After a bitter eight-year legal battle, former Hollywood power couple Brad Pitt and Angeline Joliehave finally reached a divorce settlement.
Brad, 61, and Angelina, 49 – who tied the knot in 2014 after meeting as co-stars on the 2005 movie Mr. & Mrs. Smith – came to an agreement at the end of last year, with the actress’ lawyer saying, ‘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.’
The prolonged divorce proceedings are believed to have caused significant strain between Brad and their six children, Maddox, 23, Pax, 21, Zahara, 19, Shiloh, 18, and twins Vivienne and Knox, 16.
And now, sources tell Closer that while the actor is eager to start rebuilding bridges with his brood as he puts the split behind him, their relationship remains fractured as they continue to side with their mum.
‘Brad is hoping that the kids will be more open to making up with him, but he’s being totally delusional if he’ll get any kind of love from Pax or Maddox and the others seemingly aren’t far behind,’ an insider says. ‘He does still see the twins from time to time, but as far as Pax and Maddox are concerned, he needs to be held accountable for the pain and misery they believe he put Angelina through.’
Angelina filed for divorce in 2016, citing ‘irreconcilable differences’, and requested sole physical custody of their kids. It later emerged that she had accused Brad of being drunk and abusive to her and two of their children while on a private jet flight that year. Brad has denied the allegations and was not charged following a police investigation at the time.
According to a statement in 2017, the pair ‘signed agreements to preserve the privacy rights of their children and family by keeping all court documents confidential and engaging a private judge to make any necessary legal decisions’.
In June, their daughter Shiloh filed to drop Pitt from her surname, while two more of the couple’s children have reportedly chosen to use their mum’s name. In May, Vivienne was listed as ‘Vivienne Jolie’ in the programme for the Broadway show The Outsiders, which is produced by her Angelina, and Zahara is said to have introduced herself as ‘Zahara Marley Jolie’ when she joined the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority at Spelman College in November 2023.
Back in 2020, son Pax spoke out about his relationship with Brad, reportedly calling him a ‘f***ing awful father’ and ‘world class a**hole’. In a rant on his private Instagram account, he allegedly wrote, ‘Happy Father’s Day to this world class a***hole. You time and time and again prove yourself to be a terrible and despicable person. You have no consideration or empathy toward your four youngest children who tremble in fear when in your presence.’
Our source says that while Angelina has done her best to keep the children out of the drama, they want to protect her. They explain, ‘As much as Angelina has tried to shield her kids, they are all very aware of everything she’s gone through over the last eight years, and they 100% blame Brad.
‘The fact that she’s been painted by some as this vindictive person out to ruin him when, in their view, all she’s ever done is protect them, is just beyond upsetting. It’s only natural that they want to defend her. It’s no secret Maddox has always been fiercely protective of Angelina but he’s not the only one, they’re all devoted to her. Shiloh, Zahara, and even Vivienne, have all ditched his name, that speaks volumes. And Pax, Maddox and Knox are just as loyal to their mom. Pax lashed out at Brad on social media a few years ago and by all accounts his feelings have not softened one bit.’
The insider claims that the children could even speak out publicly, saying, ‘It won’t surprise anyone if the kids eventually band together and come out with some sort of statement or even give an interview telling their side of things. They may feel it’s good for all of them to speak out. It’s just a matter of when and how they go ahead and do it.’
They continue, ‘Angelina has always encouraged them to just ignore all of the noise, but when they see her name getting dragged through the mud it’s very difficult to turn the other cheek. As they step into the spotlight more it’s hard to imagine they won’t be asked for their side of the story. They’re very much a team, so if and when any of them decide it’s time to speak out, the others will back them. Odds are it won’t be some big tell-all book, more than likely it will be a collective statement or possibly even a sit-down interview with a respected outlet.’
The source adds, ‘The goal would be to set the record straight on behalf of their mom and clear her name.’
Brad and Angelina may have reached a settlement in their divorce, but they’re still at odds over Château Miraval – the French chateau they bought together in 2008. Brad previously accused Angelina of selling her stake in the property to Russian oligarch Yuri Shefler, a drinks industry magnate, without his knowledge. Angelina’s team claimed that Brad refused to complete a sale with her ‘unless she agreed to being silenced about’ his alleged abuse. Both sides are reportedly willing to take the case to a jury trial or mediation.
Angelina previously spoke out about their divorce, saying that she did not make the decision ‘lightly’. She admitted, ‘It took a lot for me to be in a position where I felt I had to separate from the father of my children,’ before adding that ‘there’s a lot’ she couldn’t say.