Hollywood icons Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt – once known as Brangelina – have finally ended their eight-year divorce saga with a hard-fought settlement that was finalized on Dec. 30, just in time for the new year. James Simon, Jolie’s lawyer, released a statement about the divorce agreement, saying that his client is “exhausted” but “relieved.”
“More than eight years ago, Angelina filed for divorce from Mr. Pitt. 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.”
Jolie and Pitt first crossed paths in 2003 while filming Mr. & Mrs. Smith, where they played husband-and-wife assassins tasked to eliminate each other. At that time, Pitt was married to Jennifer Aniston, but the marriage ended in 2005, just before Mr. & Mrs. Smith was released in theaters.
Jolie, meanwhile, was a single mother to Maddox, whom she adopted from Cambodia in 2002. In 2005, she expanded her family by adopting Zahara from Ethiopia, with reports indicating Pitt was by her side during the trip. The new couple welcomed their first biological child, Shiloh, in 2006, followed by the adoption of Pax from Vietnam in 2007. Their family grew further in 2008 when Jolie gave birth to twins Knox and Vivienne.
Angelina and Brad were married for two years
Months before their engagement in 2012, Pitt expressed his desire to marry Jolie, saying, “We’d actually like to… It means so much to my kids, and they ask a lot. And it means something to me, too, to make that kind of commitment. The couple married in Aug. 2014 in a ceremony held at their lavish property in France, Chateau Miraval. The wedding was attended by family and close friends, with their six children part of the wedding party.
Two years later, Jolie filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences. According to sources, part of the reason why the marriage didn’t work out was that the actress didn’t agree with her husband’s parenting methods, as well as Pitt’s “anger problem” and consumption of alcohol. At that time, Jolie’s lawyer said the decision to end the marriage was “for the health of the family.” Months later, the ex-couple released a joint statement, saying that they agreed to work with a private judge to “preserve the privacy rights of their children and family” throughout the proceeding.
What came afterward was a back-and-forth court battle regarding the custody of their six children, as well as the division of their finances and assets. In 2019, a judge ruled Jolie and Pitt legally single despite their ongoing divorce settlement. Two years later, information came out about an alleged plane incident that reportedly led Jolie to file for divorce, stating that Pitt had been abusive toward Jolie and their children. The allegations against the actor were investigated by the FBI and DCFS, but no charges were filed.
After years of exhausting legal disputes, Jolie has now put one issue to rest. However, her lawyer said the divorce settlement is “just one part of a long ongoing process that started eight years ago,” adding that Jolie is trying her best to be “light after a dark time.”
Published: Dec 31, 2024 07:59 am