Brad Pitt gets joint custody of his children; Angelina Jolie continues legal fight

Actor Brad Pitt has been granted joint custody of his children with Angelina Jolie after a lengthy court battle. Jolie filed for divorce in 2016 and the pair have since been engaged in a custody battle largely guarded against the public view. A private judge hired to oversee the case, John Ouderkirk, ruled in Brad’s favour.

The ruling would “significantly increase” his time with the children, a source told the Press Association. Mr Pitt, 57, and Ms Jolie, 45, are parents to Pax, 17, Zahara, 16, Shiloh, 14 and 12-year-old twins Vivienne and Knox. The oldest, 19-year-old Maddox, is not subject to the custody decision.

Meanwhile, a source was quoted telling Yahoo, “The judge ruled in his favor and significantly modified the customary order to significantly increase his time with the kids.” A source close to Jolie was quoted telling PEOPLE, “joint custody is not the issue that Angelina objects to, there were other issues of concern, but the court proceedings are closed and sealed.” Documents filed by Pitt’s attorneys at a California appeals court seen by AFP claim a privately appointed judge made a “tentative ruling” in which he found “the existing custody order between the parties must be modified, per Mr. Pitt’s request.”

 

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The papers also claim that the judge found Jolie’s “testimony lacked credibility in many important areas” and that her bid to challenge the new custody proceedings would “work grave harm upon the children, who will be further denied permanence and stability.” The US entertainment media has widely reported that Pitt has been seeking equal custody, while Jolie sought sole custody. Pitt was once accused of striking one of his children during a flight from France to Los Angeles shortly before Jolie filed for divorce but was later cleared by the FBI and social workers. “Brangelina” — wed in France in 2014 years ago, but had been a couple since 2004 after starring as married assassins in “Mr and Mrs Smith.” Jolie and Pitt were legally declared single in 2019. However, their divorce is yet to be finalised.

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