Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie: Their love story in pictures

September 20, 2016Sep 20, 2016, 5:23 PM GMT+1

When two of the biggest stars in the world crossed paths in 2004, neither was looking for love.

Brad Pitt was married to Jennifer Aniston, while Angelina Jolie explained: "We were both living very full lives.... I think we were the last two people who were looking for a relationship. I certainly wasn't."

The sultry leading lady was "quite content to be a single mum" to her adopted son Maddox.

The heartthrob was married to Hollywood golden girl Jennifer Aniston.

To Angelina, her work colleague appeared to be "with his best friend, someone he loves and respects".

Despite this, the pair became close while filming, bonding over the daredevil stunts in the action thriller Mr & Mrs Smith.

"I think a few months in I realised, 'God, I can't wait to get to work'," recalled the brunette beauty.

It took until the end of the shoot for the duo to "realise (the chemistry) might mean something more than we'd earlier allowed ourselves to believe," said Angelina.

"We both knew that the reality of that was a big thing, something that was going to take a lot of serious consideration."

The two remained "very, very good friends", Angelina says. Brad announced he was separating from Jennifer in January 2005.

It was her son Maddox who encouraged them to get together calling Brad 'Dad' out of the blue.

Angelina described the moment as "amazing". "We were playing with cars on the floor of a hotel room, and we both heard it and didn't say anything and just looked at each other.

"So that was probably the most defining moment, when he decided that we would all be a family."

Meanwhile, the couple tried to keep the romance under wraps.

But at the June 2005 premiere of the film which brought them together, the intense attraction between the pair was undeniable.

The couple finally went public with their relationship in January 2006 – with the announcement they were expecting a baby.

Angelina had adopted a daughter from Ethiopia, Zahara, the year before.

Brad adopted the little girl along with Maddox, and the couple legally changed the children's last names to Jolie-Pitt.

Brad and Angelina's daughter Shiloh Nouvel was born in May 2006.

Then the photogenic pair added to the family the following year with the arrival of Pax Thien, adopted from Vietnam.

They didn't stop at four.

In 2008, the couple announced they were expecting twins.

With the arrival of Knox Leon and Vivienne Marcheline in 2008, the Jolie-Pitts were a happy family of eight.

"I'm very, very grateful to have such a loving family, and I wouldn't have that without him," says Angelina.

Brad feels the same way: "One of the greatest, smartest things I ever did was give my kids Angie as their mum. She is such a great mom. Oh, man, I'm so happy to have her."

But Angelina's life wasn't always so wholesome. In a rare acknowledgement of her wild past, the actress has opened up about her "dark and dangerous" youth.

Her first union was to Trainspotting actor Jonny Lee Miller, and her bridal look consisted of skin-tight rubber trousers and a white silk blouse with the groom's name daubed across it.

Angelina then found romance with her second husband Billy Bob Thornton.

The couple enjoyed an intense and alternative relationship.

Nowadays, though, the über-mum is transformed, saying her dark side still exists and is reserved for one special person. "It belongs to Brad or our adventures," she said.

The pair still have a good dose of excitement in their lives.

For her 35th birthday he gave her a flame red MV Augusta motorbike, and showed her how to ride it.

"She's badass," said Brad, revealing that she's been giving him flying lessons.

Despite the complications of eluding the paparazzi and organising their children, the pair regularly find time for date night.

When Angelina's working, Brad, who describes himself as 'Mr Mum', takes over.

The couple, who got engaged in April 2012, were hit by something even more challenging than raising a large family.

The actress had a preventive double mastectomy because of the genetic risk of cancer in her family.

Her grandmother, mother and aunt all suffered forms of breast and/or ovarian cancer.

Brad was Angelina's rock throughout the treatment and praised her courage.

"She has always been the brave, bold individual that I fell for," said the actor, before adding: "She's still as sexy as ever."

On 23 August, the couple sealed their love with a touching ceremony at their home in France.

Sadly in September 2016, Angelina's lawyer confirmed that the actress had filed for divorce, adding that the "decision was made for the health of the family".

"She will not be commenting, and asks that the family be given its privacy at this time," the lawyer added.