Angelina and Brad’s divorce hits a setback
WHEN ANGELINA Jolie and Brad Pitt announced that they were separating in 2016, the fallout was described as ‘the messiest divorce in Hollywood’.
The couple’s eagerness to put animosity aside for the sake of their six children, however, initially saw discussions become more amicable, and earlier this year they received a ‘bifurcated judgement’ which enabled them to identify as legally single.
But there has been a change: Grazia understands that things have taken a turn for the worse, this time over money and a property close to the couple’s hearts.
A source tells us that, in recent weeks, Brad and Angelina have reignited their arguments, particularly over money. They also strongly disagree on how to handle Château Miraval, the vineyard they jointly own in France. ‘Angie wants it split and the proceeds divided,’ the source says. ‘Brad, however, wants it to stay in the family and be passed down to future generations.’ The business is still a profitable concern – the wine made at the vineyard is a top seller.
Emily Rubenstein, a renowned divorce attorney in Beverly Hills, says that three years of divorce negotiations always indicates proceedings have been dramatic. ‘It’s definitely a sign that the case is contentious, whether they’re famous or not,’ she says. ‘In the context of Hollywood divorces in particular – with a super-couple like Brad and Angelina – there are more assets, there is more to value and divide, which means more work.’
Emily adds that the division of Château Miraval is not an overnight issue. ‘It’s not simple,’ she explains. ‘There are appraisals, retrospective and prospective evaluations, and then there will be experts who have different opinions on how much things are worth.’ Brad and Angelina, Emily theorises, will each have their own evaluators, leaving further room to argue over their estimates.
Until now, Brad and Angelina have been finding a comfortable medium in terms of custody of the children (this is after a tense few months when the couple were hauled before lawyers, with Angelina accused of hampering Brad’s relationship with them).
Angelina has since been allowed to take them to New Mexico while she makes her new film and was seen shopping with them last week. She facilitates regular trips back to California so the children can see Brad. But this still isn’t a perfect arrangement, and there could be issues when Angelina relocates to London for her next film project.
The couple are, a Grazia source says, still getting on far better than at the beginning of the divorce, but both are growing ‘increasingly impatient’ as the dispute rolls on. ‘They both just want it settled, once and for all,’ they say. ‘But for that to happen, they are going to have to meet in the middle somewhere. That’s something neither Angelina nor Brad has ever been good at.’