The ongoing legal battle between Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie continues to heat up. Even though the divorce may be getting closer to being over, a disturbing new allegation has just come to light!
As Perezcious readers know, the pair’s relationship came to a screeching halt in 2016 after an alleged incident on a plane on September 14 in which the Bullet Train actor was abusive towards Angelina and their six children. There was an investigation, but the film star was never charged. However, that marked the end of their marriage. The Tomb Raider star immediately filed for divorce. And they got involved in a lengthy battle over custody of the kids AND of their beloved vineyard Château Miraval.
Recently, Brad just gave up fighting for 50/50 custody of their children! The former couple are also reportedly gearing up to finalize the last “red tape” in their divorce. So you’d think their intense back-and-forth disputes would be coming to a close soon, right? That Brad, Angelina, and the kids can finally move on from the drama? Well, you would be sorely mistaken!
Related: Brad Pitt Was DISGUSTING Before He Got Famous!
When it comes to that damn winery, they’re nowhere near done battling it out in court! According docs obtained by People on Thursday, her legal team filed a motion seeking to release communications they believe prove Brad would not let the Maleficent star sell her share of the vineyard to him unless she signed a “more onerous” and “expansive” NDA. But what is he trying to get her to cover up??
Let’s rewind for a second…
As we’ve reported, Angelina sold Nouvel — the holding company that maintained her shares in the winery — to Russian billionaire Yuri Shefler in October 2021, making $67 million for herself on the sale. However, Brad wasn’t happy about that deal! He even sued her for selling the winery, asking for monetary damages, and legal fees, and for the sale to be voided. Last year, the Fight Club star further accused Jolie of trying to “inflict harm” on him and his part of the winery holdings. The NDA issue also came up last year. He recently took a massive L when a Los Angeles court dismissed five of the seven amended charges he brought against his ex-wife.
It’s been a messy situation. And Brad is about to be further upset with Angelina once he catches wind of the latest allegations. In the new filing obtained by People, she claimed via her lawyers that the Plan B producer was abusive toward her BEFORE the infamous plane incident! Yeah, that 2016 altercation was not the first time Brad allegedly got physical with Angelina! However, she noted it was the first time he had been violent toward her kids. The filing claimed:
“While Pitt’s history of physical abuse of Jolie started well before the family’s September 2016 plane trip from France to Los Angeles, this flight marked the first time he turned his physical abuse on the children as well. Jolie then immediately left him.”
Whoa…
In the filing, her attorneys noted she “never pressed charges” and kept the years of abuse a secret. She didn’t press for the plane incident either, the filing claims, “as she believed the best course was for Pitt to accept responsibility and help the family recover from the post-traumatic stress he caused.” A representative for Brad declined to speak out about the accusation to People. However, a friend of his familiar with the litigation between the exes slammed Angelina, saying:
“This is a pattern of behavior — whenever there is a decision that goes against the other side they consistently choose to introduce misleading, inaccurate, and/or irrelevant information as a distraction. There was a lengthy custody trial that involved the entire history of their relationship and a judge who heard all the evidence still granted him 50/50 custody.”
Is this source implying if there was evidence of abuse, it would have been found by the family court? Hmm.
No matter what anyone says, Angelina isn’t backing down! Her legal team argue in the new docs the winery lawsuit never would have happened if Brad had purchased her share when she offered initially. He wouldn’t take that deal, the attorneys argued, unless it came with a nondisclosure agreement. Why? Out of fear that sealed documents included in their custody battle would be exposed without it. This most likely would have included details of the abuse she faced. And then they’d be public and destroy him?
Her legal team claim Brad demanded Angelina “contractually bind herself to that silence” about his alleged “personal misconduct, whether related to Miraval or not,” adding:
“Jolie’s sealed filing, which included emails, summaries of the family’s expected testimony and other evidence, caused Pitt to fear that the information could eventually become public.”
Is that true? Was he trying to hide something?
Well, a filing last year from his legal team claims Brad wasn’t the one to bring up the NDA first! He alleged Angelina suggested an “even broader non-disparagement clause” as part of the deal, but he wanted a “narrower” one — “intended to protect the business” only, that would not limit her “ability to speak in connection with Pitt and Jolie’s divorce or custody proceedings.” Hmmm. That sounds like the opposite of what she’s claiming now! Her attorney Paul Murphy insisted that’s simply not the case, though.
He told People in a statement on Thursday that Brad only pushed for the NDA in order to hide the alleged abuse Angelina and their children faced at his hands:
“Mr. Pitt refused to purchase Ms. Jolie’s interest when she would not be silenced by his NDA. By refusing to buy her interest but then suing her, Mr. Pitt put directly at issue why that NDA was so important to him and what he hoped it would bury: his abuse of Ms. Jolie and their family. After eight months of delays, this motion asks the Court to force Mr. Pitt to finally produce that evidence.”
Another insider also shared with the outlet that the Eternals star never wanted to make these allegations in the first place. They said she “does not want to be raising any of these facts, and she is doing it only because Pitt’s lawsuit against her is forcing her to defend herself.” Since neither of them is ending this fight, the insider pointed out “if this does go to trial, [Jolie] will be forced to use that evidence in the trial whether she wants to or not.” Oof.
So much for a peaceful resolution to this whole ordeal between Brad and Angelina happening soon. It sounds like this legal battle is never ending, especially after the abuse allegations have come to light. Reactions, Perezcious readers? Let us know in the comments!
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, help is available. Consider calling the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233, or text START to 88788, or go to https://www.thehotline.org/.
[Image via Phil Lewis/WENN, MEGA/WENN, Nicky Nelson/WENN]
