Once, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie were Hollywood’s hottest couple, shining brighter than anyone else. But their relationship fell apart, and now, any news about them usually focuses on their messy divorce and legal battles.
Recently, a new court filing revealed that Brad Pitt’s alleged physical abuse of Angelina Jolie started before the famous 2016 plane incident.
The two stars have been fighting in court over a French winery they bought together. Their once strong bond is now broken and on display for everyone to see.
In 2022, Pitt sued Jolie and her former company, Nouvel, for selling her half of the winery. Pitt claimed they had agreed not to sell their shares without the other’s approval, and said Jolie’s actions hurt the business he worked hard to build.
Jolie responded by accusing Pitt of becoming abusive during a plane ride from France to California in 2016. She said he grabbed her by the head and was also physically abusive to two of their children.
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A few days after the plane incident, Jolie filed for divorce, and their separation was finalized in 2019. Pitt has denied the abuse accusations, and while federal authorities investigated, no criminal charges were filed.
Recently, Jolie’s legal team submitted new documents to the Los Angeles Superior Court on Thursday, April 4. These papers suggest that Brad Pitt’s physical abuse started earlier than previously thought.
CNN obtained a copy of the motion, which states: “While Pitt’s history of physical abuse of Jolie started well before the family’s September 2016 plane trip from France to Los Angeles, this flight marked the first time he turned his physical abuse on the children as well. Jolie then immediately left him.”
The papers don’t go into more detail about the alleged abuse but state that Jolie plans to show evidence like testimony, emails, and photos to prove why Pitt was worried about his own behavior. She claims this is why he backed out of the deal to buy her share of their winery, Miraval, because she wouldn’t agree to his new, broad non-disclosure agreement (NDA).
It’s also said that Jolie offered to sell her half of the French winery to Pitt, but he would only agree if she signed an NDA. This NDA would have stopped Jolie from talking about Pitt’s abuse of her and their children, except in court, by linking Pitt’s personal reputation to the winery’s business.
Pitt’s team have yet to respond to Jolie’s filing alleging abuse earlier than the plane ride from France to LA, but PEOPLE quote a source close to the actor as having said: “This is a pattern of behavior – whenever there is a decision that goes against the other side they consistently choose to introduce misleading, inaccurate and/or irrelevant information as a distraction.
“There was a lengthy custody trial that involved the entire history of their relationship and a judge who heard all the evidence still granted him 50/50 custody.”