Angelina Jolie’s Kids Urged Her To Speak Up During Long-Awaited Divorce Settlement With Brad Pitt
Angelina Jolie finalizes her divorce with Brad Pitt after years of legal battles. Discover how her children inspired her to stand firm, despite public struggles and custody challenges.
After nearly a decade of legal battles and personal struggles, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt finalized their divorce, closing a tumultuous chapter of their lives.
Jolie officially signed the papers on December 30, ending a process that had dragged on since she first filed in September 2016.
The split came after two years of marriage, with Jolie citing irreconcilable differences and requesting physical custody of their six children: Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, and twins Vivienne and Knox.
Angelina Jolie’s Children Played a Key Role During the Divorce
While the ‘Salt’ star waived spousal and family support, the court documents conspicuously excluded any finalized agreements about the children’s custody.
Throughout the ordeal, Jolie’s children played a pivotal role in inspiring her to stand her ground.
Sources close to the family noted that the kids encouraged their mother to find her voice and defend herself, even as they witnessed the imbalance of power and privilege in the public sphere.
“She’s been trying hard to be light after a dark time. The kids have grown up seeing that some people have so much power and privilege that their voices don’t matter. Their pain doesn’t count,” a source told People Magazine. “They have wanted her to speak up for herself and defend herself over these years, but she reminds them to focus on changing laws rather than telling public stories.”
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie Signed Agreement Papers to Preserve the Privacy Rights of Their Children
Despite the family’s efforts to keep matters private—both actors initially agreed to confidential proceedings and enlisted a private judge—drama continued to unfold.
A 2017 attempt at amicability was overshadowed by a custody trial that threatened Jolie’s primary custody if she didn’t work to mend the children’s relationship with Pitt. Eventually, a judge ruled for a 50-50 custody arrangement.
However, in 2021, the case hit another snag when the appeals court disqualified Judge Ouderkirk, citing undisclosed connections to Pitt’s legal team, nullifying the custody order.
