How Gwen Stefani And Angelina Jolie's Unlikely Friendship Began

Angelina Jolie was destined to be in the spotlight from the moment she was born. Jolie is the daughter of "Midnight Cowboy" actor Jon Voit, so it seemed inevitable she would find a career in showbiz, following in her father's footsteps. Aside from starring in award-winning films like "Gia" and "Girl Interrupted," her name has been a tabloid staple — and even more so when she married fellow actor "Brad Pitt."

Throughout her rise to fame, Jolie has kept a private life and made attempts to refrain from the spotlight. According to Page Six, the "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" actor once revealed that she keeps a tight-knit group close to her. She said, "Well, I have a few girlfriends. I just... I stay at home a lot. I don't do a lot with them, and I'm very homebound. I talk to my family, I talk to Brad... But I don't know, I don't have a lot of friends I talk to..." However, besides Pitt, another person that has found their way into Jolie's close-knit circle is pop-punk singer Gwen Stefani.

It seemed like an unlikely pairing. After all, unlike Jolie, Stefani has a big personality. That said, Hollywood has seen plenty of friendships that don't necessarily make sense — yet they've persevered regardless. Stefani and Jolie are one of those friendship duos, and their bond goes back several years.

Giving birth to a child changes your entire world, and it's nice to have someone there who has shared a similar experience. Luckily, Gwen Stefani and Angelina Jolie had each other to lean on each during their pregnancies. According to the Daily Mail, the "Maleficent" actor and Stefani have been acquaintances since 1998. Although, it wasn't until they began welcoming their children that they began to foster a friendship.

Made for Mums reported that it all began in 2006 when Stefani gave birth just one day after Jolie did. Fast-forward two years later, and the two celebrities were pregnant around the same time — again! According to Us Weekly, Jolie welcomed her twins, Vivienne and Knox, a month before the "Hollaback" singer gave birth to her son, Zuma. Since the two celebrities had children near the same age, playdates naturally followed. What resulted was not only a friendship between their young children but also between Jolie and Stefani themselves.

And if you were wondering what a Jolie and Stefani playdate looked like, well, a source revealed to Us Weekly just how often the two celebrities got together. They said, "All of the kids are very close in age. They've attended each other's birthday parties and gotten together several times at each other's homes." Even after the two moms had filled their nests, their bond remains unshakable, and they've continued to support each other — even through their most difficult moments.

Angelina Jolie and Gwen Stefani's lives have had plenty of similarities other than the birth of their kids, although they probably wished they hadn't. In 2015, The "Don't Speak" singer separated from her ex-husband after he was accused of cheating with the couple's nanny, per OK!. Similarly, just one year later, Angelina Jolie's life took an unexpected turn when she dumped her longtime partner Brad Pitt.

The couple's split shocked many as Jolie's attorney revealed to People that she was the one to call it quits. They said, "Angelina Jolie Pitt has filed for dissolution of the marriage. This decision was made for the health of the family." After the split was announced, rumors began circulating as to what really went wrong and caused the two to drift apart. According to Page Six, one such rumor suggested Jolie's situation was evocative of Stefani's. That is to say –  Pitt was also accused of cheating. Regardless of what happened behind closed doors, Jolie knew there was one person she could count on having her back — Stefani.

According to Hollywood Life, the pop-punk singer was among the first to support Jolie after her split from Pitt. And seeing as how the No Doubt frontwoman had endured a divorce of her own, she was invaluable to Jolie as she navigated her separation. Despite their heartbreaking divorces, Jolie and Stefani can say one good thing came out of it: An even stronger friendship.