Things are getting uglier for divorcing superstars Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. Back in August, reports surfaced that Pitt was allegedly abusive toward Jolie and his family on a private plane. Now we’re getting even more info about that alleged incident and the lawsuit that lies at the center of it.
The legal battle between the two stars involves custody of the children and the sale of a French Winery that both of them co-own (or did at one point), according to The Guardian.
Jolie filed papers in a court in Los Angeles on Tuesday saying that negotiations over the vineyard broke down over “a nondisclosure agreement that would have contractually prohibited her from speaking outside of court about Pitt’s physical and emotional abuse of her and their children.”
Previous reports revealed that Pitt had allegedly been drinking on the plane, grabbed Jolie and shook her, and said “You’re f**king up this family.” Reports said he also said one of their children looked like “a Columbine kid,” poured beer on Jolie, and punched the ceiling of the plane.
The new reports paint Pitt in an even worse light. The newest court papers say Pitt “choked one of the children and struck another in the face” and that he “poured beer on and red wine on the children.” The FBI got involved, and apparently had probable cause to arrest Pitt, but decided not to.
“After reviewing the document, representative of the United States attorney’s office discussed the merits of this investigation with the case agent,” court papers said. “It was agreed by all parties that criminal charges in this case would not be pursued due to several factors.”
Jolie also had the option of pressing charges against Pitt but was “conflicted” on whether she should be “supportive of the charges” or not. Jolie’s lawyers said that she went to “great lengths to try to shield their children from reliving the pain Pitt inflicted on the family that day.”
“But when Pitt filed this lawsuit seeking to reassert control over Jolie’s financial life and compel her to rejoin her ex-husband as a frozen-out business partner, Pitt forced Jolie to publicly defend herself on these issues for the first time.”
Pitt sued Jolie back in February, saying that the actor “pursued and then consummated the purported sale in secret, purposely keeping Pitt in the dark, and knowingly violating Pitt’s contractual rights,” which violated an agreement that the two wouldn’t sell without the others’ consent.
Jolie sold her shares to the Stoli Group, who countersued Pitt and denied his accusations that the company’s sale was a “hostile takeover.”
Despite the ongoing drama, Pitt seems to be enjoying the single life. He’s been spotted with model Emily Ratajkowski, who recently split from husband Sebastian Bear-McLard.
“They have a lot to talk about and always have a great time when they hang out,” a source told People. “There is an attraction, but nothing serious is going on. They have had a few dates and stay in touch when they don’t see each other.”
If you are experiencing domestic abuse, or if you believe someone you know is being abused, contact The National Domestic Violence Hotline. The hotline can be reached at 1-800-799-SAFE or spoken with online via the hotline’s website. Mobile phone owners can also text “START” to the number 88788.
