LET THE BATTLE BEGIN
Brad and Angie have employed razor-sharp legal teams to handle their divorce, with custody of their kids at the heart of the matter
Lance Spiegel is Brad’s lawyer. Past clients include Eva Longoria and Charlie Sheen.
SHE’S hired a kick-ass troubleshooter who inspired the character Olivia Pope in The Fixer. He’s brought on board a hotshot lawyer who’s represented the likes of Michael Jackson and Eva Longoria. According to the rumour mill she wants to destroy him; he wants to keep things amicable.
The divorce of one of Hollywood’s hottest couples was always going to be more than a blip on the radar. And as Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie prepare to go to court to fight for their most prized possessions – their six children – details are emerging that will probably kill all hope of their ever getting back together.
Joining Team Angelina is Judy Smith, a crisis manager famous in Tinseltown for keeping scandal at bay. “She’s typically a calming, non-combative influence,” a source told Eonline.
American magazine People quoted another insider as saying that Judy – on whom Rhonda Rhimes, creator of the hit TV show The Fixer, based Olivia Pope – and her team “have a long history of handling issues that have unfortunately garnered too much attention in the public eye. She knows how to push towards resolutions that are swift and discreet.”
A string of celebs – among them American footballer Michael Vick, US celebrity chef Paula Deen and former White House intern Monica Lewinsky – have needed “the fixer” to help to quell media storms resulting from scandals. Apart from Judy, Angie has reportedly hired another two legal experts. Bert Fields and Pierce O’Donnell, who was recently named one of the 100 Most Influential Lawyers in America by the National Law Journal, will join her legal team headed by divorce specialist Laura Wasser.
Angelina is seeking full physical custody of the children and for Brad to have shared legal custody, which means visitation rights and a say in important aspects of their upbringing such as education and religion (YOU, 6 October 2016).
But at the time of going to print the couple had reached a temporary custody deal by which Angie is keeping the kids with her for now and Brad is able to have visits monitored by a therapist.
The Los Angeles department of children and family services is still investigating the incident in which Brad reportedly lost his cool with son Maddox (15) aboard a flight from France to Los Angeles.
At the time of going to print Brad had yet to see Maddox, Pax (13), Zahara (11), Shiloh (10) and twins Knox and Vivienne (8). “But he really wants to see the kids,” a friend of the actor says. “He wants to work things out privately and amicably.”
Many negative stories about Brad (52) have emerged since news of the split broke – including that he was drunk and stoned on the plane and “lunged” at Maddox when the teenager intervened during an argument between his parents.
But the friend says the star didn’t hit the teen “in any way”.
“Brad is emphatic about that. He put his hands on him, yes, because the confrontation was nose to nose and was spiralling out of control.”
Angie is said to be using the situation to her full advantage in her custody battle and has even been accused of launching a smear campaign against her estranged husband.
Brad meanwhile has reportedly been crying and phoning his parents, Bill and Jane, every day. “He can’t believe this is what his life has become and he’s in bad shape but the kids are the only thing he’s