Just days after Brexit and weeks after “Megxit,” Brad Pitt earned the biggest laughs at Sunday’s BAFTA Awards by poking fun at both bits of British news — right in front the nation’s future king and queen.
And somehow the “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” star did it all without even showing up to the big event!
It was Pitt’s co-star, Margot Robbie, who took the stage to accept his Best Supporting Actor award in London, and she did so by reading a message penned by the 56-year-old himself.
“Brad couldn’t be here tonight due to family obligations, so he asked me to read his response for him,” the actress said. “He starts by saying, ‘Hey Britain. Heard you just became single.’”
Pitt, who’s divorce from ex-wife Angelina Jolie was finalized just last year, then took that topical jibe about U.K.’s recent separation from the European Union and turned it on himself, adding “Welcome to the club!’”
But it was his next zinger that really drew a reaction from the audience and from two very special attendees in particular.
BAFTA president Prince William and his wife, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, were front and center as Robbie then read aloud a joke about the other headline-grabbing British breakup: the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s decision to step back from their royal duties and to, at least temporarily, relocate to the other side of the Atlantic.
“Oh, and he says that he is going to name this ‘Harry,’” Robbie said as she held up the rose-gold trophy. “Because he’s really excited about bringing it back to the (United States) with him.”
Oof!
So how did the royals take that too-close-to-home jeer about Harry and Meghan?
Let’s just say that Pitt can rest assured his humor wasn’t greeted with a stiff upper lip. Both Prince William and the former Kate Middleton were all smiles.