Pitt and Jolie’s divorce saga: custody battles, property disputes, and alleged abuse.
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie were once the epitome of Hollywood glamour, celebrated as the industry’s most captivating couple. However, the narrative surrounding them has shifted dramatically since Jolie filed for divorce in 2016, citing irreconcilable differences. The ensuing legal battles have been fraught with disputes over property, businesses, and custody of their six children.
Their romance began on the set of the 2005 film “Mr. and Mrs. Smith,” where Jolie and Pitt played a married couple.
At the time, Pitt was married to Jennifer Aniston, and Jolie was a single mother to her adopted son Maddox, now 22. By 2006, following Pitt’s separation from Aniston, Jolie confirmed their relationship to PEOPLE and announced she was pregnant with their first biological child, Shiloh, now 18.
Over the years, the couple’s growing family often made headlines. They adopted Pax Thien and Zahara Marley, and welcomed three biological children: Shiloh, and twins Knox Léon and Vivienne Marcheline.
Their family life appeared joyful and bustling, as Jolie described to PEOPLE: “It is chaos, but we are managing it and having a wonderful time.”
Pitt and Jolie remained unmarried until 2014, when they held a private ceremony at Château Miraval in France, a property they co-owned. The wedding was intimate, focused on family and fun.
“It was important to us that the day was relaxed and full of laughter,” the couple told PEOPLE. “It was such a special day to share with our children and a very happy time for our family.”
However, by 2016, their relationship took a turbulent turn. On September 14 of that year, Jolie and Pitt were involved in an alleged physical altercation on a private plane from France to Los Angeles, with their six children present.
According to heavily redacted FBI documents released in 2022, Jolie claimed Pitt’s actions made her feel “like a hostage.” She alleged that Pitt grabbed and shook her, pushed her into a wall, and punched the ceiling of the aircraft.
The incident allegedly escalated when one of the children called Pitt a “prick,” prompting him to appear as though he might attack the child. Jolie admitted to placing Pitt in a chokehold to protect her child.
Following the plane incident, Pitt was investigated by the L.A. County Department of Children and Family Services, which concluded with no findings of abuse. Nevertheless, the accusations resurfaced amid their contentious custody battle.
In 2021, Pitt was granted joint custody of their minor children, but this decision was reversed after the judge was removed for impartiality concerns. Currently, the custody agreement only applies to their 15-year-old twins, Knox and Vivienne.
Pitt reportedly has “virtually no contact with the adult kids,” and there have been reports that Zahara, Shiloh, and Vivienne have each sought to change their last names from Pitt-Jolie to Jolie.
In addition to the custody dispute, the couple remains embroiled in a legal battle over Château Miraval. Jolie sold her half of the winery in 2021, leading Pitt to sue her, arguing that the sale violated a verbal agreement.
Jolie’s lawyers have countered that she refused to let Pitt buy her out because she did not want to sign a non-disclosure agreement. They have demanded Pitt disclose third-party communications related to the 2016 plane incident.
The prolonged legal disputes indicate that the divorce is far from resolved. “It’s not done yet,” a source recently told PEOPLE. “Both sides are still talking.”
