Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have finally finalised their 8-year-long intense legal battle on Monday, December 30. Jolie’s divorce lawyer, James Simon, told news agency AP that the actress is relieved as this one part is done as she was “exhausted”. The former couple had been married for two years and together for 12 before their relationship came to an end in 2016. Now, as everything is sorted between the two let’s go down memory lane and look at their divorce period which was no less than a rollercoaster ride for them and their six kids.
What led Angelina Jolie to file for a divorce from Brad Pitt in 2016?
Joline, 49, and Pitt 61, shocked the fans when they announced their separation on September 20, 2016. While filing for the divorce, Jolie cited “irreconcilable differences” and also asked for physical custody of her six kids – 22-year-old Maddox, 20-year-old Pax, 19-year-old Zahara, 18-year-old Shiloh and 15-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne. Her divorce filing came after a private jet flight from Europe during which she said Pitt was abusive toward her and their children. In November of the same year, Pitt responded to Jolie’s petition, asking for both joint legal and physical custody of their children.
In the years following Jolie’s divorce filing, the couple had been embroiled in lengthy and sometimes bitter legal disputes. Early on, the former couple reached an agreement to handle their divorce proceedings privately, utilizing a private judge to resolve the legal details.
When Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie opened up about their separation and the custody battle
In May 2017, Pitt for the first time spoke about his split with Jolie in an interview with GQ Style. He was quoted saying, “I was really on my back and chained to a system when Child Services was called,” Pitt said. “And you know, after that, we’ve [he and Jolie] been able to work together to sort this out. We’re both doing our best. I heard one lawyer say, ‘No one wins in court — it’s just a matter of who gets hurt worse.’ And it seems to be true, you spend a year just focused on building a case to prove your point and why you’re right and why they’re wrong, and it’s just an investment in vitriolic hatred.”
A few months later in July, Jolie also shared her side of a story to Vanity Fair and said that their lifestyle was never a reason behind their divorce. The proud mother said, “That is and will remain one of the wonderful opportunities we are able to give our children. … They’re six very strong-minded, thoughtful, worldly individuals.” She also opened up about how their children were dealing with their divorce. She called her kids “brave” and added that they are not just “healing” from divorce but also from life”.
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt were granted divorce in 2019 but…
In 2017, Pitt and Jolie agreed to seal sensitive court records regarding their children, and they officially bifurcated their divorce, with their legal status as single being declared in 2019. Despite being granted a divorce, the couple’s disagreements over their shared assets, specifically their French estate and winery Chateau Miraval, continued.
Angelina Jolie claims to have proof of domestic violence
In March 2021, Jolie alleged that she had “proof” and “authority” against Pitt regarding domestic violence. A source close to Pitt told ET that he was “heartbroken” over Jolie’s claims and said he had been anxious to get custody worked out so that his family could move on.
When Angelina Jolie sold her stake in the estate to a third party
In 2022, Pitt filed a lawsuit against Jolie after she sold her stake in the estate to a third party. Jolie countersued, alleging that Pitt had been orchestrating a campaign to take full control of the winery following their split. As per People magazine, in the lawsuit, Jolie’s business entity, Nouvel, argued that Pitt had been working behind the scenes to seize control of the property, which had been a symbol of their shared life and investments.
A source close to Pitt countered the accusations, telling People magazine, “This is just the latest in a series of deliberate efforts to misdirect, recycle and reposition the truth of what has happened over the last six years.” Pitt also sought to prove that there was a written agreement between the couple regarding the sale of their shares in the estate, a claim that was substantiated in a recent court ruling.
What happened on the flight in 2016?
In August 2022, the details finally of the reason behind the then-power couple’s split emerged. According to FBI records, Jolie told the investigating team that Pitt “grabbed her by her head”, shook her, yelled at her and “pushed her into the bathroom wall” while they were on the private jet with their six children.
She further claimed that Pitt’s outburst scared their kids, prompting one of them to call their father a “prick”. On hearing this, he approached the minor “like he was going to attack.” The documents further quote Jolie revealing, that Pitt told her ‘You’re f**king up this family,'” and when the kids asked if she was OK, Pitt allegedly responded to them by saying, “No, she’s not OK, she’s ruining this family, she’s crazy.”
Angelina Jolie won property lawsuit in 2024
In November 2024, Jolie won a significant legal victory when a judge ruled in her favour and stated that Pitt must disclose documents, including emails and texts, that might support Jolie’s allegations of abuse, which she claims have been covered up for years. Both parties remain entrenched in the legal battle over Chateau Miraval, with Pitt’s legal team referring to Jolie’s document request as “a sensationalist fishing expedition,” as per People magazine.
Kids dropping the ‘Pitt’ surname from their name to indirectly show support for their mother Angelina Jolie
second youngest kid among the six, Shiloh was the first one to drop her father’s surname when she turned 18 in May 2024. She requested a new legal name, Shiloh Jolie. Later, the youngest daughter Vivienne, 15, who recently co-produced the Broadway production of The Outsiders, alongside her mother, was credited as Vivienne Jolie. She also took home the 77th Tony Award for Best Musical. Additionally, Zahara also introduced herself as Zahara Marley Jolie.
