When it comes to celebrity couples, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie were one of the most well-known star pairings to ever hit Hollywood. The couple were already extremely popular actors with millions of fans across the globe when they got together, but their relationship was full of drama and speculation from the very beginning. It all started when Pitt and Jolie filmed the 2005 movie “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” together. At the time, Pitt was married to beloved actor Jennifer Aniston. However, rumors of an affair between Pitt and Jolie found their way into the tabloids.
Pitt and Aniston announced their split in January of 2005, with Pitt later admitting that he fell in love with Jolie on the set of the film when he was still a married man. Aniston filed for divorce in March of that year, and Pitt and Jolie posed for a magazine spread only a few months later. This left fans feeling divided and choosing teams between the couple dubbed “Brangelina” and Aniston. That same year, Jolie adopted her daughter Zahara, and Pitt was by her side through it all.
In January of 2006, just three months after Pitt and Aniston’s divorce was finalized, Brangelina announced that they were expecting their first biological child together. Pitt also adopted Jolie’s other children, Maddox and Zahara, as well. As the early days of the couple’s romance were filled with controversy, sadly, the couple endured many messy moments in their relationship.
Brad Pitt was investigated for child abuse
From the outside, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie seemed like one of the most perfect Hollywood couples imaginable. The pair raised their six children together, were stunningly beautiful, had great careers, and even advocated for issues close to their hearts. Finally, the duo tied the knot in 2014 after a decade together, but the marriage didn’t last long. Just two years after their wedding, Jolie filed for divorce from Pitt, citing irreconcilable differences. Jolie also asked for physical custody of the couple’s children, with Pitt only getting visitation rights. However, Pitt later petitioned for joint legal and physical custody of their six children.
Shortly after their split, reports surfaced that Pitt was being investigated for child abuse after the couple’s children got involved in an argument between their parents during a flight. In a court filing, Jolie alleged that Pitt lunged at one of the children and that the actor injured her when he threw himself back into the seats of the airplane (via The New York Times). The documents also claim that Pitt choked one of the children and hit another in the face. Pitt was also accused of pouring alcohol on Jolie and the children. After an investigation, Pitt was cleared of wrongdoing (via CNN).
“Angelina said from the beginning that she felt she had to take action for the health of the family,” said Jolie’s rep after the investigation.
Angelina Jolie spoke out about the divorce
In 2017, Angelina Jolie finally opened up publicly about her divorce from Brad Pitt. The actor explained that the relationship turned sour while she was working on the film “First They Killed My Father” in the summer of 2016. “Things became difficult,” Jolie told Vanity Fair. “[Our lifestyle] was not in any way a negative. That was not the problem. 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. I’m very proud of them,” she added.
In 2017, Angelina Jolie finally opened up publicly about her divorce from Brad Pitt. The actor explained that the relationship turned sour while she was working on the film “First They Killed My Father” in the summer of 2016. “Things became difficult,” Jolie told Vanity Fair. “[Our lifestyle] was not in any way a negative. That was not the problem. 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. I’m very proud of them,” she added.
Jolie went on to describe her children as brave when it came to the end of their parents’ marriage, adding that ultimately, she and Pitt are both family oriented and want the best for their kids. The “Tomb Raider” star also admitted that she didn’t want the children to worry about her, revealing that she would rather cry in the shower and put on a brave face in front of them rather than let them know she’s struggling.
That same year, Pitt also spoke out about the divorce, revealing to GQ that he was in therapy and had quit drinking as a result of some soul-searching following the split with Jolie. “For me this period has really been about looking at my weaknesses and failures and owning my side of the street,” he stated.
Brad and Angelina battled over child support
In 2018, Angelina Jolie’s attorney filed paperwork in Los Angeles, saying that Brad Pitt had not been paying adequate child support since their split. “[Pitt] has a duty to pay child support. As of present, [Pitt] has paid no meaningful child support since separation,” the documents read (via People). Sources later claimed that Pitt had been paying Jolie “millions” in child support. “Far more than any informal agreement would stipulate and far more than any judge would have ordered paid if there had been such an order,” the insider revealed.
After the filing, Pitt’s lawyer slammed Jolie’s allegations about lack of child support, revealing that comments omitted information and were not necessary, adding that filing was “a thinly veiled effort to manipulate media coverage” (via CNN). Meanwhile, Pitt’s team also revealed that the actor had given Jolie $8 million for a new home as well as $1.3 million for bills and other necessities (via Us Weekly).
Sadly, the children would become the center of another big conflict within the couple’s split when their parents continue to battle over custody.
Pitt and Jolie fought over custody of their children in 2020
In 2020, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie made headlines again when reports of the pair’s disagreement over custody began. At the time, the two were fighting for custody of their five youngest children: Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, Vivienne, and Knox. Their oldest, Maddox, was of adult age at the time.
Finally, a judge granted joint custody of the five youngest children. Jolie later requested that the judge who made the ruling be disqualified, and the motion was approved, leaving her with full custody of the children until the matter was resolved. In addition, Jolie’s lawyers alleged that three of the children shared an interest in testifying against their father in a courtroom when it came to custody.
According to a 2022 report by TMZ, Pitt and Jolie currently share custody of the younger children. However, Pitt’s relationship with the kids has been strained due to all of the drama circling the divorce. “Brad has owned everything he’s responsible for from day one — unlike the other side — but he’s not going to own anything he didn’t do,” Pitt’s lawyer told the outlet. Pitt’s legal rep continued, “Thankfully, the various public authorities the other side has tried to use against him over the past six years have made their own independent decisions. Brad will continue to respond in court as he has consistently done.”
More lawsuits and allegations emerged in 2022
In February 2022, the long-standing drama between Brad Pitt and Angeline Jolie continued when Pitt sued Jolie for selling her stake in their French winery without his knowledge. “She sold her interest with the knowledge and intention that Shefler and his affiliates would seek to control the business to which Pitt had devoted himself and to undermine Pitt’s investment,” the lawsuit read (via Insider). Pitt’s lawyers revealed that the sale was a way for Jolie to cause “gratuitous harm” to her ex-husband and that the pair had agreed not to sell their interest in the winery without the other’s consent.
Later that same year, the FBI report from the couple’s 2016 airplane altercation was obtained by Rolling Stone. In the documents, Jolie had told the FBI that Pitt “grabbed her by the head, pushed her into the bathroom wall” and punched the ceiling of the plane that was bringing the family home from Paris. Jolie alleged that Pitt was intoxicated at the time of the event and that he caused about $25,000 worth of damage.
Over the years, Pitt and Jolie went from being one of the most loved celebrity couples to one of the most controversial. Some fans have taken sides, while others have been saddened for the pair’s children in light of the drama surrounding their famous parents.
Source: https://www.thelist.com
