Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Names and faces
■ Allegations that Brad Pitt was abusive on a private plane this month relate to the actor’s treatment of his 15-year-old son, sources said Friday, as the FBI continued to gather information before determining whether to open an investigation. FBI spokesman Laura Eimiller said the agency hasn’t made a decision on a formal investigation into what occurred on a plane ferrying Pitt, his wife, Angelina Jolie Pitt, and their six children.
Several news outlets have reported that a child welfare agency in Los Angeles is investigating the well-being of the children, who range in ages from 8 to 15. Sources familiar with the allegations, but not authorized to speak publicly, say the child welfare investigation centers on Pitt’s conduct toward his son Maddox, 15, during an argument on the Sept. 14 flight. No law enforcement agency responded when the plane landed in Minnesota after the incident. Amara Suarez, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services, said the agency could not confirm whether it was investigating Pitt or the well-being of the couple’s children. Calls to the offices of Pitt’s attorney, Lance Spiegel, and Jolie Pitt’s lawyer, Laura Wasser, were forwarded to recorded messages stating that their firms do not comment on clients.
■ London police say they are investigating the reported hacking of the iCloud account of Pippa Middleton, younger sister of the Duchess of Cambridge, and the alleged theft of 3,000 photographs. The Sun newspaper said Saturday that it had been contacted by a purported hacker seeking to sell the images for a minimum of $65,000. It said the seller communicated using the pseudonym “Crafty Cockney” on an encrypted messaging service and sent sample photos showing Middleton being fitted for a wedding dress in advance of her planned 2017 nuptials. The Sun said the hacker also claimed to possess Middleton’s informal photos of sister Kate with her children, Princess Charlotte and Prince George, and naked images of her fiance, James Matthews.