Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie Settle Divorce After Eight-Year Legal Battle

 

After over eight years of legal proceedings, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have reached a settlement in their divorce. According to Jolie’s lawyer, James Simon, both parties signed the agreement on December 30.

“More than eight years ago, Angelina filed for divorce from Mr. Pitt,” Simon shared. “She and the children left all of the properties they had shared with Mr. Pitt, and since that time, she has focused on finding peace and healing for their family. This is just one part of a long ongoing process that started eight years ago. Frankly, Angelina is exhausted, but she is relieved this one part is over.”

Hollywood stars Pitt and Jolie became one of the most high-profile couples in the world when they got together after meeting on the set of "Mr. and Mrs. Smith," in which they co-starred. 

Jolie filed for divorce in 2016 after a decade-long relationship with Pitt, which included a 2014 marriage and six children together. The prolonged legal battle involved multiple factors, including custody disputes, a 2016 private plane incident, and disagreements over the sale of their French winery, Château Miraval.

Details surrounding the circumstances of the 2016 plane incident emerged in August 2022, when an  FBI report released revealed that Jolie accused her husband of physical and verbal abuse on a 2016  flight from France to Los Angeles, during which he allegedly choked one of their children. Pitt was never arrested or charged, and Jolie filed for divorce days later, citing irreconcilable differences. She sought sole physical custody of their children while Pitt retained joint legal custody.

The couple's marriage was officially dissolved in 2019, though legal disputes continued. The French winery they once co-owned has since become the center of an ongoing legal feud, stemming from Jolie’s 2021 sale of her stake that Pitt has since claimed was unlawful. That case remains ongoing.

Jolie reflected in 2020 on her decision to separate, saying it was for the “wellbeing” of her family: “They are six very brave, very strong young people.”