Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s divorce, filed in 2016, remains to be finalized even after eight years and a long legal battle. The iconic Hollywood couple were declared legally single in 2019, however, unresolved issues between the two have prevented the divorce from going through. An insider told PEOPLE Magazine on May 10 that the couple is “approaching their final divorce settlements”, but, “it’s not done yet.”
Angelina Jolie Asks for Divorce
Angelina Jolie filed for divorce in September 2016, just two years after their marriage, leaving fans worldwide heartbroken. She claimed irreconcilable differences as the reason and requested for physical custody of their six children, and visitation for Brad, not asking any child support.
The former couple became legally single in 2019 when a judge granted them a bifurcated judgment which meant that they were free to marry other people while they continued to argue the details of the divorce. What unraveled in the next years was one of the most high-profile divorces, involving allegations of abuse, fights over custody and legal battles over real estate.
The Long Legal Battle
Angelina claimed that Brad was abusive to her and the children in an incident during a trip in 2016. She claimed that he grabbed her by the head and attacked two of their children, while intoxicated. Brad has denied the allegations. It was investigated by the FBI in 2016, and while no charges were pressed, the incident continued to complicate the divorce and custody proceedings.
Another major disagreement prolonging the divorce is the ongoing legal battle over Chateau Miraval, a French winery that they once owned together and where they even got married. Brad sued Angelina in 2022 over the winery, stating that she sold her shares in the company without his approval which broke an agreement they allegedly had. Amidst the various disagreements and legal issues between the former power couple, their divorce does not seem to be concluding any time soon.
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Custody Fight
Angelina, 48 and Brad, 60, share six children together, however, it has been widely reported that their relationship with their father is strained. The oldest children Maddox, 22, Zahara, 19, and Pax, 20, were adopted by the couple and Shiloh, 18 is their oldest biological child. The youngest, Knox and Vivienne, 15 are twins. On Tuesday, PEOPLE reported that the father has “virtually no contact” with the adult kids, however, he still has “visitation with the younger kids.” It was also reported that Angelina has the children “most of the time”, especially in recent months, as Brad is filming in Europe for the upcoming racing movie, F1.
Reports around the estrangement between Brad and his children intensified after Shiloh, on her 18th birthday, filled to change her father’s famous last name. If approved, she will go from Shiloh Jolie-Pitt to “Shiloh Jolie.” This news came not long after it was revealed Brad is no longer seeking shared custody of the minor children.
Meanwhile, a source told PEOPLE that Angelina is “very happy and content with her life,” and remains “focused on her kids and work.” She is set to star in the biopic Maria and directed a new film starring Salma Hayek-Pinault called Without Blood.
How They Met
Angelina and Brad first met on the set of Mr & Mrs Smith in 2004, a popular action comedy. Brad was married to ‘Friends’ actor Jennifer Aniston at the time. However, after seven years together, and halfway through the filming of Mr & Mrs Smith, the couple announced their separation in 2005. This sparked a frenzy of cheating rumors surrounding Brad, and two camps of supporters were formed, Team Jen and Team Angelina. Angelia publicly acknowledged her relationship with Brad in 2016 when she announced her pregnancy with the couple’s first child. They officially tied the knot in 2014.
