Are Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie officially divorced? Why are they fighting over a winery in
France? And which celebrities has each been linked to since their split? Keep watching to find out.
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt seemed like they were going to be a Hollywood couple with longevity. The
two had survived relentless media speculation and scrutiny about their relationship, while growing
their family to include six children. To the surprise of many, the couple's marriage in August
2014 appeared to be the beginning of the end. They would officially separate just two years later.
Jolie filed for divorce from Pitt in 2016, citing irreconcilable differences as the reason for the
split. According to TMZ, Jolie grew tired of Pitt's alleged use of marijuana and alcohol,
and alleged that he had anger problems that posed a danger to the welfare of their children.
In response to the divorce filing, Pitt released a statement to People, saying,
"I am very saddened by this, but what matters most now is the well-being of our kids. I
kindly ask the press to give them the space they deserve during this challenging time."
It was later reported that Jolie and Pitt's relationship was not as good
as it appeared to outsiders. A source close to the couple told Us Weekly,
"They fought a lot over the years and disagreed about many things. [...] The
fighting got worse and they disagreed a lot about parenting and a lot of things."
"There's this huge space between us, and it just keeps filling up."
As Angelina Jolie's divorce filing was underway, the FBI and Los Angeles County
Department of Child and Family Services were investigating Brad Pitt following allegations
of child abuse. The investigation was in response to a tip claiming that Pitt had attacked his son,
Maddox, following a confrontation with Jolie on the couple's private jet in September 2016,
per TMZ. The couple allegedly started arguing after their jet took off,
and during the fight their son Maddox intervened to defend Jolie. TMZ reported,
"Brad then lunged at the boy and Angelina jumped in between them to block her husband.
Brad connected in some fashion with his son."
According to People, Pitt was drunk during the altercation and allegedly
got both verbally and physically abusive with one of their children,
while Jolie and their other children were present. A source close to Pitt told the publication,
"He takes the matter very seriously and says he did not commit any abuse of his children."
He was eventually cleared of the allegations in November 2016,
but the situation complicated their already difficult divorce.
Judge John W. Ouderkirk was overseeing Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's divorce case until an appeals
court removed him from the case due to an ethical breach. According to The Guardian, Ouderkirk was
removed on grounds that he did not disclose a professional relationship with Pitt's attorneys.
Because of the relationship Ouderkirk had with Pitt's attorneys, his oversight of the couple's
divorce case was a conflict of interest and inherently biased. Following Ouderkirk's
removal from the case, the custody battle was yet again back to square one. An insider spoke
with Us Weekly about the status of the case after Ouderkirk's disqualification, saying,
"The case has been sent back to the Los Angeles Superior
Court. [...] Angelina is grateful to seek a fair decision regarding custody for the children."
As if their divorce case wasn't messy enough,
Angelina Jolie claimed that Brad Pitt had not paid child support for over a year
following their split. In court documents obtained by NBC News, Jolie's attorney said,
"[Pitt] has a duty to pay child support. As of present,
[Pitt] has paid no meaningful child support since separation."
"We talked about this, you remember?"
At the time of this accusation in 2018, Pitt was arguably one of the highest-paid actors in
Hollywood, with earnings of at least $20 million per film, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
Pitt formally responded to Jolie's claims through his lawyers. According to court documents,
the actor claimed he financially supported his wife and children, which included an $8 million
loan to purchase a home and $1.3 million to pay their bills, per Entertainment Tonight.
The largest point of contention in Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's divorce involves the custody of
their children. The couple has been back and forth between custody agreements since their split. When
Jolie first filed for divorce in September 2016, she sought sole custody of the children. However,
the pair reached a temporary custody agreement allowing for Pitt to have visitation rights,
per Us Weekly. Since then, the battle has been anything but simple.
"Except to say it was a very difficult time. And, and we are a family."
Throughout their divorce, Jolie has continually fought for sole custody of their children.
Meanwhile, Pitt has pushed for joint custody, which he was awarded by Judge Ouderkirk
prior to his removal from the case. The removal of Ouderkirk
reversed the custody outcome and meant that the case had to be re-litigated.
Pitt petitioned the California Supreme Court to review the custody case
after Ouderkirk's removal, but his appeal was denied in October 2021, per USA Today.
Outside of the couple's custody battle, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have also been
fighting over their shared assets and real estate, most notably their French winery,
Château Miraval. Pitt and Jolie's wedding took place at the winery in 2014.
In September 2021, five years after the couple's split, a temporary restraining order was lifted
on the couple's assets, allowing each party to have greater freedom over what they owned,
according to ET. In regards to other assets, the pair will most likely be
subject to splitting royalties from movies, including ones that the stars have acted in,
produced, and directed. However, the dividing of Château Miraval has remained complicated.
In fact, Pitt has launched a lawsuit against Jolie, alleging that she sold her share of Château
Miraval without his knowledge. The complaint was filed on February 17, 2022, and per Rolling Stone,
"Pitt accuses Jolie of secretly selling her half of the ex-couple's controlling
interest in their famous French winery, Château Miraval,
to a company controlled by Russian oligarch Yuri Shefler."
The pair bought the winery in 2008 for a $28.4 million purchase price. Over the years,
Pitt claims he invested money into the winery and is the reason why it became successful,
thus deserving of a say in how it is shared and sold, per TMZ.
The lawsuit alleges that Jolie made little contribution to Château Miraval while trying
to claim the profits from its success to herself. It additionally claims it was the funding and
dedication of Pitt that built the winery into the company it is now, per Rolling Stone.
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt officially separated in September 2016, with Jolie
filing for divorce. However, the two wouldn't be recognized as divorced until years later. Three
years after their separation, Jolie and Pitt were legally declared single in April 2019.
The declaration allowed for their marriage status to be officially dissolved while still
continuing legal action over the custody of their children and shared assets, according to CNN.
The legal declaration of a single status is a growing trend among high-profile divorce cases,
such as in the very public divorce of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West.
In regards to Jolie and Pitt's relationship, it appears that the pair both sought official,
legal separation from each other to get past their own personal relationship.
Despite a desire by both parties to keep the matters of their divorce private,
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have each publicly spoken about the toll the split
has taken on each of them. Though both have their own perspective on their divorce and
the dissolution of their relationship, each has maintained that their children
are of the utmost importance and prioritized over everything else.
Nonetheless, Jolie and Pitt have each made their case to the public regarding
their side of the story and how the split affected them. Pitt revealed in a 2017
GQ Style interview that he quit drinking and sought out therapy to help with his problems,
and he talked of the divorce with vulnerability. As Pitt told GQ Style,
"We're both doing our best. [...] you spend a year just focused on building
a case to prove your point and why you're right and why they're wrong,
and it's just an investment in vitriolic hatred. I just refuse."
"But there are times…"
Jolie, on the other hand, told The Guardian in 2021
that the decision to divorce Pitt was not an easy one, and it left her feeling
"broken." Discussing the impact of the messy divorce, Jolie told The Guardian,
"Sometimes you can survive things, but not know how to feel and live in the same way."
"I'm angry."
The custody battle and the fight over ownership of assets has stirred
significant drama for the former couple. And to further complicate their relationship,
both Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have also been subject to dating rumors after their split.
In 2020, Pitt was romantically linked with model Nicole Poturalski. The pair
were officially revealed to be a couple in August 2020, but they were allegedly dating
for months prior. However, Pitt and the model reportedly broke up in October 2020,
per Page Six. As of January 2022, Pitt is rumored to be dating Swedish singer
Lykke Li. Li apparently lives a short distance away from Pitt's home, and the alleged
relationship had supposedly been going on for a few months by the time it was reported by The Sun.
Jolie, on the other hand, made headlines when rumors circulated that she had started dating
The Weeknd. The two reportedly met because Jolie's children are fans of his music,
then continued to keep in touch after that initial meeting. In July 2021,
they were seen dining together and attending a concert, but their relationship is reportedly
nothing more than friendly. A source allegedly close to Jolie told Us Weekly,
"Angelina and The Weeknd have had a few meetups,
but there is nothing romantic going on between them — at least that's what friends are told."
As yet, there isn't any official confirmation of a romantic relationship between Jolie and
The Weeknd. However, according to Us Weekly, a source revealed that the singer considers Jolie
to be the ultimate muse, which leaves a lot to the imagination.
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