LOS ANGELES, California (X17online) - Brad Pitt wants to make sure the world knows Angelina Jolie isn't responsible for breaking up his marriage to Jennifer Aniston.

While he understands Jen's "uncool" response to Angelina's admission that she and Brad fell in love on the set of Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Brad tells W magazine - there's more to the story.

"What people don't understand is that we filmed [Mr. & Mrs. Smith] for a year. We were still filming after Jen and I split up," Brad said.

"Even then it doesn't mean that there was some kind of dastardly affair. There wasn't. I'm very proud of the way that it was handled. It was respectful," Pitt says.

Brad goes on to deny there is any hostility now with Jen.

"Listen, man, Jen is a sweetheart. I think she got dragged into that one, and then there's a second round to all that Angie versus Jen. It's so created," he claims.

And despite what you might think, Brad says he and Jen remain close.

"We still check in with each other. She was a big part of my life, and me hers. I don't see how there cannot be [that]."