Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s new custody drama
Judge warns she could lose custody if she doesn’t share…
Ever since their split nearly two years ago, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have been involved in a bitter custody battle – and last week, it took a shock twist.
After official court documents were leaked, it was reported that Angelina, 43, has been ordered to allow Brad to have more time with his children, including being able to call them without their mother supervising.
The judge stated, “If the minor children remain closed down to their father, and depending on the circumstances surrounding this condition, it may result in a reduction of the time they spend with [Jolie] and may result in the court ordering primary physical custody to [Pitt].”
Angelina currently has primary custody of Pax, 14, Zahara, 13, Shiloh, 12, and twins Knox and Vivienne, both nine. Maddox, 16, is considered old enough to make his own decisions, and so is exempt from the ruling.
As Ange is currently in London filming Maleficent 2, Brad is renting a house in the city where the children will visit him. The kids have already been spending some quality time with their father, but – per the judge’s ruling – this will gradually increase through to the end of July, before Brad returns them to their mum in London.
While Brad, 54, is sure to be happy with the ruling, an insider close to the actor tells heat, “He’s been to hell and back to prove himself a worthy parent. Angie might deny it, but the court papers suggest that she’s made it very difficult for him to get regular facetime with his own children.”
After the couple split in 2016, Brad admitted to having alcohol issues and spoke about actively trying to become a better person for his children, specifically in regards to fighting for visitation rights.
He said, “I was
really on my back and chained to a system when Child Services was called. And you know, after that, we’ve been able to work together to sort this out. We’re both doing our best. I heard one lawyer say, ‘No one wins in court – it’s just a matter of who gets hurt worse’.”
Our source affirms, “Brad got sober then waited patiently for many months, at times begging Ange for more leeway and visitation access. But it seems she insisted on full control, with minimal one-on-ones with their dad and would reportedly rarely talk to him except via an official route. Brad was faced with no choice but to
‘Brad’s been to hell and back to prove he’s worthy’
lawyer up and hit back with both barrels.”
After these legal documents leaked, Angelina was quick to respond via her spokesperson saying, “This misleading leak is not in the best interests of the children.” And our insider reveals Angelina’s feelings behind the statement, saying, “Her stance is very clear: she wants what’s best for the children and has made their welfare her sole priority ever since she and Brad separated.”
And we’re told that Brad’s feelings are exactly the same. “Brad insists this is not about destroying Angie’s character or making her out to be a bad mother,” our source says. “He just needed the judge to see that he is a caring father who’s had a rough deal. He kept his side of the street clean and never lost faith, even when there were long periods without seeing them. He refused to give up.”