Over three years after they were officially declared single by a court, Brad Pitt has found himself accused of child abuse in a new Angelina Jolie divorce filing. Pitt and Jolie became one of Hollywood's most-talked about celebrity couples beginning in 2005 following their work on the fan-favorite romantic action-comedy Mr. & Mrs. Smith, in which rumors swirled of their beginning a relationship, despite his still being married to Jennifer Aniston at the time. Jolie would confirm their relationship publicly in early 2006 by announcing her pregnancy with Pitt's child, Shiloh, with the two finally getting married in 2014 in a private ceremony in the French vineyard, Château Miraval.
SCREENRANT VIDEO OF THE DAY
Headlines surrounding the two began to sour in the late 2010s, with Jolie eventually filing for divorce from Pitt in 2016, citing irreconcilable differences, which was officially formalized in 2019. The Oscar-winning actor would later sue his ex-wife over Château Miraval, as the former Tomb Raider star sought to sell her portion of the property without Pitt's approval and claiming that they had previously agreed not to sell their shares without getting each other's approval. After a few months of back and forth between the two, the lawsuit gained new traction this past September as documents painted Pitt in a negative light in the legal battle, though now, a new wrinkle in the case may be the deciding factor in the matter.
Variety has brought word that Angelina Jolie has filed a countersuit against her ex-husband Brad Pitt regarding the sale of their winery, Château Miraval. Included in the countersuit are new details about a reported altercation that occurred between Pitt, Jolie and their children on a flight in 2016, which alleges that Pitt was not only violent with his then-wife, but also choked one of his children and hit another. See the child abuse details reported in the countersuit below:
[Pitt demanded Jolie sign] a nondisclosure agreement that would have contractually prohibited her from speaking outside of court about Pitt’s physical and emotional abuse of her and their children. Pitt grabbed Jolie by the head and shook her, and then grabbed her shoulders and shook her again before pushing her into the bathroom wall. Pitt then punched the ceiling of the plane numerous times, prompting Jolie to leave the bathroom. When one of the children verbally defended Jolie, Pitt lunged at his own child and Jolie grabbed him from behind to stop him. To get Jolie off his back, Pitt threw himself backwards into the airplane’s seats injuring Jolie’s back and elbow. The children rushed in and all bravely tried to protect each other. Before it was over, Pitt choked one of the children and struck another in the face. Some of the children pleaded with Pitt to stop. They were all frightened. Many were crying. [Jolie] arranged for separate transportation at the airport [for her and her kids to go the hotel]. She then went to wake Pitt up and told him that she and the children were going to a hotel. Pitt once again screamed at her, and pushed her down yet again. [The FBI agent who investigated the matter] concluded that the government had probable cause to charge Pitt with a federal crime for his conduct that day.
Angelina Jolie Files Counter-Claim In Brad Pitt Legal Battle
Jolie and Pitt's legal battle regarding the ownership, or lack thereof, of Château Miraval has become a hostile battle of words since the latter filed the original lawsuit against his ex-wife. More recently, Pitt came under fire when Jolie's former investment company Nouvel submitted a cross-suit that alleged Pitt had sought total control of the winery as revenge for their divorce, while also detailing Pitt's struggles with alcoholism that led to his attending Alcoholics Anonymous. With prior reports of Jolie's divorce citing the child abuse altercation alleged against Pitt above, it's sure to come as an unsettling development to learn that the latter sought to keep it under wraps through their joint ownership of the French winery.
With the recent allegations now made against Brad Pitt, the Once Upon a Time in Hollywood star and Angelina Jolie become the latest high-profile celebrity couple to have shocking altercations be revealed to the public in the wake of their divorce. Johnny Depp and Amber Heard infamously dominated headlines through their divorce, each claiming the other to be the abusive partner in their relationship, with the former Pirates of the Caribbean star ultimately winning his second defamation lawsuit against the Aquaman actor. With over half a year gone since the legal battle first began, it remains to be seen who is gaining the upper hand between Jolie and Pitt in court.
Source: Variety