Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt finally settle divorce after 8-year battle as lawyers issue stern statement
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have finally reached a settlement in their divorce after more than eight years of legal battles, their lawyers confirmed yesterday.
The former Hollywood power couple signed off on their divorce on Monday, December 30, marking the end of one of the most contentious divorces in entertainment history.
“More than eight years ago, Angelina filed for divorce from Mr. Pitt. She and the children left all of the properties they had shared with Mr Pitt, and since that time she has focused on finding peace and healing for their family,” Jolie’s lawyer James Simon said in a statement, issuing a thinly veiled dig at the Bullet Train star.
A source close to Jolie, 49, added that “she doesn’t speak ill of [Pitt] publicly or privately. She’s been trying hard to be light after a dark time.”
Pitt, 61, and Jolie were together for 12 years, marrying in 2014 before Jolie filed for divorce in September 2016, citing irreconcilable differences.
A representative for Pitt declined to comment on the settlement.
Jolie filed for divorce in September 2016, days after an incident aboard a private jet where she claimed Pitt was abusive towards her and their children.
The FBI and Los Angeles Department of Children and Family Services investigated Pitt for child abuse following accusations he was “verbally abusive” and “physical” towards one of his children during the flight.
Pitt was not criminally charged following investigations at the time, and Jolie declined to press charges.
In a 2022 countersuit during a legal battle over their vineyard, Jolie’s lawyers revealed that Pitt had demanded she sign a non-disclosure agreement prohibiting her from speaking about his alleged abuse.
Her complaint detailed serious allegations, claiming Pitt had grabbed and shaken her during the plane journey, strangled one of their children, and struck another in the face.
Following the 2016 incident, Pitt got sober and began attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.
The former couple’s legal battles extended beyond their divorce to include disputes over their shared £164 million French estate and winery, Château Miraval.
Pitt sued Jolie in February 2022 over the sale of her Château Miraval stake, whilst Jolie filed a countersuit claiming Pitt was “waging a vindictive war against” her.
Jolie’s company, Nouvel, sought more than £250 million in damages, alleging Pitt had “masterminded a so-far-successful plan to seize control” of the estate following their 2016 split.
In November 2023, Jolie secured a legal victory when a judge ordered Pitt to disclose documents, including emails and texts, which her lawyer Paul Murphy claimed would prove abuse allegations.
Pitt also achieved a legal win that month regarding the winery dispute, with evidence suggesting there was a written agreement about selling, which his representatives said “demonstrates the legitimacy of his claims.”
His lawyers dismissed Jolie’s document requests as “a sensationalist fishing expedition.”
Pitt and Jolie first met whilst filming Mr. & Mrs. Smith in 2005, during Pitt’s marriage to Jennifer Aniston.
The pair became one of Hollywood’s most prominent couples, spending 12 years together before marrying at Château Miraval, France, in August 2014.
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They share six children: Maddox, 23, Pax, 21, Zahara, 19, Shiloh, 18, and twins Vivienne and Knox, 16.
Following their 2016 split, the couple engaged in a lengthy custody battle. In May 2021, Pitt was briefly granted joint custody after four and a half years of proceedings.
However, this arrangement was reversed in July 2021 when the judge was removed from the case due to concerns over impartiality.
The custody arrangement reverted to a November 2018 agreement where Jolie maintains primary physical custody while Pitt has “custodial time” with their minor children.
Pitt has since moved on romantically, dating jewellery designer Ines de Ramon since 2022.