Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie may be looking to buy in Manhattan.

We hear the star couple has been quietly checking out the Apthorp, the century-old upper West Side landmark that’s undergoing a condo conversion.

Until now, Pitt and Jolie have rented when they’ve come to town. Recently, while Angie’s been shooting “Salt,” the Brangelina brood has divided its time between the Waldorf Towers and Rupert Murdoch’s Rosehearty estate on the North Shore (where Rupe reportedly has been charging them $100,000 a month).

But the fortress-like luxury of Apthorp is apparently making the Pitt-Jolies consider settling down here.

“The gated courtyard means they can get in and out of their car without being hassled by paparazzi,” says a source. “The building also has several other exits.”

The Pitt-Jolies are said to be thinking about putting together three units in the building. “I heard they’re ready to spend as much as $25 million,” says a source.

That could buy them a lot of space, considering Douglas Elliman has slashed prices from $3,000 per square foot to as low as $1,500. (The most expensive unit – 6,197 square feet – sells for $15.5 million.)

Pitt, who is something of an architectural historian, is bound to be beguiled by the handwrought period details of the residence, built in 1908 by the Astor family. Some apartments are as large as 13 rooms and boast 11-foot ceilings and 44-inch-wide hallways. And restoration-minded buyers can customize the raw space to their liking.

What’s more, the Apthorp has long been celebrity-friendly. Nora Ephron and Cyndi Lauper are among those who rented before the condo offering. Among those who’ve checked out the conversion have been actors Alec Baldwin, Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick, and Knick David Lee and his model-girlfriend Sabina Gadecki.

The globetrotting Pitt-Jolies already have grand homes in L.A. and New Orleans but could be attracted, like a lot of Hollywood wanderers, by New York’s private schools.

Buying in the Apthorp does come with some uncertainty. Prudential Douglas Elliman must sell 25 of the available 32 units so that the owner’s offering plan can continue to operate for another year. A Douglas Elliman rep says that there are currently 12 to 15 units “in negotiation.” But – who knows? – maybe Brad and Angie will decide to buy up the rest.

(source)

Brad Pitt and his siblings have given $1 million to help a Missouri hospital open a new pediatric cancer center that will be named for their mother.

Pitt and his siblings’ families, Doug and Lisa Pitt and Rob and Julie Neal, gave the money to St. John’s Hospital in Springfield, Mo., on Saturday in honor of their mother’s passion for children’s issues.

The hospital is opening the Jane Pitt Pediatric Cancer Center this summer in the town where Pitt and his siblings grew up. The donation will pay to hire the only pediatric oncologist and hematologist in the southwest Missouri region.

The new center will make St. John’s one of six affiliates of St. Jude’s Children’s Research in Memphis, Tenn., meaning the center will be able to participate St. Jude’s clinic research trials.

Brad Pitt was the star attraction at this year’s edition of the world’s leading contemporary art fair.

He was also a customer.

He bought a painting titled, “Etappe,” by the German artist Neo Rauch, said Art Basel spokeswoman Maike Cruse.

The David Zwirner Gallery in New York had advertised the work as an “enigmatic and dreamlike” representation of a race car being serviced mid-competition.

Its list price was about $960,000. The gallery refused to comment.

Rauch is among Europe’s top painters, drawing on traditions of Eastern Bloc realism and Western abstraction.

The 40th Art Basel fair opened to the public Wednesday.

It features works from over 2,500 artists. Pitt also attended last year.

(source)

Move over, George Clooney.

Looks like Brad Pitt has found a new celeb to heckle: Mel Gibson.

The actor poked fun at Gibson’s 2006 DUI arrest at Spike TV’s Guys Choice Awards Saturday in L.A.

Just before the show began, Pitt entered the room and sat in a booth off to the side of the stage with Fight Club costar Ed Norton and the film’s director David Fincher.

Gibson opened the show riding in on a horse and wearing a Viking helmet. He then introduced Fight Club, which was inducted into the Guy Hall of Fame.

“Thanks, sugar t***!” Pitt told Gibson as he accepted the honor. (When he was arrested for DUI, Gibson reportedly called a female police officer “sugar t***.”)

Pitt, Norton and Fincher then read all of the bad reviews of Fight Club and cheered at each criticism.

After plugging his upcoming movie, the intentionally misspelled Inglourious Basterds, Pitt told the crowd, “Thank you for the greatest moment of my f****** life!” He stayed on stage for a few more seconds, pumping his fists above his head and egging on the audience to scream.

Before leaving, Pitt posed for photos backstage with Gibson and actress Halle Berry. He then darted out a side door where his car was waiting.

(source)

Sharon Stone

Dita Von Teese

Paris Hilton and Doug Reinhardt

Brad Pitt has been making drunken calls to ex-wife Jennifer Aniston, it has been claimed.

The actor, 45, has apparently been opening his heart to Aniston about his miserable relationship with Angelina Jolie.

“She was initially taken aback — especially as he sounded drunk and sorry for himself,” an insider tells Britain’s Now magazine. “He told her he misses her and that he’s sorry for any hurt caused.

“Jen being Jen immediately told him she’d never held a grudge against him and would welcome them being friends again, so long as she doesn’t have to be friends with Angelina. He agreed.

“Before the call, Brad hardly ever spoke to Jen and the relationship was strained. But this phone conversation broke the ice and opened the lines of communication once more.”

Pitt & Aniston married in 2000 and got divorced in 2005.

(source)