A story about Angelina Jolie's supposed "secret shopping fix" is wholly made-up. A supermarket tabloid is announcing there's an "unlikely place to find the filthy-rich star," but Gossip Cop can expose how this narrative is completely manufactured.

"Superstar Angelina Jolie is wealthy enough to shop anywhere, but when it came to the holidays, she was all about bargains," the National Enquirer contends on its website. A so-called "top insider" is quoted as saying about her purported "secret shopping," "Angie loves Target." This alleged source continues, "It's one of her favorite stores, and it's where she buys lots of Christmas gifts. Walking around with her shopping cart makes her feel happy."

That's all the gossip magazine has to offer. But if it sounds familiar, that's because the publication's sister outlet, RadarOnline, peddled an article last week that was headlined, "Angelina Jolie Caught Discount Christmas Shopping — At Target!" The actress actually wasn't "caught" doing anything. The last time Jolie was seen at a Target was in August, at which time it was reported she and two of her daughters, Shiloh and Vivienne, were in and out quickly after discovering the store's cafe was out of the food item for which they had come in.

Jolie hasn't been photographed at a Target since then, but that single sighting appears to have been the impetus for both the webloid's tale as well as the tabloid's. In fact, both feature suspiciously similar quotes. For instance, the site has the line, "It's one of her favorite stores and a place where she gets lots of her Christmas gifts." But in the print publication's version, it's, "It's one of her favorite stores, and it's where she buys lots of Christmas gifts."

Additionally, the original web story featured the quote, "It makes her happy. Walking around with her shopping cart makes her feel normal again." But in this new article, it's, "Walking around with her shopping cart makes her feel happy." So, did the sister outlets have two "insiders" saying almost the exact same thing? Of course not. Did one "insider" say almost the exact same things in slightly different ways to two sister outlets? Of course not.

One writer who jointly works for RadarOnline and National Enquirer concocted this whole Target angle. It was then packaged to fuel two separate narratives. The former was about Jolie "discount" shopping for Christmas, with speculation about "financial trouble," while the latter is about a "secret shopping fix." Both are tied to the same store with slightly altered quotes. The methodology is completely transparent. And on top of that, Gossip Cop can confirm that no real Jolie "insider" would be talking to either the tabloid or the webloid. It's all made-up.

It's also clear that the publications didn't do much research, if at all. The narratives here are about the Oscar winner wanting to save money by shopping at Target. But if that's the case, why has Jolie been pictured shopping at Whole Foods multiple times over the years? Far from being a discount grocer, Whole Foods is actually known to be quite expensive. Clearly, Jolie varies her shopping locations and isn't looking to get a "fix" from one particular store.

Our Verdict

Gossip Cop has determined this story is totally false.


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