Angelina Jolie scores victory in custody battle with Brad Pitt
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- Published on Saturday, 24 July 2021 08:36
- Written by CBS Nesws
Angelina Jolie scored a major victory Friday in her divorce with Brad Pitt when a California appeals court agreed with her that the private judge deciding who gets custody of their children should be disqualified.The 2nd District Court of Appeal agreed with Jolie that Judge John W. Ouderkirk didn't sufficiently disclose business relationships with Pitt's attorneys."Judge Ouderkirk's ethical breach, considered together with the information disclosed concerning his recent professional relationships with Pitt's counsel, might cause an objective person, aware of all the facts, reasonably to entertain a doubt as to the judge's ability to be impartial. Disqualification is required," the court ruled.The decision means that the custody fight over the couple's five minor children, which was nearing an end, could just be getting started.The judge already ruled the pair divorced, but separated the child custody issues.Like many celebrity couples, Pitt and Jolie opted to hire their own judge to increase their privacy in the divorce proceedings."The appeals court ruling was based on a technical procedural issue. The facts haven't changed. There is an extraordinary amount of factual evidence which led the judge — and the many experts who testified — to reach their clear conclusion about what is in the children's best interests," a statement by Pitt's representative said. "We will continue to do what's necessary legally based on the detailed findings of what's best for the children."Details of the custody rulings have not been publicly released.Jolie and Pitt have six children: 19-year-old Maddox, 17-year-old Pax, 16-year-old Zahara, 15 year-old Shiloh, 12-year-old Vivienne and 12-year-old Knox. Only the five minors are subject to custody decisions.Ouderkirk declined to disqualify himself when Jolie asked him to in a filing in August. A lower court judge ruled that Jolie's request for disqualification came too late. Jolie's attorneys then appealed.The July 9 oral arguments in front of the appeals court focused on exactly which ethical rules should apply to private judges, who, like Ouderkirk, are usually retired superior court judges."If you're going to play the role of a paid private judge you have to play by the rules and the rules are very clear, they require full transparency," Jolie's attorney Robert Olson said. "Matters that should have been disclosed were not disclosed." Pitt attorney Theodore Boutrous said the attempt at disqualification was a stalling tactic by Jolie to keep Ouderkirk's recent tentative custody decision, which is favorable to Pitt, from going into effect.The court cited several cases, including the divorce of "Modern Family" co-creator Steven Levitan, in which Ouderkirk either failed entirely to disclose a business relationship with Pitt's attorneys or failed to disclose one quickly or completely enough.The panel questioned whether such an arrangement should be allowed in California at all, but their ruling applies only to Ouderkirk.Jolie, 46, and Pitt, 57, were among Hollywood's most prominent couples for 12 years. Ouderkirk officiated the couple's 2014 wedding, then was hired to oversee their divorce when Jolie filed to dissolve the marriage in 2016. They were declared divorced in April 2019, after their lawyers asked for a judgment that allowed a married couple to be declared single while other issues remained, including finances and child custody.In May, Jolie and her attorneys criticized Ouderkirk for not allowing the couple's children to testify in the proceedings.The actress also said the judge "has failed to adequately consider" a section of the California courts code, which says it is detrimental to the best interest of the child if custody is awarded to a person with a history of domestic violence. Her filing did not give details about what it was referring to, but her lawyers submitted a document under seal in March that purportedly offers additional information.The ruling does not address whether the children should be allowed to testify in the case.
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source : CBS Nesws 
Angelina Jolie stuns in a chic black wraparound dress as she steps out for dinner with children Pax, 17, Zahara, 16, Shiloh, 15, and Knox, 13, in Paris
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- Published on Friday, 23 July 2021 06:58
- Written by Daily mail
Angelina Jolie continued to enjoy her family trip to France on Thursday when she stepped out with four of her six children in Paris.The actress, 46, was seen making her way to dinner alongside her son Pax, 17, daughters Zahara, 16, and Shiloh, 15, plus her 13-year-old son Knox, with the group heading to a restaurant near the Eiffel Tower.Switching into a new outfit for her third outing of the day, doting mother Angelina stunned in a black wraparound dress teamed with pointed heels.Wearing her long brunette hair loose, the Oscar-winning star also wore a dark green face mask in keeping with pandemic protocol, with her four children also covering their noses and mouths with masks.For the family outing, Pax looked trendy in a striped top teamed with jeans, while Zahara made a statement in a bold patterned dress.Shiloh donned a black hoodie and off-white trousers, with her younger brother Knox also opting for a dark hooded jumper, teaming his with cargo trousers.Earlier in the day, Angelina, Pax, Shiloh and Zahara were all seen shopping at KITHs and the Guerlain store.Angelina later changed into a chic white shirt dress that was cinched at the waist with a thin belt.Angelina also shares daughter Vivienne, 13, and son Maddox, 19, with her former husband Brad Pitt.Angelina filed for divorce in 2016 citing 'irreconcilable differences' and it was finalised in 2019. The former pair have been in a lengthy custody battle with the actress wanting sole custody and Brad fighting for joint.Last month, Angelina was reportedly left 'bitterly disappointed' after a court awarded joint custody to her ex Brad, a decision was allegedly set to contest in early July.Legal experts in Los Angeles told DailyMail.com in March that the pair have each spent over $1million in legal costs already - and said the custody battle could go on for six more years.Despite the drama, Angelina has reportedly set her sights on finding love again, with the actress rumoured to have been 'spotted on another secret date' with The Weeknd at a private concert in Los Angeles earlier this month.Images of the stars attending Mustafa's private concert appeared on the Instagram account Deuxmoi, which showed The Weeknd with a group of friends and Angelina sitting with daughters Shiloh and Zahara.A Twitter fan account for the Blinding Lights singer, 31, also posted the images of Angelina with her kids and The Weeknd.Earlier this month, the actress and The Weekend set the internet into a frenzy after they were seen dining at Giorgio Baldi in Santa Monica and they have continued to heat up speculation with their latest outing.While an insider told The Sun the pair are just 'just friends' now, the singer 'made no secret of the fact he has a huge crush on her' for years.While the pair are not known to be friends, there are some intriguing links between them, including the singer referencing Angelina's famous pout in one of his hit songs.Prior to being romantically linked with The Weeknd, Angelina was rumoured to have reconnected with her ex-husband Jonny Lee Miller.
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source : Daily Mail
Angelina Jolie puts on a stylish display in a white shirt and beige trousers as she steps out with children Pax, 17, Zahara, 16, and Shiloh, 15, in Paris
- Details
- Published on Friday, 23 July 2021 06:57
- Written by Daily mail
Angelina Jolie was the picture of a doting mother when she stepped out with three of her six children on Thursday.The actress, 46, was seen heading out with son Pax, 17, and daughters Zahara, 16, and Shiloh, 15, in Paris, France, where they shopped at KITHs and the Guerlain store.Putting on a stunning display, Angelina looked sensational in a white shirt that she tucked into a pair of flared beige trousers. Angelina boosted her height in a pair of beige heels, and she also had a matching beige suit jacket that she took off in the sun.Her brunette locks were brushed into a sleek, straight style that fell over her shoulder and she wore a light palette of make-up.The Maleficent star complemented her ensemble by keeping her personal items in a small beige handbag. Angelina made sure to keep safe amid the coronavirus crisis by wearing a face mask, and her children followed her example. While she was out and about, Angelina was seen walking while holding onto Zahara's hand as Pax and Shiloh walked beside them.Zahara looked stylish in a blue maxi dress that she paired with white trainers and a reusable tote bag.Shiloh, meanwhile, wore a black shirt with grey cargo trousers, and Pax wore a colourful plaid shirt over a white top and khaki chinos.Later in the day, Angelina changed into a chic white shirt dress that was cinched at the waist with a thin belt. Angelina shares the trio, as well as daughter Vivienne, 13, and sons Maddox, 19, and Knox, 13, with her former husband Brad Pitt. Angelina filed for divorce in 2016 citing 'irreconcilable differences' and it was finalised in 2019. The former pair have been in a lengthy custody battle with the actress wanting sole custody and Brad fighting for joint.Last month, Angelina was reportedly left 'bitterly disappointed' after a court awarded joint custody to her ex Brad, a decision was allegedly set to contest in early July. Legal experts in Los Angeles told DailyMail.com in March that the pair have each spent over $1million in legal costs already - and said the custody battle could go on for six more years.Despite the drama, Angelina has reportedly set her sights on finding love again, with the actress rumoured to have been 'spotted on another secret date' with The Weeknd at a private concert in Los Angeles over the weekend. Images of the stars attending Mustafa's private concert appeared on the Instagram account Deuxmoi, which showed The Weeknd with a group of friends and Angelina sitting with daughters Shiloh, 15, and 16-year-old Zahara.A Twitter fan account for the Blinding Lights singer, 31, also posted the images of Angelina with her kids and The Weeknd.Earlier this month, the Oscar-winning actress and The Weekend set the internet into a frenzy after they were seen dining at Giorgio Baldi in Santa Monica and they have continued to heat up speculation with their latest outing. While an insider told The Sun the pair are just 'just friends' now, the singer 'made no secret of the fact he has a huge crush on her' for years.While the pair are not known to be friends, there are some intriguing links between them, including the singer referencing Angelina's famous pout in one of his hit songs. Prior to being romantically linked with The Weeknd, Angelina was rumoured to have reconnected with her ex-husband Jonny Lee Miller.
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source : Daily Mail
Angelina Jolie's former friend says he's NOT '100% sure' her adopted son Maddox was an orphan - as filmmaker probes scandal of babies in Cambodia stolen from their families
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- Published on Friday, 23 July 2021 06:55
- Written by Daily mail
A former aid worker who helped Angelina Jolie adopt her son Maddox has claimed that he cannot be '100% sure' that he was an orphan.Sarath Mounh, who ran an NGO in Cambodia, became a close friend of the Hollywood star during her visits to the country from where Maddox was adopted.He also played a role in the adoption process by signing legal documents stating that he was Maddox's real father, which he is not, to help get it approved quicker by the Cambodian courts, though there is no suggestions Jolie was aware.In an exclusive interview Mr Mounh told MailOnline: 'I'm not 100% sure that Maddox was an orphan even though he came from an orphanage. At least one of the parents was possibly alive at the time of his adoption. But I never asked these difficult questions, nobody did. 'This was happening a lot in Cambodia. There were many babies who were left in orphanages or sold to them by their parents because they couldn't afford to look after them.' At the time, Kek Galibru, head of the human rights agency Licadho, who investigated the adoption, said: 'I'm sure that this child was not a real orphan and was not abandoned.' However, Jolie, 46, said she'd gone to great lengths to verify that Maddox had no living parents and has always maintained that he was an orphan.She said: 'I would never rob a mother of her child. I can only imagine how dreadful that would feel.' But the fresh questions raised by Mr Mounh come as a new documentary will probe whether babies in Cambodia were stolen from their families and put up for adoption. Filmmaker Elizabeth Jacobs, 21, will revisit the claim that 'poor Cambodian families are preyed on by baby recruiters' in her documentary, The Stolen Children.Elizabeth's parents used the services of adoption agent Lauryn Galindo, the same woman who Jolie famously used to adopt Maddox in 2002.At the time, Galindo and her sister Lynn Devin ran an adoption agency called Seattle International Adoptions, and shortly after Maddox's adoption they faced criminal charges. Devin was given a $150,000 fine for falsifying documents to obtain US visas for 'orphans' while Galindo was imprisoned for 18 months in 2004 for the same crime and money laundering. When the scandal was exposed, the U.S. government and several other countries shut down adoptions from Cambodia, with Jolie saying she knew nothing of the illegal trade. There is no evidence Maddox was not an orphan. But Mr Mounh said to MailOnline: 'When it comes to money, everything is possible. This is what I kept on hearing at the time from those around Angelina: 'Make it happen.'He added: 'Angelina didn't personally get involved. It was those around her that were handling the process and asked me to help.'Mr Mounh revealed that he was asked to get involved in the adoption because of his friendship with Jolie and on account of his influence in the Battambang Province, in North West Cambodia where his NGO was based. His organisation ran several projects such as education programmes for children, funding for poor farmers and health drives. These were all aimed at villagers in north east Cambodia.Referring to the documentary, Mr Mounh said: 'I hope it uncovers the entire adoption system in Cambodia at the time. But I don't want Maddox to be emotionally hurt by this.'His adoption was accepted by the law but to this day, I can't say for sure if he was an orphan, I don't think anyone can. But I don't want him to be damaged by what may come out.'He added: 'I want Maddox to have a good life and bright future. I still have a lot of love for him and Angelina, even though I haven't seen them in a long time.'
Mr Mounh revealed that he was asked to sign documents stating to be Maddox's father. There is no suggestion that Jolie was aware that Mr Mounh wrongly signed documents.He added: ''It's true that it was misleading when I signed the adoption papers. I was concerned that this was not honest, but I felt an obligation to sign the papers. Because of my friendship with Angelina, I wanted to help her as best I could. She was also a donor to my organisation.'Jolie provided $300,000 of funding for his NGO, with plans to donate a further $1.2 million and often came to see its work in the Battambang Province. Her own charitable foundation for Cambodia is also based in the same area.Mr Mounh, 55, met Angelina in 2000 after being introduced by the UNHCR, the United Nations refugees agency, for whom he did a lot of work helping to resettle refugees following Cambodia's brutal civil war.Jolie is a UNHCR Special Envoy and showed special interest in Mr Mounh's NGO, Cambodia Vision in Development (CVD), which has now folded.He added: 'She spent a lot of time in Cambodia from 2000 onwards, visiting our projects and we often stayed overnight together. Angelina had a lot of love for my country.'She became a very good friend and spoke openly to me about her desire to help my organisation and her hopes for Maddox.'Jolie and her ex-husband Brad Pitt share joint custody of their six children, twins Vivienne and Knox, 12, Shiloh, 15, Maddox, 19, Zahara, 16, and Pax, 17.In addition to adopting Maddox, Jolie adopted Zahara in Ethiopia and Pax in Vietnam.Mr Mounh's youngest son Makara is the same age as Maddox and he recalled how he and Jolie discussed bringing them up as 'brothers' during her visits to Cambodia.He added: 'I wanted them to grow up together and me and Angelina would talk about this. Sadly, that's not happened.'Mr Mounh and Jolie fell out following allegations made against him that he misused funds donated by her.But he hit back: 'I can account for every dollar that was given to my organisation. I know that Angelina has nothing against me, and I still consider her a friend. It was those around her who made problems between us.'He last saw the Hollywood star and Maddox in 2003 when they visited Cambodia.Mr Mounh added: 'I follow their lives very closely through the media and would love to get back in touch with them but don't know how. I still have a lot of respect and love for both of them.'Mr Mounh fled Cambodia in 2017 fearing for his life on account of his political activities against the ruling government. He now lives in Canada with his wife and three children.MailOnline has contacted Ms Jolie's representatives for comment.
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source : Daily Mail
Angelina Jolie manages to make beekeeping look glamorous in France
- Details
- Published on Thursday, 22 July 2021 05:01
- Written by Page Six
She’s the bee’s knees.Angelina Jolie managed to make a full beekeeper’s suit look glamorous as she presented graduates of the French Apidology Observatory with their diplomas Wednesday.Jolie partnered with French fragrance and cosmetics house Guerlain for the “Women for bees” project, along with UNESCO and the Observatoire Français d’Apidologie.Per UNESCO, “ten women from five biosphere reserves will be welcomed to a 30-day accelerated training course at OFA’s Domaine de la Sainte-Baume (Provence, France) every year.” “Over five years, 50 participants will learn the theoretical and practical bases of beekeeping, including the running of a professional apiary.” “At the end of the training, participants will have acquired all the protocols allowing them to sustain the life of their bee colonies and to become fully professional beekeeper-entrepreneurs, and members of an international network of female beekeepers.” The program began on June 21, which means Jolie was presenting the inaugural class of the program with their credentials. She wore a tan dress and sandals for the presentation part of the ceremony, switching into the more familiar beekeeping outfit — which she paired with a set of chic boots. Jolie, 46, joins David Beckham and Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea in the ranks of celebrity apiarists. The Sun reported in September that Beckham “has become a bit obsessed” with beekeeping over the course of the pandemic lockdown, “and even built a hive” at his family’s home.Flea began learning about bees in 2015, Modern Farmer reported in 2016, and has since raised (built? midwifed?) three hives totaling over 200,000 bees, which he frequently posts about on his social media channels.Jolie’s France trip may take some of the sting out of (sorry) her custody battle with ex-husband Brad Pitt. Last month, it was reported that half of the couple’s children sought to testify against Pitt at a custody hearing, but Jolie claimed the judge would not let them.The “Maleficent” actress, meanwhile, has been setting tongues to wagging by repeatedly stepping out with music star The Weeknd, though one source opined to Page Six that their relationship was strictly business: “He’s definitely focused on getting to the movie business. He has the new HBO series he’s starring in.”
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source : Page Six
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