AP
In a court document filed on Tuesday, Angelina Jolie claims that during a trip in 2016, Brad Pitt grabbed her by the head, shook her, choked one of their kids, and hit another when they defended her.
The couple’s argument over a French home and winery they co-owned, which is unrelated to their existing divorce, caused Jolie to submit a cross-complaint, which included details of the violence experienced on the private aircraft. Jolie also promptly requested a divorce from the pair.
Jolie’s accusations were vehemently refuted by a Pitt spokesman who was not authorized to speak in public and labeled it “another rehash that only harms the family.”
Shortly after the flight, the allegations of abuse on the plane were first made public, but the specifics were kept secret in divorce papers and investigations by the FBI and Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services, both of which concluded that no action against Pitt was required.
Following a trial behind closed doors where the accusations were made, the court granted Pitt joint custody of the kids. However, following a motion from Jolie, an appeals court overturned the judgment by disqualifying the private judge for failing to disclose any conflicts of interest.
When a Jolie lawsuit against the FBI over a Freedom of Information Act request was made public earlier this year, further information about the accusations became available.
The court filing was first covered by the New York Times.
According to the lawsuit, Jolie, Pitt, and their six children left Chateau Miraval winery for Los Angeles on September 14, 2016.
“Pitt’s aggressive behavior started even before the family got to the airport, with Pitt having a confrontation with one of the children. After the flight took off, Jolie approached Pitt and asked him what was wrong,” the filing says. “Pitt accused her of being too deferential to the children and verbally attacked her.”
Later, it says, “He pulled her into the bathroom and began yelling at her. Pitt grabbed Jolie by the head and shook her, and then grabbed her shoulders and shook her again before pushing her into the bathroom wall.”
Pitt allegedly retaliated after one of the kids, who were between the ages of 8 and 15 at the time, verbally supported 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 filing says. “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.”
According to the paper, he then allegedly poured beer on Jolie and red wine and beer on the kids.
In the days that followed, Jolie’s provided two FBI investigators with a description of the flight. It surfaced in a report that the organization later provided that had been severely censored.
It showed a picture of Jolie with a bruise on her elbow and a hand injury that looked like a rug burn. She claimed that despite witnessing Pitt have two to three beers, he appeared sober and intelligent.
The federal prosecutors and the investigators had a meeting, and according to the report, “it was agreed by all parties that criminal charges in this case would not be pursued due to several factors.”
According to a statement from the FBI, the agency “conducted a review of the circumstances and will not pursue further investigation.”
For 12 years, the 58-year-old Oscar-winning actor Pitt and the 47-year-old Oscar-winning actress and director Jolie were among the most well-known couples in Hollywood.
When they got married in 2014, they had been romantically involved for ten years. Jolie filed for divorce in 2016, and a judge ruled that they were no longer married in 2019. However, the divorce case has not yet been resolved because of unresolved custody and financial difficulties.
