Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie Resolve Divorce, Ending Eight-Year Legal Battle
After an arduous legal skirmish spanning over eight years, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have finally concluded their divorce proceedings, as per court documents accessed by CNN. The settlement was officially submitted to the Los Angeles Superior Court on December 30, as indicated by court records. The financial specifics and the particulars of the custody arrangement concerning their two minor progeny remain undisclosed.
"Over eight years ago, Angelina initiated divorce proceedings against Mr. Pitt. She and the children departed from all shared properties, and since then, her focus has been on finding serenity and healing for her family. This marks just one component of a prolonged process that commenced eight years prior. Angelina is weary but relieved this segment is concluded," expressed Jolie’s legal representative, James Simon of Hersh Mannis, to CNN on Monday.
CNN has made inquiries to Pitt’s representatives for a statement. Jolie's divorce filing dates back to 2016.
Once the epitome of Hollywood glamour, Jolie and Pitt spent about a decade together, parenting six children before their matrimonial union in 2014. The protracted nature of their divorce is attributed to several elements, including a contentious custody trial, repercussions from a 2016 private plane altercation, and a complex legal dispute over Jolie's sale of her share in Château Miraval, the French vineyard they once jointly owned, where they wed.
The 2016 plane incident’s details surfaced in August 2022, following a heavily redacted FBI report, shared with CNN by a source, which revealed Jolie's allegations of Pitt's physical assault on her and verbal abuse towards their children aboard the private jet en route to the US from France. Pitt faced no arrest or criminal charges, as per an FBI communiqué.
Jolie filed for divorce shortly after the flight, citing irreconcilable differences. She sought sole physical custody of their then-minor children—Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, and twins Knox and Vivienne, aged 8 to 15—while granting Pitt visitation rights and joint legal custody.
In April 2024, Jolie alleged in a legal document concerning the winery case that Pitt’s "pattern of physical abuse" predated the family's September 2016 flight. The document refrained from elaborating on prior incidents.
As per that document, Jolie decided against pressing charges related to the plane episode, believing it best for Pitt to acknowledge his actions and aid the family in recovering from the resultant stress.
Jolie and Pitt were granted a dissolution in status of their marriage in 2019. In a subsequent Vogue India interview, Jolie stated she "separated" from Pitt for her family’s "wellbeing." "It was the correct course of action. My focus remains on their healing," she affirmed. "They are six remarkably courageous, resilient young individuals."
The French vineyard remains a focal point of a bitter legal struggle, stemming from Jolie's 2021 sale of her share, which Pitt contests as illegitimate.
