Brad’s fury at Angelina’s ‘games’
The A-list world was shocked when Angelina Jolie announced her divorce from Brad Pitt and filed for sole custody of their six children. Now – as the split looks set to derail his Oscar dream and he’s rumoured to have already moved on with another high-pro
WHEN ANGELINA JOLIE FILED
for divorce from Brad Pitt just over a month ago, insiders immediately predicted that it would become one of the messiest splits ever seen in Hollywood. It didn’t take long for their suspicions to be confirmed.
First, sources close to Angelina claimed she had left him for ‘the health of her family’, amid reports that Brad had anger and addiction issues. Then, serious questions were raised over his parenting as the most shocking blow was dealt: that the actor was being investigated for child abuse after he apparently ‘got physical’ with the couple’s 15-year-old son Maddox onboard a private jet.
Last week, after an investigation that saw Brad, Angelina and their six children questioned, the LA County Department
of Children and Family Services finally declared they had dropped the charges.
But that didn’t halt the acrimony. In the same week, relations between the couple reached an all-time low when it emerged they couldn’t even agree on whether they had a custody deal in place for their six children, Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, Vivienne and Knox.
A statement issued by Angelina’s representative claimed they had finally reached a deal that gave Angelina sole custody of the children, with any time spent with Brad to be supervised by a therapist. But sources close to him swiftly denied it, with one saying, ‘It makes no sense. There was no new agreement signed… [it] was simply an extension of the pre-existing, completely voluntary, temporary arrangement they had previously agreed to.’
A second insider told Grazia, ‘Once again, Angelina has the upper hand in steering public opinion to her advantage and Brad is furious. She is confusing things by suggesting that they have already come to an agreement.
‘Brad is very angry that Angelina is playing games when it comes to the serious matter of his custody rights.’
And it seems she won’t stop there. Brad apparently believes that Angelina’s actions have derailed his Oscar campaign for his latest film, Allied – by filing for divorce just as he was due to begin promoting it. The 52-year-old has been nominated for Best Actor twice, but is yet to win. Last week, he was forced to take the unusual step of pulling out of his promotional duties for the film, including interviews, press junkets and chat show appearances, to avoid talking about his divorce. Instead, he just ‘silently’ walked the red carpet for the LA premiere.
‘Brad had pinned a lot of hopes on Allied,’ continued the source. ‘He’s achieved so much as an actor, but the one thing that has always eluded him is a Best Actor Oscar.
‘His decision will undoubtedly harm his chances of winning, and Angelina must have known this film was his big hope. But right now his number one priority is the kids. He wants joint custody and is not going to give up that fight.’
Behind closed doors, things are just as messy. In news that paints an uncomfortable picture of Jolie-pitt family life, Brad has apparently told friends he fears Angelina is turning their children against him.
Among those close to him is the family’s bodyguard Kris Herzog, who also works with Angelina’s father Jon Voight. Kris told Grazia, ‘Brad is so angry. From what I have heard from Brad and Jon, even the kids are turning against him. He’s alleging they won’t even speak to him and they won’t call him Daddy or Father.
‘They’ve had two meetings with Los Angeles family services, and in both none of the kids would talk to him. He stormed out of the second one really angry, it was the straw that broke the camel’s back. This fight is going nuclear now.’
It comes after Angelina’s former nanny, Kristen Morell, spoke to Grazia, issuing a stark warning to the actress not to use her children ‘as a weapon’ in the divorce.
She said, ‘I want to tell her: don’t cut Brad out of the children’s lives. Don’t demonise your husband. Because that is exactly what your mother did when she was breaking up with your father. And the result was that you had a lonely and traumatic childhood. Why would you inflict the same tragedy on your kids?’
In a further shocking twist, Kris also alleges that Brad is already moving on with another high-profile A-lister. ‘He’s started seeing another famous actress,’ he continued. ‘She is a personal friend of mine and she’s told me they’re sleeping together. I can’t disclose who it is, but she is almost as big as Angelina.’
So what next? Unfortunately, resolution looks a long way off. Last week, it emerged ‘dynamite’ recordings exist that could seriously hamper Angelina’s chances of custody if made public – meaning the fight could turn even nastier.
‘She is not the saint she’s making out to be, and Brad has a lot of things he could say in response to all the mud-slinging that has come his way from her people,’ continued the source. ‘But he’s biting his tongue because the kids are his main interest and he never wanted to play dirty.
‘Angelina still believes Brad is not fit to have joint custody and has hinted she’ll provide more evidence during their legal battle. She has no intention of letting those kids go.’ n Turn to page 52 to read our exclusive interview with Angelina’s divorce lawyer, Laura Wasser
BRAD IS VERY ANGRY ANGELINA IS PLAYING GAMES WHEN IT COMES TO HIS CUSTODY RIGHTS