). So now that he — at last — is finally moving on, is she allowed to have an opinion about his alleged new woman, Sandra Bullock? Does he need her seal of approval?

Well, no, but allegedly he’s got it. A source tells Star that the husky-voiced bombshell is totally supportive of her ex’s new relationship.

“Since Scarlett likes and respects [Sandra Bullock] so much, it doesn’t bother her that she’s with [Ryan Reynolds] now,” a source tells the magazine, adding that Scarlett has finally given up hopes of putting her marriage back together.

ScarJo, who seems to have a thing for older men, reportedly knew she and The Green Lantern star weren’t meant to last forever. “She knows how much [Ryan] wants to be a dad, and that while Sandra loves her career, she treasures motherhood more.”

Here’s the thing: while it’s nice that Scarlett likes Sandra so much, it doesn’t matter one iota. She gave up on her marriage and moved on almost immediately. She has no say at all about whom he gets involved with.

Sure, as the ex-girlfriend, you’re always going to have thoughts on your ex’s new squeeze — even if it’s you that’s done the dumping — but those opinions don’t matter. Once a relationship is over, neither you nor your ex have any prior claim on the other. You can’t choose who the other dates and you certainly can’t tell one another if you don’t approve of their new choice: you and he are over.

Ryan doesn’t need Scarlett’s blessing, and neither will your ex when he moves on, so don’t go trying to sell your acceptance when it’s completely unnecessary.

.

Email me! | Follow Hollywoodlife.com on | Become a fan

Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart are definitely in love, there’s no denying it. However, the hottest couple of the  moment are repeatedly separated for month-long jaunts to work on different projects now that the last of the Twilight films, Breaking Dawn, has wrapped. Should they be focusing on their mutual careers or more on making their love last?

The two had been apart for nearly a month while K-Stew, 21, filmed Snow White and the Huntsman in the 25-year-old British heartthrob’s native London. They reunited over Labor Day weekend when R-Patz flew to visit his girlfriend.

The last time to two were spotted together was during San Diego’s superfan convention, Comic Con, on July 24; she  landed at London’s Heathrow airport on July 31 holding his guitar for safekeeping. She hasn’t been entirely Rob-free in Londontown, though: since arriving in the U.K., she’s had dinner with Rob’s parents and sister, Lizzie.

Given that they’re often apart, are these two being smart to put their careers ahead of their relationship? Should you be doing the same?

I think Rob and Kristen’s situation is very isolated in the sense that it seems to be working for them, but it is working for a reason. They have been a couple for years now and had feelings for one another even longer; this isn’t some new and uncertain romance. Secondly, it appears that they have a one-month rule: meaning, they can’t go longer than one month without seeing one another, which is actually very sensible. Kristen employed a similar tactic by visiting Rob on the Toronto set of Cosmopolis. Yup, you guessed it — they had been apart for exactly one month.

K-Stew continued to do the right thing by hanging out with his family independently of him. It shows how strong their relationship is, and how confident she is that it will last. It actually seems like she enjoys being around his parents, which is always a tough step in any relationship.

Also, their careers are red hot at the moment. They’re beating older, more established actors for plum parts because of the fame they’ve gained from Twilight and it would be foolish to ignore their time in the sun in the notoriously fickle world of Hollywood.

But how does this apply to you? Well, if you’ve just started seeing someone and are unsure of where it’s going to go, then you need to be just as careful about your career. Don’t let your work fall by the wayside just because you think you’re in love, or you’re excited and enthralled by your new man. It’s all about finding the happy balance of work and love.

Definitely do as K-Stew and R-Patz have: these two know how to conquer any distances.

.

Email me! | Follow Hollywoodlife.com on | Become a fan

Demi Lovato has been through a lot since her May breakup with longtime friend Joe Jonas. It’s now September and she seems to finally have moved on from the Jo Bro with Nick Simmons. But is it too soon? How long should you wait before seriously dating someone new? HollywoodLife.com spotted the 19-year-old starlet at Hollywood’s Lexington Social House with a group of friends on Sept. 3. However, she was mostly focused on her new man, the 22-year-old son of Kiss rocker Gene Simmons.

The two were PDA’ing like crazy in the presence of her friends, kissing and tickling one another like mad. They left the restaurant together at the same time after enjoying their night of fun.

The starlet was heartbroken after her May split with Joe, 22, though, who casually dumped her after three months and years of friendship. Does this new relationship have a shot of lasting, or has she not given herself enough time to heal?

It’s barely gone three months since the breakup, but everyone moves at their own pace. However, if you’re getting over someone you’ve really been in love with as well as the pain of rejection, someone you’re seeing after such a short time in merely going to be a rebound or transition guy.

This is not always the case; there are exceptions. However, it might be safer for your heart to find someone you have a good time with and are attracted to after getting over a great love. Why put unnecessary pressure on yourself?

.

Email me! | Follow Hollywoodlife.com on | Become a fan