Angelina Jolie and the art of the perfect PR campaign.

This week’s news has been dominated by Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s divorce. Theories as to why the golden couple is splitting after 12 years are rampant but not much is known for certain.

But what we do know, we know because Angelina Jolie wants us to.

Over the last few days, Jolie, her public relations and legal teams have orchestrated and enacted a media campaign that is going to be studied and lauded for years to come. Every single move, statement, rumour, and denial has been perfect.

On Tuesday morning TMZ broke the news that Jolie had filed for divorce from Pitt. While it’s not strange that TMZ broke a story, it is strange that they were able to break something this big about Jolie and Pitt.

Over the years the couple has carefully orchestrated every bit of news about their family. They famously sold the first photos of their daughter Shiloh for $4.1 million, and photos of twins Vivienne and Knox for $14 million, which they then donated to charity. They did the same with their wedding photos.

But before that they successfully changed the story from 'Brad Pitt leaves wife for wanton vampire weirdo Angelina Jolie' to 'Philanthropic couple leads quiet happy life'.

If the couple wanted a story to get out there they would have their publicist release the information or do an interview with People magazine. So, how the hell did TMZ  break this story?

Because Angelina Jolie wanted them to.

TMZ finding the legal documents she filed asking for full physical custody coupled with her lawyer Robert Offer saying she filed for divorce "for the health of her family", started a gossip frenzy. Offer added "She will not be commenting, and asks that the family be given its privacy at this time.” The rumour mill started to churn. Are they breaking up because of Pitt's parenting style? Because Pitt has substance abuse issues or anger issues? Is it because Pitt is having an affair with his Allied co-star Marion Cotillard? Or because of Pitt physically abusing one of the couple's six children?

Brad Pitt is under investigation by the LAPD for allegedly getting verbally abusive and physical with his children. More details at TMZ.com #TMZ #bradpitt #angelinajolie #brangelina

A photo posted by TMZ (@tmz_tv) on Sep 22, 2016 at 6:04am PDT

The Cut points out that all the major tabloids — People, Us Weekly, OK! — go to press on Monday night. So by filing on a Monday night, Jolie has made it so a full week will go by before the print issues have stories about the divorce and the tabloids can make money of the news.

Lainey Lui at Lainey Gossip thinks Jolie is using the swirling rumours as a tactic against Pitt himself.

“This was all was part of [Angelina’s] plan, as always, to control the media, to get her piece out there first, so that she can come strong in negotiations," she writes. "If he gives her sole physical custody of the kids, she’ll shut it down, and all this can just be ‘gossip.’”

Pitt has seemingly been blindsided. The actor was gearing up for a major Oscar campaign with his new movie Allied and any kind of scandal can completely change the narrative around a film (I'm looking at you Birth of a Nation). With his normal PR avenues taken from him he's been forced to provide statements he probably would have liked to have prepared better, like this one to People:

“I am very saddened by this, but what matters most now is the well-being of our kids. I kindly ask the press to give them the space they deserve during this challenging time.”

#BradPitt has spoken out about his divorce from #AngelinaJolie. For more, click the link in our bio. | ????: Ash Knotek/Zuma

A photo posted by People Magazine (@people) on Sep 20, 2016 at 10:21am PDT

The rumour mill continues to churn though. Jolie has already said everything she needs to say about her divorce. She can now just let everything unfold.

Her media savvy is the reason Buzzfeed has declared "Brangelina Is Dead, Long Live Angelina" noting that throughout her career, Jolie has run "a perfect publicity game by seeming like she wasn’t playing one at all."

And that's not a bad thing. Some look at media savvy as a detestable skill, like you're messing with people for your own enjoyment or gain. But, it doesn't have to be that way. And looking at the good Jolie has done by playing the media in the past, I don't think that is the case here.

Her lawyer said in her original statement that she filed for divorce "for the health of her family". Jolie is simply doing everything she can to keep her family healthy.

A photo posted by ???? DrSmashlove ???? (@drsmashlove) on Sep 22, 2016 at 12:33pm PDT