Sour grapes! Brad Pitt claims 'vindictive' Angelina Jolie secretly plotted to sell off her share of his beloved French vineyard Miraval to 'Russian oligarch' to 'severely damage' him and 'enrich herself' as payback for bitter custody battle
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- Published on Friday, 02 June 2023 09:51
- Written by Daily mail
Blindsided Brad Pitt learned that ex-wife Angelina Jolie had sold half of their celebrated French vineyard to a 'Russian oligarch' from a press release, DailyMail.com can exclusively reveal. The former couple had a 'mutual and binding commitment' to the $160 million Chateau Miraval business and both agreed never to sell their share without the other's permission. But stunned Pitt, 59, discovered his ex-wife had 'secretly' sold her 50 percent stake when a 2021 press release announced that he had new business partners, according to the actor's lawyers. Worse still, the buyer was part of a 'Russia-affiliated' vodka conglomerate headed by a billionaire oligarch who would use the Hollywood connection to launder his reputation, a new filing alleges. 'As will be demonstrated at trial, Jolie's actions were unlawful, severely and intentionally damaging Pitt and unjustly enriching herself,' states the document, filed in LA Superior Court and obtained exclusively by DailyMail.com.Pitt and UN human rights activist Jolie, 47, split in 2016 but are still sorting out their labyrinthine financial affairs and custody arrangements to this day. The latest skirmish began as a protracted business dispute over the Chateau Miraval, a 35-room estate and vineyard they jointly acquired for $60 million in 2011 and the setting for their wedding three years later. Just as the fizz went out of their A-list marriage, this latest dust up has steadily devolved into an ugly mudslinging match with Pitt furious that Jolie has used privileged court documents to repeat unproven domestic violence allegations against him.In a revised complaint also filed this week, the Fight Club hunk insists he had first refusal on his ex-wife's share of the idyllic winery, situated in Correns, a village in the South of France. By selling instead to Yuri Shefler, Jolie linked the Chateau Miraval to Russia, its homophobic laws, and the invasion of Ukraine - potentially tarnishing the reputation of its highly regarded rosé, Pitt alleges. In her $250 counterclaim Jolie accused Pitt of trying to force her into selling to his company, Mondo Bongo, on 'unreasonable terms' and spreading lies that Shefler was 'an ally of Vladimir Putin.' She also alleged that Pitt hid assets and squandered the chateau's funds on vanity projects, including a swimming pool and an ornate staircase that was rebuilt four times.'The only thing that Jolie's Cross-Complaint gets right is that she and Pitt purchased Château Miraval as a 'loving home for their six children,' Pitt's lawyers protest in his latest riposte. 'As set forth in Plaintiffs' Second Amended Complaint, Pitt and Jolie had a mutual and binding commitment, reflected by their conduct and statements to one another over time, that they would hold Miraval together and, if the time came, that they would sell their interests separately only with the other's consent.'
The filing says Pitt trusted his-then wife and thus 'devoted his time and his resources to renovating the estate and building a highly successful wine business'. 'Jolie, though supportive of Pitt's efforts on behalf of the family, did none of the work necessary for Miraval's success,' the filing goes on. 'Instead, she allowed Pitt to pour money and sweat equity into the business in reliance on her promise to hold Miraval together, as well as the contractual rights her holding company Nouvel owed his. By the time of their separation, Pitt's investment exceeded Jolie's by nearly $50 million.'The filing argues that Tomb Raider star Jolie 'initially recognized' her obligation to Pitt and acknowledged that she had two options – sell jointly or allow Pitt to buy her out. She even agreed that dividing the business up 68 percent to 38 percent in his favor would be fair, according to her ex-husband's filing. 'But in the summer of 2021, amid a heated child custody dispute with Pitt, Jolie terminated those discussions and secretly purported to sell a 50% stake in the family home and family business to Tenute del Mondo,' the filing adds.'Tenute del Mondo is part of the Russia-affiliated spirits conglomerate Stoli Group, which is owned and controlled by billionaire Yuri Shefler. Shefler, who has been designated as an 'oligarch in the Russian Federation' by the U.S. Treasury Department, had previously sought to buy Miraval, and Pitt had turned him down. 'Pitt learned of Jolie's putative sale to Stoli by way of a press release announcing that Stoli was 'thrilled to have a position alongside Brad Pitt as curators' of Miraval rosé. 'That was by design: Jolie collaborated in secret with Shefler and his associates to pursue and then consummate the purported sale, ensuring that Pitt would be kept in the dark as Stoli and Jolie knowingly violated Pitt's and Mondo Bongo's contractual rights and forced a stranger into Pitt's family home.'Pitt's revised complaint goes to accuse Shefler - a co-defendant and currently based in Switzerland – of destabilizing the winery's operations and plotting a hostile takeover. 'Shefler's Russia-affiliated spirits conglomerate has been the subject of repeat boycotts in connection with Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine and homophobic legislative agenda,' it argues. 'While Shefler may be seeking to launder his reputation by forcing a partnership with one of the world's most well-known and popular actors, affiliation with Shefler and Stoli jeopardizes the reputation of the business.'
It adds: 'All of this is the direct result of Stoli's and Jolie's secretive, unlawful and tortious conduct and that of others acting with them.' DailyMail.com previously reported that Pitt's allies are furious with Jolie for using the Chateau Miraval dispute to repeat unproven allegations that he attacked her and terrorized their kids after drinking heavily on a 2016 private jet ride. Jolie's filing claims Pitt flew into a rage, grabbing her by the head, shaking her, and shoving her into a bathroom wall before punching the ceiling numerous times. When one of their six kids, then-aged between eight and 15, came to their mom's defense, the two-time Oscar-winner is alleged to have 'lunged at his own child', prompting Jolie to grab him from behind.'To get Jolie off his back, Pitt threw himself backwards into the airplane's seats injuring Jolie's back and elbow,' the countersuit states. 'The children rushed in and all bravely tried to protect each other. Before it was over, Pitt choked one of the children and struck another in the face.' Pitt is adamant he never laid a finger on his children or philanthropist ex-wife, who filed for divorce five days later.She claims in filings that the incident left her 'increasingly uncomfortable with continuing to participate in an alcohol-related business, given the impact of Pitt's acknowledged problem of alcohol abuse on their family.' Both the FBI and reportedly the Los Angeles Department of Children and Family Services declined to take further action against him in the wake of the spat. But that hasn't prevented her from weaponizing the 'ever-evolving' allegations at every possible opportunity, according to Pitt's pals, who accuse Jolie of 'seeking revenge' and launching a 'misinformation campaign.' Pitt and Jolie met in 2005 on the set of Mr. & Mrs. Smith, playing a bored married couple who discover they are both assassins hired by competing agencies to kill one another. They married at Chateau Miraval in 2014 and parented six kids - three biological and three adopted. Pitt has not shied away from his flaws, telling GQ magazine in the wake of their split that he was quitting booze and seeking therapy. 'It's hit me smack in the face with our divorce: I gotta be more. I gotta be more for them. I have to show them. And I haven't been great at it,' he said.
source : Daily Mail 
Angelina Jolie receives a bundle of papers from FBI investigation looking into THAT private jet scrap with former husband Brad Pitt
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- Published on Friday, 27 January 2023 16:29
- Written by Daily mail
Angelina Jolie had a satisfying Christmas gift — a bundle of papers from the FBI investigation into the alleged altercation on a plane between her and Brad Pitt, which sparked their long and bitter divorce.It can be revealed that more than 100 pages of the FBI report were 'reprocessed and released' to Jolie after a court action, and arrived on January 4 this year. A further tranche will be with the actress by the end of this month.Jolie, 47, has been seeking the documents because she claims she needs them to gain 'legal protection' from her former husband, 59.The pair started a romance after co-starring in the film Mr And Mrs Smith in 2004 and were finally married in August 2014 at their house in rural France, but their legal union lasted just 25 months.Since then they have been fighting over custody of their six children, although the two eldest — Maddox and Pax — are now no longer minors (the others are Zahara, 17; Shiloh, 16; and Vivienne and Knox, 14).Jolie appears to be pursuing Pitt, 59, by means of an anonymous court action between 'Jane Doe' and the FBI, which investigated an alleged altercation between the pair on a private jet in 2016.Pitt was accused of pouring red wine and beer over his ex and their children, and assaulting them, on the plane — claims he denies.The allegations were investigated by the FBI at the time but no charges were brought. Details of the incident first surfaced in August last year, when a Freedom of Information court filing became public.And it is papers from the FBI's investigation that Jolie has been battling to get her hands on.Meanwhile, the row over Chateau Miraval, the couple's jointly-owned vineyard in Provence, also rumbles on.Jolie sold her shares in the winery, famed for its rosés, last year... illegally, according to Pitt. A court date for that dispute has been set for Tuesday.It comes after Brad quietly put his Los Feliz compound on the market for around $40 million.A real estate source confirmed with People that the actor had listed the sprawling property, which boasts 1.9 acres, a skateboard park , swimming pool, and more.Pitt decided to offload the residence because he is 'looking for something smaller' in the Los Angeles area, the insider said.He purchased the original home from Cassandra Peterson of Elvira fame in 1994, paying a reported $1.7 million for the property.After the initial purchase, Pitt expanded the property by snapping up lots adjacent to the original residence. Nowadays, the compound contains an outdoor swimming pool, private tennis pavilion, and skate park, according to Architectural Digest. The Babylon star lived at the home with his ex-wife and their six children.
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source : Daily mail
ALISON BOSHOFF: Angelina Jolie to get key FBI report into THAT private jet scrap with Brad Pitt
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- Published on Saturday, 17 December 2022 08:27
- Written by Daily mail
Tis the season of goodwill — but there is no truce in the six-year battle between actress Angelina Jolie and ex-husband Brad Pitt.Jolie, 47 appears to be continuing to pursue Pitt, 58, via an anonymous court action between ‘Jane Doe’ and the FBI, which investigated an alleged altercation between the pair on a private jet in 2016.Pitt was accused of pouring red wine and beer over his ex and their children, and of assaulting them on the plane — claims which he denies.The allegations were investigated by the FBI, but no charges were brought.Details of the incident first surfaced in August this year, when a Freedom of Information court filing became public, and it can be revealed that the endgame is finally in sight. In new legal documents seen by this paper, the FBI has promised to give Jolie the documents from its investigation before the end of the month.According to court papers, during a recent status meeting, lawyers for ‘Jane Doe’ argued that she had been prevented from getting ‘qualified trauma care and domestic violence counselling to address harm suffered as the result of an in-air assault by John Doe’.They added that she needed the information in order to obtain ‘legal protection’ from her former husband.The suit was sparked after the FBI announced in September 2017 that there would be no charges brought over the plane incident.
Lawyers for the actress say that an FBI special agent prepared a statement of probable cause, which was presented to prosecutors, who then declined to proceed.Jolie’s legal team add that the ‘public mis-statement’ by the FBI over the closing of the investigation ‘contributed to the ongoing harm suffered by Ms Doe and the children by de-legitimising their experience’; and that she was not informed about the decision by the FBI.But sources in the Pitt camp disagree, suggesting the entire lawsuit is an aggressive media play by his former spouse. They insist both parties were given the report in 2017, and that Jolie was kept informed throughout.One said: ‘She has had the FBI report for six years and has used it in legal proceedings, so she has not been disadvantaged.‘The legal authorities investigated at the time and decided not to press charges.’The FBI, meanwhile, has said it will give Jolie the documents she has been seeking ‘in December’. It’s not clear, however, what exactly will be in those documents — and what the Bureau will choose to redact.Jolie and Pitt have been contesting custody of their six children — Maddox, 21; Pax, 19; Zahara, 17; Shiloh, 16; and twins Vivienne and Knox, 14 — ever since their split in 2016.The pair started a romance after co-starring in the 2005 movie Mr And Mrs Smith.
Jolie had already adopted Maddox at that stage — from an orphanage in Cambodia in 2002, while she was married to actor Billy Bob Thornton — but Pitt became the boy’s adoptive father in 2006. Together the couple then adopted three-year-old Pax from Vietnam; and baby Zahara from Ethiopia. They also had three children together: daughter Shiloh (in 2006) and twins Knox and Vivienne (in 2008).They were married in August 2014 at their house in rural France, but their legal union lasted just 25 months.In 2017, they hired a private judge — Judge John Ouderkirk, the same man who had married them — to mediate their divorce.Pitt was said to have quietly completed a ‘VIP rehab’; and admitted that he had been drinking too much and needed to go to AA meetings.Jolie accused Pitt of not paying her ‘meaningful support’ in 2018. He countered that he had loaned her $8 million to buy a home, and given a further $1.3 million for payment of bills.Initially, Jolie had primary custody of the children, who visited their father on a schedule. But in May 2021, Judge Ouderkirk granted Pitt 50/50 custody.Jolie then made a successful legal bid to disqualify Ouderkirk from the divorce case. A California appeals court ruled the judge had not sufficiently disclosed business relationships with Pitt’s attorneys, but did not overturn his 50/50 custody decision.Meanwhile, battle has also been joined over the couple’s French vineyard, Chateau Miraval. Jolie sold her 50 per cent stake in the Provencal winery last year — a move Pitt says was unlawful.
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source : Daily mail
Angelina Jolie brands ex-husband Brad Pitt's legal battle over her wanting to sell her portion of their French winery as 'malicious' and 'frivolous'
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- Published on Sunday, 04 December 2022 16:50
- Written by Daily mail
Angelina Jolie continued to slam Brad Pitt amid their ongoing divorce battle, with the focus continuing to be on the ownership of their Chateau Miraval Winery.The father-of-six, 58, accused Jolie, 47, of selling her portion of the winery with the intent to willfully 'inflict harm' by entering into the sale with a total 'stranger,' thus violating their agreement.According to RadarOnline.com, who obtained court documents, Angelina slammed Brad's claims as 'frivolous, malicious, and part of a problematic pattern' as her legal team provided an update to the legal battle this week.Pitt claimed they both agreed not to sell their stake in the property without approving it with each other as they were both owners.The documents added, 'Pitt's allegations that he and Ms. Jolie had a secret, unwritten, unspoken contract to a consent right on the sale of their interests in the property is directly contrary to the written record and, among other legal defects, violative of the Statute of Frauds and public policy.'This comes after an email resurfaced recently where Jolie explained the rationale behind her decision to sell her share of the property.A TikTok user under the handle @magshrts1 posted content of the email, which the Oscar-winning actress wrote in January of 2021, which Entertainment Tonight confirmed in a court document.The Those Who Wish Me Dead actress said she had written the email 'so not to get emotional' in explaining her rationale behind her decision to sell her share of the winery.'It is the place we brought the twins home to, and where we were married over a plaque in my mother's memory,' Jolie said. 'A place that held the promise of what could be and where I thought I would grow old. Even now impossible to write this without crying. I will treasure my memories of what it was a decade ago.'The Los Angeles native said that the winery 'is also the place that marks the beginning of the end of our family - and a business that is centered around alcohol.'Jolie said she had hoped the winery 'somehow it could become something that held us together' but now saw how Pitt 'really wanted [her] out and will most likely be pleased to receive this email.' The Eternals star said in the prior four years, she witnessed 'lots of inconsiderate behavior' and felt excluded from the business end of the winery as there was 'money spent in ways that [she] would not have approved, and decisions made that [she] was not consulted on.'Jolie said she had 'been hurt by decisions that have been made that show no interest in sharing the business or changing it fundamentally into something that would be healthier for our children.'Jolie was critical of advertising of the winery, saying she 'was shaken by the recent imagery that was released to sell the alcohol.'I find it irresponsible and not something that I would want the children to see,' she said. 'It reminded me of painful times.' Jolie said she could no longer 'be involved, publicly or privately, in a business based on alcohol, when alcoholic behavior harmed our family so deeply;' and that the 'business is therefore past the point of anything that [she] could be part of, morally and for the good of our family.'Jolie said she saw 'two ways forward,' the first being an 'outright sale' she'd support in an effort to 'move away from this hard and painful chapter in our lives.'She continued: 'The alternative is that a complete buy out of my share in the property and business by you, the Perrin family or your associates. Either way, I believe we need to move forward in order to heal and focus on where our family comes together, and where we have positive associations. And to do so quickly.'Jolie made reference to a 2016 incident on a private jet in which previously she said in court docs that Pitt 'lunged at his own child;' 'choked one of the children and struck another in the face;' and 'poured beer' on her.' Said Jolie: 'I cannot begin to express how upsetting it is for me to have to reach this point. Your dream for your relationship to the business and the alcohol is your own and you've made it painfully clear. 'I wish you all the best with the business, and sincerely hope that the children feel differently about Miraval when they are older, and visit you there. But Miraval for me died September 2016, and everything I have seen in the years since has sadly confirmed that.'Jolie in February was sued by Pitt after she sold her share of the winery to Russian oligarch Yuri Shefler and his Stoli Group subsidiary, Tenute del Mondo. Pitt said in court docs that while Jolie did pledge 40 percent of the $28.4 million they invested in the winery, she had not done any work on the project. He said that the sale also violated a 'mutual understanding' in their 2019 divorce pact in that they agreed not to sell their interest in the venue without the approval of the other. In September, Jolie's one-time company Nouvel sued Pitt for $250 million, saying he 'masterminded a so-far-successful plan' to control the winery.Jolie and Pitt are parents to six children: Maddox, 21, Pax, 18, Zahara, 17, Shiloh, 16 and twins Vivienne and Knox, 14.Pitt and Jolie, who wed in 2014 and split in 2016, have been entangled in the legal system amid battles on multiple issues over the past six years.
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source : Daily mail
'Vindictive' Angelina Jolie has used dispute with Brad Pitt over winery to mount 'disinformation' campaign against him – rehashing claims of abusive behavior despite her proposal they NOT trash each other in public
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- Published on Friday, 07 October 2022 05:50
- Written by Daily mail
Brad Pitt's allies say vengeful Angelina Jolie is mounting a 'disinformation' campaign against the actor by using their ongoing business dispute to dredge up her claims of domestic violence.Sources close to the Once Upon a Time in Hollywood star, 58, say he's saddened – but not shocked – that Jolie has once again publicly accused him of terrorizing their kids on a 2016 private jet ride.Jolie, 47, pressed authorities to investigate the mid-flight bust-up that led to the Hollywood couple's divorce but the FBI decided not to pursue criminal charges.That hasn't prevented her from weaponizing the 'ever-evolving' allegations at every possible opportunity, according to Pitt's pals, who have slammed the Tomb Raider actress for repeating them yet again this past week – this time in a dispute over a French winery, Miraval.They also accuse Jolie of hypocrisy for complaining about Pitt's request for a Non-disclosure agreement (NDA) while privately proposing the exact same thing to Pitt's lawyers in separate divorce negotiations.The former couple – once known as Brangelina – are locked in a protracted legal battle over the celebrated Chateau Miraval business they jointly owned before Jolie 'secretly' offloaded her half to a 'Russian oligarch' in 2021.Responding to Pitt's claims she had no right to sell, Jolie's latest filing counters with a lengthy account of the incident on board a flight from France to California that triggered the breakdown of their five-year marriage and joint business ventures.Jolie's filing claims Pitt flew into a rage, grabbing her by the head, shaking her, and shoving her into a bathroom wall before punching the ceiling numerous times.When one of their six kids, then-aged between eight and 15, came to their mom's defense, the two-time Oscar-winner is alleged to have 'lunged at his own child', prompting Jolie to grab him from behind.'To get Jolie off his back, Pitt threw himself backwards into the airplane's seats injuring Jolie's back and elbow,' the countersuit states.'The children rushed in and all bravely tried to protect each other. Before it was over, Pitt choked one of the children and struck another in the face,' she claimed. But sources close to Brad are fighting back.
Brad's lawyer Anne Kiley told DailyMail.com: 'Brad has owned everything he's responsible for from day one – unlike the other side – but he's not going to own anything he didn't do.''He has been on the receiving end of every type of personal attack and misrepresentation. Thankfully, the various public authorities the other side has tried to use against him over the past six years have made their own independent decisions.'Brad will continue to respond in court as he has consistently done.' The FBI and reportedly the Los Angeles Department of Children and Family Services both declined to take further action against him in the wake of the spat.Sources close to the actor point out that a judge listened to Jolie's accusations during their months-long, closed-doors child custody battle which involved doctors, therapists and child services professionals.Judge John Ouderkirk rejected the notion Pitt was an unfit father by awarding him joint custody in May 2021, although Jolie later succeeded in having the judge disqualified over his business relationships with Pitt's attorneys. One insider told DailyMail.com: 'The FBI concluded there was no basis for charges and the judge effectively sided with Brad because he would not award joint custody if he felt a father was a danger to his children.'Quite what an argument onboard a private plane in 2016 has to do with a property dispute involving a 19th century French chateau is anybody's guess.'This is just about Jolie trying to rehash everything and tear Brad down at every opportunity. Her story continues to evolve every time she tells it.'The abuse allegations resurfaced in April of this year when a mystery 'Jane Doe' sued the FBI for files connected to 'an incident of domestic violence that occurred several years ago involving plaintiff and minor children as victims and witnesses.'That episode took place on board a private jet and bore numerous similarities to the Pitt-Jolie dust-up, according to NBC news, prompting intense speculation that Jolie was the Doe.
The suit, filed under Freedom of Information law, is intended to 'better understand the FBI's investigation and obtain information necessary for her children to receive medical care and trauma counseling.' Pitt and Jolie were ruled legally single in 2019 – but are still sorting out their labyrinthine financial affairs and custody arrangements to this day.The latest skirmish involves Chateau Miraval, a 35-room estate and celebrated vineyard in the south of France that Pitt and Jolie bought for $60 million in 2011.Pitt claims Jolie illegally sold her shares last year to companies linked to Stoli vodka billionaire Yuri Shefler, potentially tarnishing the image of Miraval's highly-regarded rosé wine in light of associations with Russia and the invasion of Ukraine.'Through text messages sent in January 2022, Shefler made various threats against Pitt,' the suit adds.'Even after Pitt's counsel advised Shefler's counsel that all communications must go through counsel, Shefler has continued to personally message Pitt.'Responding to the suit filed in Los Angeles County, Jolie claims she was 'growing increasingly uncomfortable with continuing to participate in an alcohol-related business, given the impact of Pitt's acknowledged problem of alcohol abuse on their family.''Resigned that Pitt would not share control of the winery or distribute any profits, concerned about participating in a business that was associated with such painful and traumatic memories for her and their children, and seeking financial independence, Jolie concluded that she needed to sell her interest in Chateau Miraval,' she says.Jolie claims a $54.5 million deal was struck to sell her share to Pitt but he angrily backed out after she submitted claims of domestic violence in their child custody case – a claim he refutes.She also maintains that the deal was contingent on her signing a nondisclosure agreement (NDA) 'that would have contractually prohibited her from speaking outside of court about Pitt's physical and emotional abuse of her and their children.' Sources close to Pitt say he's never tried to stop his wife from speaking, nor has he ever disparaged her in public.
In fact, they reveal that it was Jolie who suggested an NDA in February of this year when lawyers for the two stars finally tried to negotiate a settlement in their years-long divorce proceedings.The measure would have prevented either party from making derogatory remarks about the other in 'a public forum' but DailyMail.com understands that Jolie's team never followed up on the idea – leaving her free to say what she liked.That revelation was significant enough for the New York Times to quietly amend its 'exclusive' scoop, published Tuesday, rehashing the six-year-old allegations and prominently featuring Jolie's NDA complaint.The Grey Lady slipped in a paragraph confirming the actress had proposed her own non-disparagement proposal to Pitt's divorce lawyer, Anne Kiley, earlier this year – but did not publish any sort of note explaining its editorial update.'Ironically, she's the one that wanted to suppress the divorce proceedings,' added our insider.'Brad requested a mutual NDA and non-disparagement strictly related to Miraval over concerns around sensitive financial information and protecting the brand; it had nothing to do with the divorce or the children.'She used the FOIA and Chateau Miraval to bring up all the dirty laundry and denigrate Brad yet again.'What kind of person files a FOIA request for information they've had in their possession for nearly six years? It serves no purpose other than to inflict pain.'And how on earth does it help their children to continually drag them into this?'Pitt and Jolie met in 2005 on the set of Mr & Mrs Smith, playing a bored married couple who discover they are both assassins hired by competing agencies to kill one another.They married at Chateau Miraval in 2014 and parented six kids – three biological and three adopted – who are now aged between 14 and 21.Pitt has not shied away from his flaws, telling GQ magazine in the wake of their split that he was quitting booze and seeking therapy.'It's hit me smack in the face with our divorce: I gotta be more. I gotta be more for them. I have to show them. And I haven't been great at it,' he said.DailyMail.com reached out to Jolie's representatives for comment.
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source : Daily mail
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