Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt reach divorce deal

Brad Pitt and Angelina JolieImage source, Reuters
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Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have reached a divorce settlement following an eight-year legal battle, according to her lawyer.

The pair, who married in 2014 and have six children, were among the most high-profile couples in the entertainment industry and were dubbed 'Brangelina' by the press.

Jolie filed for divorce in 2016, citing "irreconcilable differences". It later emerged during separate court proceedings that she had accused Pitt of being abusive to her and two of their children on a private jet that year.

Pitt was not charged following a police investigation into the incident and has denied the allegations.

His lawyers have not publicly commented on the divorce settlement.

Jolie's lawyer James Simon said in a statement to People magazine that his client has been focusing on "finding peace and healing for their family" since divorce proceedings began.

He continued: "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 terms of the agreement have not been made public.

When news of their separation first emerged in 2016, the couple said in a joint statement that it would be conducted privately - and neither have spoken extensively about their relationship in the years since.

However, details have emerged in overlapping court cases which paint a picture of an acrimonious divorce - with Jolie accusing her ex-husband of "waging a vindictive war", and Pitt accusing her of seeking to deliberately undermine his businesses.

While Jolie's lawyers have said a divorce settlement has been reached, it is unclear whether it will end a long-running legal battle between the pair over a French vineyard.

They have been involved in a bitter dispute over Chateau Miraval, a sprawling property which they bought together in 2008 for a reported 25 million euros (£21.3m) and where their wedding would eventually take place.

In 2022, Pitt accused Jolie of selling her stake in the property to Russian oligarch Yuri Shefler - a drinks industry magnate who owns, among other brands, Stolichnaya vodka - without his knowledge in order to deliberately damage his wine investment.

Image source, Getty Images

It was through those proceedings that Jolie's allegations of abuse against Pitt first emerged.

She claimed in court documents that he was physically and emotionally abusive during a private plane journey the couple took with their children, who were aged eight to 15 at the time, in 2016.

Her lawyers alleged Pitt grabbed and pushed Jolie during a physical altercation, during which it was claimed Pitt also assaulted two of their children.

Pitt denied those allegations and in 2021 was awarded joint custody of the children after a long court battle over their living arrangements.

In June, the couple's daughter and third-eldest child Shiloh submitted a petition to a Los Angeles court to drop Pitt from her name, becoming Shiloh Jolie. Two more of the couple's children have reportedly ceased to use Pitt's name.

Image source, Reuters
Image caption,

Jolie and Pitt pictured together at the premiere of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button in 2009

At the time of their marriage, Pitt and Jolie were among the most lucrative names in Hollywood. According to a Forbes report published shortly after their divorce announcement, the couple were worth an estimated $400m (£319m).

Pitt and Jolie met on the set of the 2005 film Mr and Mrs Smith and their relationship garnered international media attention.

The marriage was Pitt's second after a relationship with Friends star Jennifer Aniston. It was Jolie's third, after actors Billy Bob Thornton and Jonny Lee Miller.

Jolie has starred in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, Changeling and Girl, Interrupted. Her latest film is a biopic, titled Maria, about opera singer Maria Callas.

Pitt's filmography includes Fight Club, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and Twelve Monkeys. He has been spotted in Silverstone this year filming his Formula One movie titled F1, in which he will play veteran driver Sonny Hayes.