Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have officially settled their divorce, finalizing a long, tumultuous legal battle that captured global attention.
The star couple conclusively agreed on their disputes after battling for over eight years over issues like child custody and asset division, People reported.
Angelina Jolie filed for divorce on September 19, 2016, citing irreconcilable differences. Married for two years before the filing, the couple immediately attracted intense public and media scrutiny. Their relationship issues became highly publicized after an incident aboard a private plane, where Jolie accused Pitt of being abusive toward her and their children. Investigators examined the allegations but filed no legal charges against Pitt.
Amid the intense public and media interest in their divorce, Pitt and Jolie agreed in January 2017 to seal sensitive records related to their children. They aimed to protect their children's privacy during the legal proceedings. This decision to use a private judge and keep court details confidential marked the start of their prolonged legal battle.
The court declared Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie legally single in 2019, but they continued disputing custody arrangements for their six children and shared financial assets.
During the proceedings, their children—Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, and twins Vivienne and Knox—mostly reached adulthood, complicating custody arrangements and related concerns.
The legal battle also extended to their jointly owned $164 million French estate and winery, Château Miraval. The conflict intensified when Jolie sold her stake in the property in February 2022, prompting Pitt to contest the sale and triggering further lawsuits and countersuits between them.
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie signed their divorce settlement on December 30, 2024, marking a turning point in their legal battle.
Jolie's lawyer, James Simon, stated that the signing concluded this chapter of their disputes but indicated ongoing issues outside the divorce that remain unresolved.
Although the divorce is finalized, separate legal disputes involving the winery and past abuse allegations persist. Courts issued rulings on these issues in November 2024, reportedly benefiting both parties.
However, the specific terms of the rulings and settlement remain undisclosed, maintaining the family's privacy under their earlier agreement.
James Simon, speaking on behalf of Jolie, expressed a sense of relief at this resolution, highlighting the exhaustive nature of the legal battles and their impact on Jolie and the children. "Angelina is exhausted, but she is relieved this one part is over," he stated, indicating the quest for peace and healing as a driving motive behind Jolie's actions since the divorce filing.
On the other side, Pitt's legal team criticized Jolie's earlier requests for documents as "a sensationalist fishing expedition," a reflection of the heated and contentious nature of the legal engagements.
Meanwhile, a source close to Jolie emphasized her efforts to move past the negativity, maintaining that she prefers not to speak ill of Pitt either publicly or privately, focusing instead on light after a dark time.
Prior statements from both Pitt and Jolie emphasized their commitment to preserving their family's privacy and expediting the resolution of their issues.
This mutual understanding may have contributed to settling. A source close to Pitt lamented the misrepresentations over the years, highlighting the complexity of discerning truth amidst the legal maneuverings and public speculations.
