Angelina Jolie gets legal win over ex-husband Brad Pitt in court battle over French winery Chateau Miraval... as her lawyer says judge shot down five out of seven claims Pitt made
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- Published on Thursday, 21 March 2024 07:28
- Written by Daily mail
Angelina Jolie's lawyer says the actress recently scored a series of courtroom wins amid her legal battle with ex-husband Brad Pitt over Château Miraval, the French estate and winery they bought in 2008. Litigation between the A-list stars - who wed at the Provence, Southern France estate in 2014 and split in 2016 - centers around Jolie's sale of her ownership share to Russian oligarch Yuri Shefler in 2021. The judge ruled in favor of the Oscar-winning actress, 48, 'and dismissed five of the seven claims Pitt asserted against her' in a complaint he filed, during a hearing in Los Angeles last week, an insider told Entertainment Tonight on Wednesday.'The judge dismissed most of Mr. Pitt's claims because they don't have a legal basis,' Jolie's lawyer Paul Murphy told the outlet in a statement Wednesday. 'Mr. Pitt's lawsuit has never been about a business dispute; instead, it is about his attempts to cover up serious abuse, and we are gratified the judge has thrown out so much of Mr. Pitt's complaint.' The Maleficent actress 'truly harbors no ill-will toward' Pitt, her lawyer said, adding that Jolie 'hopes he will now release her from his frivolous lawsuit, stop his relentless attacks, and join her in helping their family heal in private.' The Mr. & Mrs. Smith stars have been entangled in the legal system amid battles on multiple issues over the past six years, including custody of their six children - Maddox, 22, Pax, 20, Zahara, 19, Shiloh, 17, and twins Knox and Vivienne, 15. Jolie's legal victory came after Pitt, 60, made progress during a hearing over the estate last week in France as he 'racked up a win in a French court last week' in connection with a ruling over documents authorities seized in a March 2022 raid, according to legal documents reviewed by The U.S. Sun Monday. 'There’s a long way to go in this litigation, but at the moment, the momentum is certainly with Brad,' an insider close to the Moneyball leading man told the outlet after the Thursday ruling in an appeals court in the the Aix-en-Provence.
The source said last week's ruling marked the third consecutive time Pitt has made progress in the case. 'In recent months, he’s landed three courtroom wins across three different jurisdictions: Luxembourg, the United States, and now France,' the source said of the Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood actor. 'From the moment this hostile takeover bid began, he made it clear that he wasn’t going to be bullied - and he meant it.' The Fight Club actor 'has stood his ground and will continue to do what is right.' The recent ruling was linked to a March 2022 raid on the winery, in which officials brandishing search warrants took possession of documents and computer in connection with accusations toward Shefler's firm Nouvel of 'malfeasance and misuse of company assets,' according to the outlet, citing documents in the case. Under French law, companies involved in lawsuits can be given clearance by the court to procure evidence from the parties they are suing, in conjunction with court-appointed officials.The outlet reported that in the case, a separate court subsequently reversed the aforementioned ruling, ordering the items collected from Shefler to 'remained locked and sealed' pending further orders from the court. On Thursday, according to the outlet, Judge Valerie Gerard blocked Shelfer and his company Nouvel from gaining access to the materials acquired in the raid. The judge said that as 'an indirect shareholder,' Nouvel 'had no legal standing' to request access to the documents, which are in the custody of officials with Pitt's French firm SA Chateau Miraval. Nouvel was also ordered by the judge to remit a sum around $21,000 in legal fees; and the documents will be placed back in a safe at Chateau Miraval under the purview of Pitt's firm, the outlet reported. The latest development on the case comes weeks after Jolie was unsuccessful in convincing a Los Angeles Superior Court to dismiss the case altogether. The legal clash has been far flung, as a Luxembourg court in November restricted Shefler from power over a portion of his shares, with Pitt becoming majority shareholder as a result.
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source : Daily mail 
Angelina Jolie loses legal bid to throw out ex-husband Brad Pitt's claim she sold $64M stake in Miraval vineyard to Russian oligarch without his agreement
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- Published on Wednesday, 13 March 2024 06:23
- Written by Daily mail
Brad Pitt has been handed the latest victory in the battle to control the French vineyard he owned with ex-wife Angelina Jolie in the latest twist in the so-called 'War of the Rosés'.The Chateau Miraval estate, which produces an award-winning sparkling rosé, is at the center of a long-running court battle between the pair.Jolie attempted to overturn a preliminary ruling at the LA Superior Court which allowed her ex-husband’s claims that she sold her stake in their stunning vineyard to Russian oligarch Yuri Shefler without his agreement in 2021.But in another win for the Fight Club star, the court rejected the allegations that his suit was ‘frivolous, malicious, and part of a problematic pattern.’It now means that Pitt’s legal team has the green light to take the court battle to trial, in which the A-lister is suing Jolie for breaching an agreement that they would give each other first refusal.Court minutes seen by DailyMail.com show that the Hollywood star was given the go-ahead on March 8 to amend one overruled claim relating to breaching an ‘implied covenant’ of fair dealing and good faith.Judge Lia Martin rejected Jolie’s attorneys attempts to toss out the lawsuit for breaching an implied contract and quasi-contract, which is the latest blow for Jolie and Shefler.Last month, the Mail revealed that Stoli had been stripped of some shares by a court in Luxembourg, making Pitt the majority shareholder.The battle over Chateau Miraval's future has so far been waged in courtrooms in France, Luxembourg and Los Angeles.Pitt was shocked when his ex-wife sold her half of their stunning Chateau Miraval estate without his agreement to Russian billionaire Yuri Shefler in 2021.After their acrimonious separation in 2016, Jolie sold her stake in the business to Yuri Shefler's Stoli Group. Pitt claimed she had breached an agreement that they would give each other first refusal.Financial papers seen by DailyMail.com in February revealed that the ultimate owner of the shares is a shadowy trust on the isle of Jersey controlled by a company of which Shefler is not a shareholder.The bewildering business arrangements make it impossible to know who is pulling the strings - but friends of Hollywood star Pitt say he is determined to get to the bottom of it.A source close to the actor said: 'Brad wants Jersey to start providing answers. He should have the right to know who has bought into his business.'He has put his heart and soul into Chateau Miraval and feels the rug has been pulled out from under him. He does not know for sure who he is actually in business with.'
In a previous filing Pitt claimed that Shefler tried to ‘bully’ and ‘threaten’ him with smears, arguing the Russian tried to browbeat him into submission by issuing a press release announcing their ‘partnership’ the day after Jolie’s deal went through.Shefler then demanded that the pair meet for talks, after ‘personally insisting’ that the release ‘emphasized’ that they were partners with Pitt – despite the A-Lister only learning of the deal through the announcement.The filings are part of the Oscar winners bid to undo the $64m sale by Angelina Jolie of her share in the Chateau Miraval estate to Shefler.He says the 2021 deal was in breach of Jolie’s earlier promise to offer him first refusal if she ever sold up.Shefler is accused of reaching out to Jolie’s divorce lawyers following reports of a ‘heated custody dispute’ in 2021.Pitt’s team also say that representatives for Stoli—the international beverage conglomerate owned by Shefler— made as ‘unsolicited’ bid for Miravel following news of the couples split.Shefler insists the American courts have no jurisdiction to hear a full trial on the matter.But the momentum in the legal battle appears to be with Pitt, after a court in Luxembourg stripped Shefler of 10 per cent of his shares, effectively making Pitt the majority shareholder once again.His legal team secured the victory by arguing that the shares were given in 2013 with the understanding that Jolie would not sell them on.Judge Carole Kerschen ruled it was necessary to end the 'blockage of decision' and save the business. A 'merits hearing' in around two years is likely to decide that Pitt regain full control of the shares, which were transferred to Jolie’s company for one euro.A source close to the actor previously said the ruling leaves Shefler, with 'virtually no say' in the multi-million-pound business in Provence.Pitt and Jolie bought the 1,300-acre Miraval estate in 2008 as 60-40 partners, with Pitt the majority shareholder.Five years later, he gave an extra 10 per cent to Jolie's company Nouvel for one euro, making them equals.But after their acrimonious split in 2016 the estate was at the center of a $350million divorce battle.In 2021, Jolie sold Nouvel to a group controlled by Shefler. Pitt's lawyers claimed she 'knew and intended Shefler and his affiliates would try to control the business'.
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source : Daily mail
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie 'may be one step closer to finalizing divorce' after stars submit financial disclosures... seven years after their split
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- Published on Saturday, 10 February 2024 16:27
- Written by Daily mail
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie submitted their financial documents in what appears to be one step closer to finalizing their divorce that has been ongoing for almost eight years.Brad, 60, and Angelina, 48, reportedly disclosed their finances to the other party, according to TMZ, which signals the end of a divorce settlement.The former power couple have been battling it out since Angelina first filed for divorce in September 2016.DailyMail.com has reached out to Brad and Angelina's representatives for comment. The movie stars, who met in 2004 while filming Mr. And Mrs. Smith, share six children together: sons Maddox, 22, Pax, 20, and Knox, 15, and daughters Zahara, 19, Shiloh, 17, and Vivienne, 15. Jolie adopted Maddox in 2002, then Zahara in 2005, a year after she'd met Pitt while the pair filmed Mr and Mrs Smith. He was married to Jennifer Aniston at the time.They then adopted Pax together in 2007, and had biological kids Shiloh, Knox and Vivienne afterwards. Pitt adopted all of the kids before they got married in 2014.They married in August 2014 after 10 years together but Angelina filed for divorce in September 2016. At the time, Angelina chose to file 'for the health of the family,' according to the Associated Press, and asked for physical custody of the children.Jolie filed for sole custody after filing for divorce following an incident on the couple's private plane during which she said he allegedly became violent and abusive, which he has vehemently denied and was cleared of.By the end of September 2016, she was granted the full physical custody according to a judge, with Brad having visitation rights.Two months later, Brad filed his response, requesting joint and physical custody of the children.By December 2016, Brad filed - but was later denied - a request to seal the custody related documents.In January 2017, they released a joint statement revealing that they signed an agreement to keep their court documents confidential.The judge ordered Angelina to help repair Brad's relationship with their children and he was given more time with them.However, in August 2018, Angelina accused Brad of not paying any 'meaningful child support, with Brad's lawyers filing a response one day later, claiming he's paid her $9 million since their split.A judge granted them both legal single status on April 12, 2019, while the couple continued to finalize their divorce.
Brad was granted joint custody by private Judge John Ouderkirk in May 2021 but Angelina challenged it.
A California appeals court disqualified the judge in July 2021, agreeing with Jolie in that the judge, Judge John Ouderkirk, did not sufficiently disclose business relationships with Pitt's attorneys. Lawyers for the star filed a petition for review with the California Supreme Court after the disqualification of Judge John Ouderkirk effectively voided the joint custody ruling, according to People.In Pitt's petition, lawyers claim that elimination of Ouderkirk 'effectively upended the constitutionally authorized temporary judging system in California' and subsequently 'throws open the door to disqualification challenges at any point during a case, even if the party raising the motion has long been on notice about the alleged grounds for disqualification.' In addition, lawyers for the actor allege that Jolie was 'made aware of Judge Ouderkirk's significant professional history with Pitt's counsel from the very start,' yet did not seek disqualification until years later.The joint custody ruling was then vacated after his removal. In February 2022, Brad sued Angelina for selling their Chateau Miraval Winery, their French winery and the place they tied the knot. They had 50/50 ownership, and Angelina sold her portion to Russian oligarch Yuri Shefler. The holding company in control of her Miraval share is called Nouvel.He requested the sale to be voided and sought monetary damages and legal fees however the sale went through on October 5, 2021.In June 2023, Brad filed an amended complaint regarding her sale of her share of the winery. His lawsuit for the sale of her portion of the winery is still ongoing. Brad is currently romantically involved with Ines de Ramon, the ex-wife of actor Paul Wesley.
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source : Daily mail
Angelina Jolie appears in good spirits as she is seen for the first time since being accused of 'playing games' with ex-husband Brad Pitt by trying to turn their kids against him
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- Published on Wednesday, 06 December 2023 07:08
- Written by Daily mail
Angelina Jolie looked in great spirits as she was seen out and about in Milan alongside film mates Pierfrancesco Favino and Alba Rohrwacher and director Pablo Larrìn on Monday. The appearance marks the first time the actress, 48, has been seen since those close to her ex-husband Brad Pitt accused her of 'playing games' to turn their children against him. Friends of Brad opened up about the star's devastation over his estrangement from his three adopted children – and blamed his former wife who they claimed has carried out 'textbook parental alienation.'Yet Angelina was seen beaming as she stepped out of the car in the Italian city and seemed undeterred by any family upheaval. The academy award-winning actress cut a chic figure as she donned a black tailored coat which was adorned with pearl buttons. The star's outfit couldn't be seen under the long black coat, but she looked to pair the outfit with some black boots while she wore her golden locks down loosely. Angelina was seen chatting to her film mates and the others in attendance seemingly unaware of the cameras. It has been an explosive time for the star recently after it was recently revealed that the couple's daughter Zahara no longer uses Pitt as her surname and their son Pax called his dad a 'world-class a-hole'. Maddox, 22, Pax, 19, and Zahara, 18 are all believed to be estranged from their adoptive father – with only his three biological children Shiloh, 18, and twins Knox and Vivienne, 15, still seeing him as per a custody agreement. Earlier this month Zahara attended a sorority induction event at Spelman College in Atlanta and gave her name as Zahara Jolie rather than Zahara Jolie-Pitt which is her legal name. Both Maddox and Pax are said to also have dropped the Pitt name in informal contexts 'years ago.' Maddox, who has graduated from college in South Korea, is said to have not spoken to Brad since the incident on a private plane in 2016 which ended the Jolie-Pitt marriage and is apparently openly hostile, saying that he 'doesn't regard Brad as his father' any more. Last week, DailyMail.com told how a bombshell Instagram post from Pax had resurfaced where he called Brad a 'f***ing awful human being' and added: 'You time and time and again prove yourself to be a terrible and despicable person. 'You have no consideration or empathy toward your four youngest children who tremble in fear when in your presence.'You will never understand the damage you have done to my family because you're incapable of doing so.' Friends of the former couple do not dispute that the teen made the comments, published on Pax's private Instagram account, but say that they were made over three years ago. Some claim that they shine a light on the poisonous things their children have been told. One said: 'The publication of the Instagram is sad and frustrating because it does not make things any better. 'Even when what is said is bad for him, Brad would only ever respect the kids voices. He will never ever speak negatively about any of them and will almost never talk about them in public. 'There is no question that he would hit back at them.' The friend added: 'There is a feeling among their friends that the post is a perfect example of parental alienation – I mean this is a textbook demonstration of parental alienation. 'Brad's team think she has been playing these games for years but they do not want to get drawn into battle with her. 'There have been years and years of her telling and retelling the same poisonous things about him and the reality is that she has alienated the kids, and the reality is that it is upsetting to Brad. 'He cares about all of them. It is devastating.' A source from Angelina's side familiar with the matter said: 'Brad Pitt has nobody to blame but himself. All Angelina wants is to heal their family and move on, but he won't let her go.' Brad's friend added that custody of the six children now only involves the three youngest – Shiloh, who is 17 plus Knox and Vivienne, 15.These children are subject to a joint custody agreement which gives more time with Angelina than Brad.It has been reported that Brad has time with them at weekends and for extended periods during school holidays. Angelina has complained that she would like to relocate but that the family has to stay in America as its where Brad chooses to live.
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source : Daily mail
Inside the toxic Brangelina family feud: Brad Pitt's pals reveal his devastation at being estranged from his adopted children and blame Angelina Jolie for carrying out 'textbook parental alienation' after son called actor 'a f***ing awful human'
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- Published on Thursday, 23 November 2023 14:28
- Written by Daily mail
Friends of Brad Pitt have spoken of his devastation over his estrangement from his three adopted children – and blame his former wife Angelina Jolie who they claim has carried out 'textbook parental alienation.' Maddox, 22, Pax, 19, and Zahara, 18 are all believed to be estranged from their adoptive father – with only his three biological children Shiloh, 18, and twins Knox and Vivienne, 15, still seeing him as per a custody agreement. At the weekend Zahara attended a sorority induction event at Spelman College in Atlanta and gave her name as Zahara Jolie rather than Zahara Jolie-Pitt which is her legal name.Both Maddox and Pax are said to also have dropped the Pitt name in informal contexts 'years ago.' Maddox, who has graduated from college in South Korea, is said to have not spoken to Pitt since the incident on a private plane in 2016 which ended the Jolie-Pitt marriage and is apparently openly hostile, saying that he 'doesn't regard Brad as his father' any more. On Tuesday, DailyMail.com told how a bombshell Instagram post from Pax had resurfaced where he called Pitt a 'f***ing awful human being' and added: 'You time and time and again prove yourself to be a terrible and despicable person. 'You have no consideration or empathy toward your four youngest children who tremble in fear when in your presence.'You will never understand the damage you have done to my family because you're incapable of doing so.' Friends of the former couple do not dispute that the teen made the comments, published on Pax's private Instagram account, but say that they were made over three years ago. Some claim that they shine a light on the poisonous things their children have been told. One said: 'The publication of the Instagram is sad and frustrating because it does not make things any better. 'Even when what is said is bad for him, Brad would only ever respect the kids voices. He will never ever speak negatively about any of them and will almost never talk about them in public. 'There is no question that he would hit back at them.' The friend added: 'There is a feeling among their friends that the post is a perfect example of parental alienation – I mean this is a textbook demonstration of parental alienation.'Brad's team think she has been playing these games for years but they do not want to get drawn into battle with her. 'There have been years and years of her telling and retelling the same poisonous things about him and the reality is that she has alienated the kids, and the reality is that it is upsetting to Brad. 'He cares about all of them. It is devastating.'
A source from Jolie's side familiar with the matter said: 'Brad Pitt has nobody to blame but himself. All Angelina wants is to heal their family and move on, but he won't let her go.' Pitt's friend added that custody of the six children now only involves the three youngest – Shiloh, who is 17 plus Knox and Vivienne, 15. These children are subject to a joint custody agreement which gives more time with Jolie than Pitt.It has been reported that Pitt has time with them at weekends and for extended periods during school holidays. Jolie has complained that she would like to relocate but that the family has to stay in America as its where Pitt chooses to live.He's said to be on close terms with Shiloh, who is keen on dancing, and she has made some attempts to act the peacemaker between Pitt and her older siblings. In interviews last year while promoting the film Bullet Train he mused about his 'beautiful' girl who had grown up and talked about how talented she is at dance unlike 'Mr Two Left Feet here.' He also spoke of his admiration and love for Zahara and pride in her academic achievements. Friends of Jolie said that the family had been taken slightly by surprise by Zahara's move at the weekend, but pointed out that she and her mother are extremely close. One said: 'It was a very significant day for her and she let them know that that was what she wanted to do.' Zahara has been advising Angelina on her clothing range for the about-to-launch fashion venture, Atelier Jolie. She also came with her on a lobbying visit to Washington last year and was present at meetings with lawmakers where Jolie suggested various judicial reforms. Pax meanwhile is also involved in Atelier Jolie and has sketched the design for its logo. He and older brother Maddox have also been working with Jolie on the film Without Blood which she directed earlier this year in Europe. Both were handed jobs as assistant directors, according to People magazine although they are not credited on IMDB. Jolie commented: 'We work well together. When a film crew is at its best, it feels like a big family, so it feels natural.' A friend of Pitt's said: 'As far as custody goes the legal team continue to be patient it is just frustrating because people keep on focusing on wrong things. In terms of custody nothing has changed.' The pal added of Pitt, who has been dating jeweller Ines de Ramon for a year: 'He is doing great on many levels. People seem to be excited about the Formula One film and that is back in production. His film company Plan B is doing great. There are many things in his life which are good. Obviously they are not all good because of the family stuff. It is obviously very upsetting. He really cares about the kids.'
The romance with Jolie always involved his potential role as the stepfather and father to her children. When they first met on the set of the film Mr and Mrs Brad Pitt, (and he was still married to Jennifer Aniston), he was introduced to Angelina Jolie's toddler son Maddox. At the time sources on the film said that Jolie would show up at Pitt's trailer and tell him: 'Maddox would like to say 'Hi.' Pitt, then 42, was enchanted – by the boy and his mother. Angelina Jolie had started her family in 2002. Having filmed Tomb Raider in Cambodia she decided that she wanted to adopt an orphaned Cambodian baby although her marriage to Billy Bob Thornton was already rocky. She later said: 'Our marriage was falling apart before I adopted and by the time Maddox came home, Billy and I were apart.' As the scandal over Brad's marriage break-up raged in 2004, she was spotted playing with Maddox in Central Park, looking the picture of loving motherhood.Adoption was the path chosen by Jolie. 'Having a child of my own would make me feel that there was a child out there who did not have a home because I had chosen to have a baby,' she told an interviewer in 2005. In that year she adopted Zahara, a baby from Ethiopia – aided by Brad Pitt. The last adoption came in 2007 when Pax, aged three joined the family. Pitt legally adopted all three. By the time Jolie was a mother, her own mother Marcheline Bertrand was engaged in a long and devastating battle with breast cancer. She died in 2007, aged 56, after being diagnosed in 1999. She was close to her mother but never to her father, who had left when she and brother James were young and had been unfaithful, leaving emotional scars on all of them. Voight, around the time she adopted Pax, begged her to seek help for the 'serious symptoms of real problems' he thought she showed. He added, bluntly: 'She has never been normal. She and Brad built perhaps the ultimate dysfunctional household for their six children. Both of them worked periodically, and the whole family spent years criss-crossing the globe. They settled at one time in New Orleans, and in France, and called a myriad of hotels a temporary home. Brad struggled with the relationship and the spotlight; he would drink heavily and said more than once that he would wake up still drunk from the previous night. His friend Quentin Tarantino alluded to his pot-smoking habit, which Jolie disapproved of. (He gave up alcohol in the wake of his split from Jolie).
One hotel employee, Anna Kowalski, alleged that Angelina and Brad habitually slept in separate rooms as long ago as 2010 and had little to do with each other, with Angelina sitting alone drinking wine in the bedroom of the suite, and Brad sitting in another room with a beer.As the kids grew older, Jolie found a passion for charitable missions, and would bring them along. Zahara and Shiloh were taken to Ethiopia to scout locations for a medical centre, Maddox went to Iraq as a birthday treat. At home there were no rules, except that the children weren't encouraged to make any friends outside of the family circle – and the kids ruled the roost. For instance, from an early age, adopted son Maddox had an interest in guns and knives, and was reportedly bought a knife from a martial arts shop by his mother for his seventh birthday. Soon afterwards he drew a picture of a machine gun on her mother's day card – and Pitt apparently had the image made into a gold trinket to hang on a chain. Angelina said in an interview: 'He's all into war and guns. So for Mother's Day he drew a machine-gun, and Brad had it made into a necklace, which is really sweet. It's really cute.' She added: 'My mum took me to buy my first daggers when I was 11 or 12, and I've already bought Maddox some.' For a time Maddox liked to speak French, even though the rest of the family, with the exception of his mother and brother Pax, struggled with the language. Shiloh for some time only answered to the name of John and dressed in boy's clothes, including neckties and fedora hats. The habit arose because of her passion for the Peter Pan movie. One former nanny, who quit in despair, reportedly said that the children insisted on breakfasting on items like pizza or chocolate, and enjoyed a diet of junk food, particularly Cheetos. It was suggested that the nannies varied in number between six and nine, each having one child as their key responsibility. When Shiloh was three and Zahara five both would carry comfort blankies, even on a trip to the grocery store. As the marriage entered its final year, her brother James moved in with Angelina and Brad, having been hired as the chief nanny. He was her great support - who can forget their unsettling kiss on the Oscars red carpet in 2000 – and it is indicated that having James around stoked the tensions which ended the marriage.
I was even told by one source that relations were so sour between the two men of the house that Brad used to make James fly economy when the rest of the family were in first class. Some magazines suggested that the younger children had fallen into the habit of calling James 'Dad' by the summer of 2016. And then came that shattering – and disputed – incident on a plane. In legal documents, Jolie said that Pitt hit and choked the children as well as attacking her, and punching the roof of the plane when drunk. At one point, it was claimed, he poured beer on his wife, while he also poured beer and red wine on the children. Pitt denies the claims. The allegations were investigated by the FBI at the time but no charges were brought Five days later, Jolie filed for divorce — just after the second anniversary of their wedding — requesting sole physical custody of the six children. A lawyer for Pitt said he had accepted responsibility for some things in his past but that he would not accept responsibility for things he did not do. Another source close to the actor dismissed Jolie's account as 'bulls***' and claimed her story was 'constantly evolving'. The source added: 'She continues to rehash, revise and reimagine her description of an event that happened six years ago by adding completely untrue information each time she fails to get what she wants.' Sources in the Pitt camp described the release of the information as a 'media stunt to inflict pain.' Since the split there has been years of court-appointed therapy for the children, who shuttle between their warring parents in their respective LA homes via chauffeur cars, accompanied by security. Angelina has primary custody, Pitt sees them for a certain number of hours on a school day, and every other day of weekends or holidays. Maddox, 15, at the time of the split, reportedly declined to see his father when a first meeting was brokered between Pitt and his children. 'He doesn't really see himself as Brad's son,' a source told US Weekly at the time. Another added more bluntly: 'He never wants to see Brad again.' As the divorce has dragged on, every issue involving the children has been a flashpoint. At one point in their judge issued a 'cellphone protocol' saying that Pitt needed to know the children's phone numbers so that he could speak to them or text them, without her intervening or supervising. Angelina was warned of serious consequences if she created a distance between him and the kids. There was also wrangling about the bona fides of experts and witnesses called during custody hearings. Its understood that Jolie wanted the children to testify about alleged domestic violence. The ruling did not go her way. Judge Oudekirk said her testimony: ' 'lacked credibility in many important areas, and the existing custody order between the parties must be modified, per Mr. Pitt's request, in the best interests of the children.' This was, though, overturned later as the judge had a business relationship with one of Pitt's attorneys which was found by the California appeal court in July 2021 to cast doubt on his impartiality. Pitt's lawyers decried the move as 'crafty.' There have been no further motions over custody since that point. The legal skirmishes now concern the sale of Jolie's share of the Miravel vineyard to the Stoli group. Last week, Pitt's lawyers were given the nod to proceed in a suit against Jolie for the sale. The war, then, continues.
source : Daily mail
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