ANGELINA’S CRUEL LIES & Brad’s Revenge

New Evidence Revealed in Custody Battle

Those are the words of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt over the last twoand-a-half years. They’re all lies. An In Touch investigation has revealed the definitive story about the tortured marriage and brutal divorce of the former Hollywood golden couple, uncovering fresh lies that have been perpetuated as Angelina’s team tries to destroy Brad in order for her to gain sole physical custody of their six children. And it’s turned out to be even worse behind closed doors than anyone knows. “People close to Angelina have told cruel lies about Brad, and they’ve done it with her consent,” an insider tells In Touch exclusively. “While she has publicly remained silent, people close to her have been busy trying to shape a narrative painting Brad as an unfit parent.”

Angelina didn’t waste any time, either. On Sept. 20, just hours after the world learned the shocking news that she’d filed for divorce and demanded sole physical custody of Maddox, 15, Pax, 12, Zahara, 11, Shiloh, 10, and twins Knox and Vivienne, 8, her entertainment at-

“We came out stronger on the other end [of] shooting [ By the Sea].” — Brad Pitt

“We’re actually very, very stable.” — Angelina Jolie

“I haven’t known life to be any happier.” — Brad Pitt “We’ve been through so much. We’ve gotten a lot closer, which I think naturally happens with raising a family together.” — Angelina Jolie

torney, Robert Offer, issued a loaded statement: “This decision was made for the health of the family,” he said, declining to elaborate. Later that day, another official comment from her camp — also rife with innuendo — made headlines. “Angelina,” said her longtime manager Geyer Kosinski, “will always do what’s in the best interest of taking care of her family.”

At the same time, stories that Brad had problems with drugs and alcohol and had been physical with their kids were leaked to the media. An anonymous call was placed to LA’S Department of Children and Family Services to report a drunken altercation between Brad, 52, and his oldest boys that occurred on a Sept. 14 private flight from France back to the States. The call, which, according to a source close to the situation, Brad believes came from Angelina’s camp, triggered an official probe into his parenting and supposedly prompted Angelina to split with him. (Reports that the LAPD and FBI had launched official investigations into the incident turned out to be overblown.) “A look deep inside Angelina’s camp shows a disturbing pattern of behavior,” says the insider. “Her first two advisers were planting stories with the media that Brad had a severe drug and alcohol problem and was violent. It was an abhorrent course of action.” Some people strongly believe Angelina approved that course of action.

In a marked contrast, the actor has refused to speak out against his exor allow his representatives to plant negative stories about her. “Brad’s team has remained silent,” says the insider. “Brad is taking the high road here, and one big reason is that he does not want to alienate his children — now or in the future.” (But one source close to Angelina claims others near Brad have spread negative stories about her.) Still, Brad’s only two official comments on the split and custody battle have been straightforward and neutral. “I am very saddened by this,

but what matters most now is the well-being of our kids,” he said after Angelina, 41, released her first statement on Sept. 20. After dropping out of a promotional appearance for a new film a few days later, Brad explained he was “focused on my family situation” and didn’t want to be a distraction to the project.

Within days, Brad was winning the battle of public opinion. “Sympathy was not with Angelina. There was no [ public] proof that Brad was an unfit father,” says the insider. “Her previous team offered no specifics, and in fact Brad even volunteered to take a drug test, which he passed.” The source close to the situation exclusively tells In Touch that he’s since also passed a second drug test, “which he again took voluntarily to prove that Angelina’s allegation that he abused substances was false. The whole thing has damaged the credibility of some people close to Angelina.”

So Angelina changed tactics. Her first big hire had been Laura Wasser, a respected Hollywood divorce attorney who’s represented everyone from Ryan Reynolds to the Kardashians. But now some people close to Angelina “wanted to push Laura out because she isn’t the type to engage in a nasty, continued attack on her opponent,” says the insider.

Team Angelina’s first response was to aggressively threaten legal action. “One of her several lawyers sent out letters to the media, seen by many as an attempt to shut down negative stories about Angelina or risk being sued,” explains the insider. In Touch received one of those letters. “But the lawyer didn’t stop there. He went on the attack,” says the insider. In a phone call with In Touch, one of Angelina’s attorneys threatened to track down and sue anyone who planted information about his client. He insisted, “We have not planted anything with the media. Nothing. Not one piece of information.” But In Touch has learned that Team Angelina had been busy talking to key outlets, carefully planting stories about Brad and shaping a message that he does not deserve shared physical custody of his children. “The assertion that Angelina’s people have not planted information in the press is just not true,” says the insider, who says Angelina was getting guidance from two people overseas who are close to her. “Brad’s team knows who on Angelina’s team planted information and where they planted it. Frankly, Brad is disgusted, but he’s holding his tongue.”

Blogger Perez Hilton flipped out when he received a legal letter from Angelina. He threw a public fit, claiming he’d always been Angelina’s ally but now was prepared to turn against her. As the story picked up steam, Perez reportedly got a call from one of Angelina’s “fixers” who tried to settle him down and assure him that the letter was sent to many outlets and was not targeting him.

‘‘ This battle takes one shocking twist after another. And Brad’s winning” — A BRAD AND ANGELINA INSIDER

“They overstepped, and when they did, they received a lot of backlash,” the insider says of the strategy from Angelina’s team. But that didn’t stop the same “fixer” from calling Melissa Etheridge after the Grammy-winning musician made critical comments about Angelina and what she was doing to her old friend Brad in an Oct. 3 interview with Bravo’s Andy Cohen. Two days later, Melissa publicly confirmed that Team Angelina had given her a call with a “subtle warning” to zip it. “That’s a highly unusual and ridiculous move,” says the insider. (Her revenge was to write a humorous song about it.)

Still, behind-the-scenes attempts to manipulate Angelina’s public image continued. People close to Angelina have attempted to spin the fact that DCFS is investigating Brad into de facto proof that he should not have custody, In Touch has learned exclusively. “DCFS wouldn’t be involved if there wasn’t something serious here,” a source close to Angelina told In Touch. But that’s simply not true, other sources claim. DCFS got involved after they received a phone call about the plane incident, and by law, the organization is required to investigate. Angelina’s friends have also attempted to spin the investigation into a nefarious indictment of Brad’s character, says the insider: “They’ve told or implied that to many people.” Angelina’s pals also put it out there that she would not cooperate if Brad was prosecuted for child abuse, when in fact there were no criminal charges looming since he hadn’t committed a crime.

Since day one, Brad has fully cooperated with DCFS, including having his visits with the children monitored. “He doesn’t want any doubt about the truth,” says the insider. “He refuses to give Angelina any ammunition against him.” As the investigation was wrapping up, Brad was preparing for the next step: to get his revenge against Angelina in family court. He planned to fight for sole physical custody and to subpoena her mental health records, says a Brad source. “They have implied that Brad has engaged in brutal conduct toward Angelina and the kids,” says the insider, but they have not pro-

duced a “smoking gun” of proof.

Why no smoking gun? “Because it simply doesn’t exist,” says the insider. “It’s a sickening strategy to imply Brad did something terrible over and over again and then have nothing to back it up. But that’s what they are doing.” A source close to Angelina, however, strongly hints that the smoking gun does exist and it will be revealed. In Touch has also learned that people close to Angelina have suggested to various media outlets that the children will tell stories about Brad that may paint him as a bad father. “If she coaches them, perhaps they will,” says the insider. “But not if the truth comes out. It’s just another example of people close to her planting things.”

Brad has faith he’ll be vindicated. “He was devastated by her power play at first. But he truly believes that once the DCFS investigation is concluded, family court will side with him,” explains a Brad and Angelina insider. “He’s ready for her. He believes he’ll be able to refute all her claims in front of a judge.”

Another troubling lie? The assertion from people working for Angelina is that she does everything for the children, including feeding and clothing them, taking care of their schoolwork, doctor appointments and more, while Brad does virtually nothing. But in fact, Angelina herself has admitted she’s not exactly domestic. “I don’t know how to make basic spaghetti,” she once told Today. Sources have told In Touch that it is actually an army of nannies, cooks and other helpers who do much of the work when it comes to caring for the kids. (In a new interview, the couple’s former bodyguard Mark Billingham claims Brad and Angelina could not perform basic tasks; see sidebar at left.) “Any implication that Angelina is the only one that cares for the kids and even prepares meals for them is absolutely rubbish. It just shows how desperate and out of touch people close to Angie are,” says the source close to the situation. “This notion that she’s the sole care provider for the kids is also just completely laughable because even Brad will concede that their nannies spent the most time with the kids, but that’s no reason why he shouldn’t have joint custody.”

Why not be honest? “Because Angelina wants to do what she wants to do,” explains the insider. “She wants sole physical custody so she doesn’t have to answer to Brad on anything, not because he’s a bad father or a dangerous parent. Making that suggestion is disgusting and a horrible lie.” The insider believes that Angelina is using the children to get sole physical custody. “But she’s making a big mistake,” adds the insider, “because one day the kids will realize what she did.”

The world already knows. After falling in love with Brad while he was married, the Hollywood vixen had spent the past decade portraying their relationship as that of soul mates who’d found their greatest happiness in a rewarding, adventurous lifestyle as they traveled the world performing good works with their brood. But that’s all changed now. “Not everyone sees her as a great humanitarian trying to solve the world’s refugee problem at this point,” the insider says. “Some see her as a wife trashing the father of her children for no good reason. It’s reminding everyone of the unstable person she was in her younger years, the person who cut herself, who was hospitalized for psychological reasons. Her tactics are not working.” Her carefully crafted image has taken a huge hit.

Brad’s letting her hang herself. And he’s confident he’ll get revenge in family court. “Brad’s been very, very busy gearing up for the upcoming custody battle. Brad is lining up an arsenal to take Angie down,” says the source. “Expect Brad’s team to come to family court with declarations and witnesses who will claim Angie would go days without seeing the kids.”

Her cruel lies have done untold damage, says the insider. But Brad is ready for a fight. “In the end,” says the Brad and Angelina source, “Brad knows the truth will prevail.” ◼