It was a now-infamous theft that ended Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s two-year marriage, as well as a 12-year relationship that saw them weather many storms and welcome six children. That private jet trip from France to Los Angeles in September 2016 was covered several times in various legal documents, first when Jolie filed the court papers that sparked an FBI investigation into her estranged husband (although they abandoned the investigation and did not do so). file a complaint) after Jolie, 48, claimed that Pitt, 60, had been violent in front of and towards her children.
In those newspapers, it was reported that Jolie – named in the documents only as AJ – was taken to the back of the plane by Pitt, where he grabbed her by the head and shoulders and l Pitt also allegedly punched the ceiling of the plane four times. According to the report, when Jolie opened the door, two of his children, including the names are redacted, were “at the door and were crying and asked, ‘Is mom okay?’ this family He also allegedly poured beer on Jolie while she was under a blanket with the children.
Until now, it was thought to be an isolated incident that caused Jolie to file for a shock separation, and ultimately a divorce (although seven years after the first filing, the divorce itself didn’t happen). not yet been officially finalized).
The couple’s wedding in 2014 at Château Miraval
And yet, as the couple’s seven-year divorce trial draws to a close, there remains one last legal sticking point between the couple: the battle over Jolie’s decision to sell her share of the French vineyard Château Miraval to a Russian oligarch Yuri Shefler without saying it. Pitt. The affair – which is separate from the divorce – is why explosive new documents have emerged suggesting Pitt had physically and emotionally abused Jolie well before that infamous robbery.
In documents filed this month, Jolie’s lawyers detail that Pitt’s “history of physical violence toward Jolie began well before the family’s plane trip from France to Los Angeles,” although they add that “this flight marked the first time that he used his physical violence on the ground.” children too.
Court documents claim Jolie has evidence of Pitt’s “history of physical violence toward the family and abuse toward Jolie” and claim the children continue to suffer “significant and ongoing post-traumatic stress.” Indeed, an Instagram Story reportedly posted by the couple’s son Pax, 16 at the time, said the Hollywood star made her four youngest children “tremble in fear” and “made the lives of those who are closest to Pax constant hell,” according to a screenshot revealed in November last year.
In the most recent articles, Jolie’s lawyers reference a “history of abuse, control and cover-up” and claim she has “testimonies, emails, photographs and other evidence” that, they say, will show how Pitt tried to cover it up. their behavior if they are judged. The actor’s denials of physical violence are described in court documents as “gaslighting.”
In Happier Times (Getty)
The papers also claim Pitt exercised “coercive” financial control over her via their dispute over Miraval’s wine business as their divorce dragged on. Pitt, meanwhile, has denied all allegations of physical violence and has not been charged following an FBI investigation into the incident on the flight.
Sources in Pitt’s camp, however, said he saw it as a direct response to his recent victory in the Los Angeles courts in the ongoing battle against Mirval. Pitt won a crucial victory over the castle in February when Los Angeles Superior Court Judge John W. Ouderkirk determined that Jolie’s decision to sell her share without Pitt’s consent violated their original agreement. The agreement explicitly required authorization for such transfers, and the judge considered Jolie’s attempt a “strategic business decision” requiring Pitt’s approval.
Separate legal documents, referenced by DailyMail.com earlier this month, previously showed the actress claimed she walked out of negotiations to sell her portion of the vineyard to Pitt for $54 million because of the standard clause of NDA in its draft sales contract. Jolie claimed it was an “unconscionable” attempt by her ex-partner to “control” her after their split.
Pitt’s lawyers told Los Angeles Superior Court earlier this month that Jolie’s objection to the NDA was really just a cover story she concocted to “rationalize” her betrayal towards Pitt.
The Fight Club star’s lawyers also claim she asked Pitt to sign a broader NDA six months later, as part of their divorce negotiations. “It is unclear why she finds this so unconscionable when her own lawyers suggested a mutually binding gag clause in their divorce a few months later,” they said. Pitt’s lawyers also argued that disclosing her NDAs would ultimately discredit Jolie’s arguments about why she abandoned discussions with her ex-husband.
Today, as the Miraval case continues, becoming more and more complicated, it is still believed that the divorce case itself may be close to a conclusion, after each party submits their financial disclosures – often the very last stages of a divorce. Sources close to the former couple believe Pitt’s shared custody battle had been settled – with four of their six children soon to be 18 or older, Pitt would now have arranged visitation with his 15-year-old son. twins Vivienne and Knox, although he appears to be estranged from his adopted sons Pax, 20, and Maddox, 22, and adopted daughter Zahara, 18.
There are outside motivations for the divorce to be resolved now, says a source close to the former couple, who claims the Once Upon A Time in Hollywood star is getting more and more serious with his girlfriend Ines de Ramon, the 31 year old jeweler. designer he has been dating since last summer. “Ines is a big part of Brad’s Los Feliz household these days,” the source said. “It wouldn’t be at all surprising if he wanted to settle down with her – and stopping this huge emotional and financial drain of a divorce is becoming a priority for Brad and Angelina.”
Meanwhile, Jolie has been spending more time in New York (the actor recently said that being able to travel freely was something that was going to be a highlight of the divorce finally being settled), where she was photographed this week for a event celebrating the opening night of The Outsiders on Broadway (on which Jolie worked as a producer) alongside her daughter Vivienne. A new tattoo sums up Jolie’s state of mind amid the legal troubles she’s been going through in recent years. “Stay Golden” it reads, a phrase echoing the words of Pony Boy, a character from The Outsiders, but also something Jolie herself must have experienced as she slowly transitions from dark times into the light.
