Angelina Jolie is detailing for the first time what allegedly went down on theinfamous 2016 plane flight that led to her divorce from Brad Pitt.
In court papers filed in Los Angeles on Tuesday, the actress claims “Pittchoked one of the children and struck another in the face.” Jolie alleges herex-husband “grabbed” her head and “shook her,” according to the documentobtained by the New York Times. At one point during the flight from Franceto California, the Oscar-winning actor supposedly dumped alcohol on her andthe kids. Pitt sources have long denied he was physically abusive toward Jolieor their six children.
Jolie’s cross complaint against Pitt is part of the former couple’s battleover their French winery, Château Miraval. Pitt claimed in court that Joliewas not entitled to sell her half of the company to liquor giant Stoli withoutoffering him first of right refusal. In Tuesday’s filing, lawyers for Jolieclaim negotiations with Pitt stalled over his request she sign a “anondisclosure agreement that would have contractually prohibited her fromspeaking outside of court about Pitt’s physical and emotional abuse of her andtheir children.”
Reps for Pitt did not respond to Yahoo Entertainment’s request for comment.
No one is disputing something went down on the private plane in 2016 — buteach star’s account appears to be wildly different. Although Pitt has notdirectly commented about the alleged incident, he got sober shortly afterJolie filed for divorce and spent a year and a half attending AlcoholicsAnonymous. The FBI and the Los Angeles County Department of Children andFamily Services launched an investigation as to what happened in the air andPitt, who cooperated with the investigation, was ultimately cleared of childabuse allegations.
The US Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles declined to comment and the FBI didnot immediately return Yahoo Entertainment’s request for comment.
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However, Jolie says in her new filing that the FBI agent who investigatedincident “concluded that the government had probable cause to charge Pitt witha federal crime for his conduct that day.” The agent apparently provided theUnited States Attorney’s Office copies of a probable cause statement. Aredacted FBI report that was leaked in August — which described the actress as”conflicted on whether or not to be supportive of charges” related to the case— detailed Jolie’s allegations that Pitt was physically and verbally assaultedtheir family. This is the first time anyone has heard it directly from theactress, though.
Puck News reported Jolie had been seeking information about the FBI’s case asan anonymous plaintiff in a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit. On Tuesday,journalist Matthew Bellonictweeted TeamJolie “has been debating for years about whether to go” public with the Pittaccusations. In the cross complaint, Jolie’s attorneys say her hand wasforced.
“She has gone to great lengths to try to shield their children from relivingthe pain Pitt inflicted on the family that day,” Jolie’s attorneys state. “Butwhen Pitt filed this lawsuit seeking to reasset control over Jolie’s financiallife 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 firsttime.”
Jolie claims in the documents the 2016 fight between her and Pitt began whenhe accused her of being “too deferential” to their children. He allegedlybegan yelling at her in the bathroom.
“Pitt grabbed Jolie by the head and shook her, and then grabbed her shouldersand shook her again before pushing her into the bathroom wall,” the filingstates. “Pitt then punched the ceiling of the plane numerous times, promptingJolie to leave the bathroom.”
One of the children apparently came to Jolie’s defense and she claims Pittattacked the kid, so she grabbed Pitt from behind. Jolie alleges Pitt “choked”one of the kids and “struck another in the face.” The lawsuit claims “hepoured beer on Jolie” and at another point, “he poured beer and red wine onthe children.”
Jolie and Pitt were together for more than a decade. She filed for divorce andfull custody after the incident in 2016. They share six children: Maddox, now21, Pax, 18, Zahara, 17, Shiloh, 16, and 14-year-old twins Vivienne and Knox,14.
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