Angelina Jolie has claimed that her ex-husband Brad Pitt "choked" one of their children and "struck another in the face" during the alleged heated argument on a private plane in 2016, in a bombshell new countersuit.
According to The Mirror, documents filed on Wednesday in Los Angeles claim the actor, 58, "verbally attacked" his ex-wife, 47, and at one point "lunged" at one of his children on the flight back to the city from France with their six children on September 14, 2016.
Lawyers representing the actress detailed a series of alleged violent incidents, with Angelina claiming Brad was "emotionally and physically abusive" towards her and their children, who ranged between 8 and 15 at the time, which resulted in her filing for a divorce.
"On September 14, 2016, Jolie’s marriage came to an end. On that day, Jolie, Pitt and their children were flying to Los Angeles from Chateau Miraval,” the documents stated. Throughout the long, overnight flight, Pitt was physically and emotionally abusive to Jolie and their children, who were then between the ages of eight and 15.
"After that flight, for her family’s wellbeing, Jolie decided to file for divorce." Angelina and Brad have six children; Maddox, 21, Pax, 18, and Zahara, 17, are adopted while the couple had twins Knox and Vivienne, 14, and, Shiloh, 16, biologically.
The filing went on to claim Brad's “aggressive behaviour” had begun before boarding the plane, being confrontational with his "terrified" children and Angelina, before continuing onboard. “When one of the children verbally defended Jolie, Pitt lunged at his own child and Jolie grabbed him from behind to stop him.
“To get Jolie off his back, Pitt threw himself backwards into the airplane’s seats injuring Jolie’s back and elbow. The children rushed in and all bravely tried to protect each other. Before it was over, Pitt choked one of the children and struck another in the face.
“Some of the children pleaded with Pitt to stop. They were all frightened. Many were crying.” The documents went on to claim Brad had continued in an aggressive manner, swearing at the family and at one point “pouring beer and red wine on the children”.
After landing, the actor allegedly also stopped the family from disembarking from the aircraft and physically abused one of his children again. Following the incident, Angelina filed for divorce five days later on September 19 2016 and an FBI investigation was launched.
The actor previously denied all of his ex-wife claims. After an investigation, the FBI case was closed and no charges were filed against Brad.
“After interviewing various witnesses, the FBI agent who conducted the investigation concluded that the government had probable cause to charge Pitt with a federal crime for his conduct that day, and the agent prepared a probable cause statement for referral to the United States Attorney’s Office for prosecution,” the documents stated.
The filing added Angelina “has gone to great lengths to try to shield their children from reliving the pain Pitt inflicted on the family that day.” “When Pitt filed this lawsuit seeking to reassert control over Jolie’s financial life and compel her to rejoin her ex-husband as a frozen-out business partner, Pitt forced Jolie to publicly defend herself on these issues for the first time,” they stated.
The claims come in a cross complaint by Angelina as part of the Hollywood power couple’s ongoing legal dispute over the selling of their co-owned vineyard in the south of France. The ongoing dispute between the couple centres around the sale of their stakes in Chateau Miraval SA, a French company comprising a home and vineyard in the south of France, which they purchased in 2008.
Brad has previously accused Angelina of orchestrating a “hostile” takeover of the wine business that he had “carefully built” and forced him into partnership with “a stranger with poisonous associations and intentions” – Russian oligarch Yuri Shefler. The Miraval estate is located in the village of Correns in south-eastern France, and was bought by the couple for around 25 million euros (£20,875,500).
According to the legal documents obtained by PA, Pitt contributed 60% to the purchase price, with Jolie paying the remaining 40%. Angelina and Brad's representatives have been contacted for comment.
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