Brad Pitt Accused of Domestic Abuse by Ex Angelina Jolie, Kids May Testify
Updated March 18 2021, 2:11 p.m. ET
Going through a divorce is tough. Going through a divorce when you're a celebrity couple is even tougher. With all of the assets that need to be sussed out in court and the countless media articles and social media posts commenting on your relationship, along with gossip and rumors flying all over the place, it's not so easy to just split and expect folks to stay out of your business. This is especially true for Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. Now, there are abuse allegations surfacing.
Angelina Jolie levied some pretty serious abuse allegations against her ex, Brad Pitt.
The two Hollywood heavy hitters made national headlines when Pitt reportedly cheated on his then-wife Jennifer Aniston while filming Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Pitt and Jolie soon became the "it" couple and were very public about their relationship. Photos of them and their six children (three adopted, three biological) constantly made headlines.
They were officially married in 2014, but then Jolie filed for divorce in 2016. The split was generally seen as an "amicable" one, but recently, reports started surfacing from Angelina Jolie's legal team that allege that Brad Pitt was verbally abusive both towards her and their children, and the actress is alleging that she has proof she is willing to present to the court as part of their divorce proceedings.
Many speculate that the "proof" Jolie is speaking of is video footage of Pitt being abusive towards Jolie and their 15-year-old son, Maddox, in 2016 while on a private plane ride back home when they were traveling from Nice, France.
Pitt was allegedly drunk on the plane and got into an argument with his wife. Maddox allegedly jumped up and stepped in between Pitt and Jolie to defend his mom, and Brad physically clashed with the teen.
People reported that a "source close to Pitt" stated the actor "was drunk, and there was an argument between him and Angelina. There was a parent-child argument which was not handled in the right way and escalated more than it should have. He is emphatic that it did not reach the level of physical abuse, that no one was physically harmed.
"He did not hit his child in the face in any way. He did not do that; he is emphatic about that. He put his hands on him, yes, because the confrontation was spiraling out of control."
The source said that the stories surrounding the plane incident are "a combination of exaggerations and lies. They have taken the overall smallest kernel of truth — that a fight got out of hand and reached a regrettable peak, and that as a result DCFS is looking into it — and they are manipulating it to best suit their attempts to gain custody."
TMZ reported at the time that when their plane stopped to refuel in Minnesota, Brad Pitt was "out of control on the tarmac and even tried to leave in a fuel truck."
The big question marks in their split are custody of their six children and property ownership disputes.
Pitt reportedly spent Christmas 2020 with Shiloh, Knox, and Vivienne, according to US Weekly, and the original plan was for them to all spend it together as a family.
That's a plan that, according to an anonymous source to the outlet, was "derailed" by both Pitt and Jolie. "Egos have once again derailed the original idea," the source said. "Brad and Angelina are equally responsible for the never-ending drama."
Now the big question on everyone's minds is: Is Brad Pitt abusive? His children may need to speak to that in court.
Court documents in the divorce proceedings between the Hollywood couple allege that Jolie has "proof and authority" that will support her domestic abuse claims. Brad Pitt was investigated by both the DCFS and the FBI for child abuse claims when allegations first surfaced in 2016, ET reported. He was "cleared of allegations of child abuse" following the results of the agencies' probe.
Pitt spoke of the incident in a 2017 interview with GQ. He said, "I was really on my back and chained to a system when Child Services was called. And you know, after that, we've been able to work together to sort this out. We're both doing our best. I heard one lawyer say, 'No one wins in court — it's just a matter of who gets hurt worse.' And it seems to be true.
"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. And fortunately my partner in this agrees. It's just very, very jarring for the kids, to suddenly have their family ripped apart."