LOS ANGELES (AP) — A court filing filed Tuesday by Angelina Jolie alleges that during a 2016 robbery, Brad Pitt grabbed her by the head and shook her, then strangled one of their children and hit another as they tried to defend her.
The abuse descriptions on the private theft came in a counterclaim Jolie filed in the couple’s dispute over a French house and vineyard they jointly owned and which is separate from their pending divorce, which she asked shortly after.
A rep for Pitt, who was not authorized to speak publicly, strongly denied Jolie’s allegations and called them “another rehash that only hurts the family.”
Allegations of abuse on the plane first became public shortly after the flight, but the reports were initially vague and the details were kept sealed in divorce papers and FBI and Department of Justice investigations. Los Angeles County Child and Family Services, both of which found that no action against Pitt was necessary.
A judge awarded Pitt 50-50 custody of the children after a closed trial in which the allegations were aired. But an appeals court later disqualified the privy judge for failing to disclose possible conflicts of interest after a motion by Jolie, reversing the decision.
More details about the allegations came to light earlier this year when a lawsuit by Jolie against the FBI over a Freedom of Information Act request became public.
The New York Times first reported the court filing.
The filing says that on September 14, 2016, Jolie, Pitt and their six children were traveling from the winery, Chateau Miraval, to Los Angeles.
“Pitt’s aggressive behavior began before the family even arrived at the airport, as Pitt had a confrontation with one of the children. After takeoff, Jolie approached Pitt and asked him what happened. was wrong,” the filing reads. “Pitt accused her of being too respectful of the children and verbally attacked her.”
He later said, “He pulled her into the bathroom and started yelling at her. Pitt grabbed Jolie by the head and shook her, then grabbed her shoulders and shook her again before pushing her against the bathroom wall.
One of the children, who was between 8 and 15 at the time, verbally defended Jolie, according to the countersuit, and Pitt lashed out.
“Pitt lunged at his own child and Jolie grabbed him from behind to stop him. To get Jolie off his back, Pitt threw himself backwards into the plane seats, injuring Jolie’s back and elbow,” the file reads. “The children rushed forward and all bravely tried to protect each other. Before it was over, Pitt strangled one of the children and punched another in the face.
The document says he then poured beer on Jolie and beer and red wine on the children.
Jolie’s reported the theft to two FBI investigators within days. It appeared in a heavily redacted report later released by the agency.
It included a photo of a bruise on Jolie’s elbow and a “carpet burn type injury” on her hand. She said in it that she had seen Pitt take two to three drinks, but that he seemed to be expressing himself and that he was not intoxicated.
Investigators met with federal prosecutors and “it was agreed by all parties that criminal charges in this case would not be pursued due to several factors,” the report said.
An FBI statement said it has “conducted a review of the circumstances and will not be pursuing the investigation.”
47-year-old Oscar-winning actor and director Jolie and 58-year-old Oscar-winning actor Pitt were among Hollywood’s hottest couples for 12 years.
They had been romantic partners for a decade when they married in 2014. Jolie filed for divorce in 2016 and a judge declared them single in 2019, but the divorce case has not been finalized, custody and financial issues are still in dispute.
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Associated Press Entertainment writer Anthony McCartney contributed to this report.
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