Getty Images
The couple first met in 2004 and tied the knot in 2014
Considered one of the most prominent A-list couples of the modern era, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt were married for two years. However, it took them eight years post their divorce announcement to finally reach a settlement. Why did it take four times longer than their marriage to resolve?
One reason for the delay is the complexity of their messy divorce, which involved bitter legal battles over their children and a jointly owned French vineyard.
Some unresolved issues remain, as Jolie’s lawyer described it as „a long ongoing process“.
Celebrity lawyer Chris Melcher told BBC News that the divorce settlement took an unusually long time.
„This timeline is much longer than what we typically see in divorces,“ he stated.
„Initially, it was about custody battles, then it shifted to their shared winery, which has been the main focus of their disputes in recent years.“
Many celebrities prefer quick divorces to move on swiftly, Melcher explained.
„In cases of this magnitude, we usually settle within six months, a year at most. Eight years indicate a deeper issue.
„It shows an inability to let go and a desire to cause harm to the other party.“
Kate Daly, co-founder of online divorce company Amicable, told the BBC that this case was far from an average divorce.
„It’s an industry… [they can afford] many expensive lawyers,“ she noted. „Most people couldn’t afford for it to last eight years. It’s an industry and sets a bad example – we need to differentiate [normal] people from this narrative.“
Their Love Story
Getty Images
Jolie, 49, and Pitt, 61, started their relationship after meeting on the set of the movie Mr & Mrs Smith, released in 2005.
„Due to the film, we ended up doing all sorts of crazy things together, and I believe we discovered this unique friendship and partnership that just naturally evolved,“ Jolie shared with Vogue in 2007.
Getty Images
The couple with two of their children, Maddox and Zahara, in 2006
Jolie and Pitt are parents to six children.
Jolie adopted Maddox from Cambodia in 2002 shortly after his birth. Pitt later adopted him after they began their relationship.
In 2005, they adopted daughter Zahara from Ethiopia when she was a few months old.
Their first biological child, Shiloh, was born in Namibia in 2006. Earlier this year, reports surfaced that Shiloh had filed a petition to remove Pitt from her name.
Their son Pax was adopted from Vietnam at the age of three in 2007, and twins Knox and Vivienne were born in 2008.
The Unraveling
The couple made their final public appearance together in November 2015 for a film they both starred in, By the Sea, a movie about a discontented married couple that Jolie wrote and directed.
Though the couple rarely discussed their relationship, when promoting the film, Jolie told The Telegraph: „Brad and I face challenges.“
„We have arguments and issues like any other couple. There are days when we drive each other crazy and need space, but the problems in the movie are not our exact issues.“
The announcement of Jolie filing for divorce, citing „irreconcilable differences,“ came as a surprise to many in September 2016.
‚Acrimonious Split‘
It was revealed that she filed for divorce a day after an incident on a private plane.
Initially, Pitt was accused of allegedly striking son Maddox, then 15, on a flight from France to Los Angeles. The FBI and social services looked into the allegations but took no action. Pitt denied any wrongdoing.
In 2022, legal documents from the vineyard dispute disclosed Jolie’s claim that Pitt had aggressively confronted her and two children while intoxicated during the flight.
At that time, a source close to the actor asserted to the BBC that her accusations were unfounded.
Speaking to Vogue in 2020, Jolie stated she left Pitt for her family’s „wellbeing.“
„It was the right choice,“ she affirmed. „I continue to focus on their healing.“
In a GQ interview in 2017, Pitt discussed his decision to quit drinking and using marijuana, attributing the split as a „major catalyst for change“.
Regarding the divorce, Pitt mentioned that he and Jolie opted to abandon „vitriolic hatred“ and collaborate to resolve their issues, emphasizing their commitment to resolving matters amicably and privately.
Custody Battle
The negotiations over divorce and child custody seemed to be contentious and prolonged.
In 2019, a judge declared the couple officially single, but the divorce was still pending finalization.
They reached a custody agreement in 2018, but it appeared to unravel. In 2021, Pitt was granted joint custody after a legal battle, but the private judge overseeing the case was later removed due to undisclosed business ties with Pitt’s attorneys.
This raised the prospect of a new custody battle, but no details have been made public.
Getty Images
While the divorce saga seems to be nearing an end, there is another ongoing legal dispute – concerning the vineyard.
Pitt and Jolie purchased Chateau Miraval in 2008 and exchanged vows in its chapel in 2014.
However, according to Pitt’s lawsuit, Jolie sold her stake to a spirits company owned by a Russian oligarch.
Getty Images Er verklagt seine Ex-Frau, weil sie ihren Anteil am Anwesen verkauft hat, und sagt, sie hätten vereinbart, ihre Anteile nicht ohne die Genehmigung des anderen zu verkaufen. Jolie hat sich noch nicht öffentlich geäußert.
Emotionale Fallout
Wenige Details der Scheidungsverfahren wurden bekannt gegeben. Private Richter werden in den USA oft zur Vermittlung von Streitigkeiten zwischen sich scheiden lassenen Prominenten aus Gründen der Privatsphäre engagiert.
Ihre Kinder sind jetzt alle zwischen 16 und 23 Jahre alt, und Showbiz-Journalistin Jeanne Wolf betonte den emotionalen Fallout.
„Es war eine sehr emotionale und komplizierte Scheidungsvereinbarung. Es hat einen großen Tribut an den Kindern und dem beteiligten Paar gefordert“, sagte sie.
„Sie haben sehr hart daran gearbeitet, nicht zu viele Details darüber bekannt zu machen, was in dieser Ehe vorgefallen ist.“
Jolies Anwalt betonte das Verstreichen der Zeit in seiner Erklärung am Montag. „Dies ist nur ein Teil eines langwierigen Prozesses, der vor acht Jahren begann“, sagte er.
„Ehrlich gesagt, Angelina ist erschöpft, aber sie ist erleichtert, dass dieser Teil vorbei ist.“
„