Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie Finalize Divorce Settlement After 8 Years of Legal Battles
Following an eight-year legal struggle that started when Jolie filed for divorce in 2016, citing irreconcilable differences and ending their two-year marriage, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have finally struck a divorce settlement. Recently, Jolie’s legal team announced that the divorce was finalised.
Following her filing, Jolie and her kids moved out of their shared houses with Pitt, according to her lawyer James Simon, who said they have since concentrated on finding peace and healing. Jolie is tired but happy to continue, he continued, even if this deal represents the end of one phase of the drawn-out process. In the meantime, a person close to Jolie stated that she has tried to maintain her optimism in the face of adversity and avoids criticising Pitt in public or in private. Pitt’s spokesperson chose not to comment on the deal.
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On 19th September 2016, Jolie first filed for divorce, citing Pitt’s alleged abuse of her and their six children aboard a private aircraft. Jolie chose not to file charges, and authorities looked into the matter but did not charge Pitt. To preserve anonymity and speed up court proceedings, the ex-couple announced in a joint statement at the beginning of 2017 that they would handle their divorce in private, with a private judge. Additionally, the statement highlighted their dedication to acting in their children’s best interests.
Before coming to this deal, Pitt and Jolie had tense divorce talks, especially about custody and severe accusations made in court. The couple decided in January 2017 to protect private documents about their six children, the majority of whom are now adults: twins Vivienne and Knox (16), Maddox (23), Pax (21), Zahara (19), and Shiloh (18). In 2019, Pitt and Jolie’s divorce was split up, and they were officially alone. While the former couple continued to work through unresolved legal and financial issues, Pitt has since started dating jewellery executive Ines de Ramon.
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The couple’s joint $164 million French estate and winery, Château Miraval, has been a major source of dispute in recent years. In February 2022, Pitt filed a lawsuit against Jolie, claiming that the sale of her share of the property was a breach of their agreement. Jolie filed a countersuit, claiming Pitt was planning to seize control of the estate and launching a campaign of retaliation against her.
There was no “secret, unwritten, unspoken contract” requiring either party to obtain authorization before selling their shares, according to Jolie’s countersuit. Pitt’s legal team, meanwhile, described Jolie’s countersuit as a willful falsehood and asserted that it was an attempt to twist the truth.
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Throughout 2024, the legal battle intensified, unrelated to their divorce proceedings. Jolie’s legal success came in November when a judge ordered Pitt to reveal emails and texts that her attorney claimed could support claims of abuse and a “years-long cover-up” by Pitt.
That same month, however, Pitt also won a court battle when Jolie’s requests to have his lawsuit dismissed were denied. With possible evidence pointing to a formal agreement between the two regarding the sale of Miraval shares, this moved the case closer to trial. Jolie’s requests for documents were rejected by Pitt’s attorneys as an attempt to exaggerate the issue.
–Farheen Ali
