Pitt appears at charity luncheon

Brad Pitt, diagnosed with a mild case of viral meningitis and released from the hospital last week, accepted a €200,000 cheque on behalf of the Film Foundation at the Hollywood Foreign Press Association luncheon in Beverly Hills, California.

Brad Pitt, diagnosed with a mild case of viral meningitis and released from the hospital last week, accepted a €200,000 cheque for charity on behalf of the Film Foundation at the Hollywood Foreign Press Association luncheon in Beverly Hills, California.

A still-blond Pitt, wearing a white jacket and shirt, pretended to pocket the cheque for himself after the presentation. The HFPA’s annual installation luncheon honouring its 2005-2006 slate of officers was held yesterday at the Beverly Hills Hotel.

Pitt, 41, checked himself into Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre in Los Angeles on July 11, complaining of flu-like symptoms. He went home two days later.

The actor was in Ethiopia recently with his Mr & Mrs Smith co-star Angelina Jolie to pick up the actress’s newly adopted baby girl, Zahara. Pitt’s publicist, Cindy Guagenti, has declined to say if he contracted the illness while in Africa.

Pitt separated from Friends actress Jennifer Aniston in January after four-and-a-half years of marriage. She filed for divorce in March citing irreconcilable differences.

Other stars attending the event included Kevin Bacon, Jesse Bradford, Peter Falk, America Ferrera, Sally Field, Emmy Rossum and Ziyi Zhang.