Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are suing over a report that their relationship has hit the rocks.

London-based law firm Schillings said it was launching legal proceedings against the News Of The World over "false and intrusive allegations" that the couple had agreed to split.

Reports that the relationship of Hollywood's No 1 celebrity couple was in trouble began circulating last month and spread rapidly.

On Sunday, Brad, 46, and 34-year-old Angelina attended the Super Bowl in Miami with their eight-year-old son Maddox. The couple have ties to New Orleans, the home city of the Saints, who beat the Indianapolis Colts.

Brangelina bought a French Quarter mansion in the city in 2007, the same year Brad founded the Make It Right organisation to build houses for low-income residents who lost their homes during Hurricane Katrina.

The couple met while working on the 2005 film Mr And Mrs Smith, and have six children - Maddox, Zahara Marley, Shiloh Nouvel, Pax Thien, Knox Leon and Vivienne Marcheline.