Los Angeles — A lawsuit Tuesday from Angelina Jolie alleges that on a 2016 trip, Brad Pitt grabbed her by the head and shook her and then strangled one of her children and hit another when they tried to defend her.
Descriptions of the abuse aboard the private flight came in a cross-complaint filed by Jolie in the couple’s dispute over a French house and winery they owned, separate from their ongoing divorce, which she sought shortly after.
A representative for Pitt, who was not authorized to speak publicly, vehemently denied Jolie’s allegations, calling them “another paraphrase that only harms the family.”
The allegations of abuse on the plane became public soon after the flight, but the reports were initially vague and details were kept sealed in divorce documents and investigations by the FBI and the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services, both of whom found no action was necessary. against Pete.
Judge Pitt gave 50-50 custody of the children after a closed-door trial in which the allegations were aired. But the appeals court later excluded the special judge for not disclosing a potential conflict of interest following Jolie’s request, overturning the decision.
More details about the allegations were revealed earlier this year when Jolie’s lawsuit against the FBI over a Freedom of Information Act request was announced.
The New York Times first reported the court filing.
The lawsuit states that on September 14, 2016, Jolie, Pitt and their six children were traveling from Chateau Maraval winery to Los Angeles.
“Pitt’s aggressive behavior began even before the family arrived at the airport, where he confronted Pitt with a child. After the flight took off, Jolie approached Pitt and asked him what was wrong,” the lawsuit reads. Pete accused her of being too respectful of children and verbally attacked her.
Later, the message reads, “He took her into the bathroom and started yelling at her. Pete grabbed Jolie by the head and shook her, then grabbed her shoulders and shook her again before pushing her against the bathroom wall.”
One of the children, ages 8 to 15 at the time, verbally defended Jolie, says the countersuit, and criticized Pitt.
“Pitt lunged at his child and Jolie took him from behind to stop him. To get Jolie off his back, Pitt threw himself back into the plane seats, injuring Jolie in her back and elbow,” the lawsuit reads. “The children rushed inside and everyone bravely tried to protect each other. Before it was over, Beth strangled one of the children and hit another in the face.”
The document says that he then poured beer on Julie and poured beer and red wine on the children.
Jolie gave an account of the trip to two FBI investigators in the days that followed. They appeared in a heavily revised report that the agency later released.
It included a picture of a bruise on Jolie’s elbow and a “rug burn type injury” to her hand. In it she said she saw Pete having two or three drinks, but he said he seemed clear and wasn’t drunk.
Investigators met with federal prosecutors, and “it was agreed by all parties not to pursue criminal charges in this case due to several factors,” according to the report.
An FBI statement said it “has conducted a review of the circumstances and will not continue the investigation.”
The 47-year-old Oscar-winning actress and director Jolie and the 58-year-old Academy Award-winning actor Pete have been among the most iconic Hollywood couples for 12 years.
They were romantic partners for a decade when they married in 2014. Jolie filed for divorce in 2016, and a judge declared them celibate in 2019, but the divorce case has not been finalized with custody and financial issues are still in dispute.
___
Associated Press entertainment writer Anthony McCartney contributed to this report.
Copyright © 2022 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
.
[ad_2]
