LOS ANGELES: Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have reached a divorce settlement, her lawyer said Monday, bringing an apparent end to one of Hollywood’s longest and most contentious divorces.
Jolie's attorney, James Simon, confirmed to The Associated Press that the couple had come to an agreement. News of the settlement was first reported by People magazine.
“More than eight years ago, Angelina filed for divorce from Mr. Pitt,” Simon said in a statement. “She and the children left all of the properties they had shared with Mr. Pitt, and since that time, she has focused on finding peace and healing for their family. This is just one part of a long, ongoing process that started eight years ago. Frankly, Angelina is exhausted, but she is relieved this one part is over.”
No court documents have been filed yet, and a judge will need to sign off on the agreement. An email sent late Monday night to Pitt's attorney seeking comment was not immediately answered.
Jolie, 49, and Pitt, 61, were among Hollywood’s most prominent couples for 12 years, including two as a married pair. The Oscar winners have six children together.
Jolie filed for divorce in 2016 after a private jet flight from Europe during which she alleged Pitt was abusive toward her and their children. The FBI and the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services investigated Pitt's actions during the flight and decided no action was necessary.
A judge declared the couple divorced and legally single in 2019, but the division of assets and child custody arrangements remained unresolved.
A private judge hired to handle the case initially awarded Pitt equal custody of the children, but Jolie had the judge removed, citing an unreported conflict of interest. An appeals court agreed, forcing the couple to restart the process.
Since the divorce filing, four of their six children have become adults, eliminating the need for custody agreements for them. Only 16-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne remain minors. Earlier this year, one of their daughters, formerly known as Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt, successfully petitioned to remove Pitt's name from hers.
Their other children are Maddox, 23, Pax, 21, and Zahara, 19.
Some details of their disputes have emerged through a separate lawsuit Pitt filed, accusing Jolie of breaching an agreement to sell him her share of their French winery, Chateau Miraval. Jolie instead sold her share to the Stoli Group subsidiary Tenute del Mondo. Pitt alleged the sale was a “vindictive” act that destroyed what he called a private sanctuary.
Jolie’s attorneys countered, stating the sale agreement failed because Pitt demanded she sign a broad non-disclosure agreement about him. In court documents, she claimed this was an attempt to cover up his alleged physical abuse of her and the children during the 2016 flight.
The winery lawsuit’s outcome remains unclear, as does how the divorce settlement might impact it.
Despite their high-profile careers, both Jolie and Pitt have remained tight-lipped about their split. Pitt has admitted to a drinking problem at the time of the 2016 incident and stated he has since become sober and sought therapy. Jolie has largely refrained from public commentary but has sought further scrutiny of Pitt’s behavior in court.
Jolie and Pitt became one of Hollywood's most famous couples after starring in Mr. and Mrs. Smith in 2004. Jolie, the daughter of actor Jon Voight, rose to fame in films like Maleficent and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, and won an Oscar for Girl, Interrupted in 1999.
Pitt, known for his roles in Fight Club and Inglourious Basterds, achieved continued success after the split. He won an Academy Award for his role in Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood (2019).
Jolie, while less visible in recent years, has returned to the spotlight with her portrayal of soprano Maria Callas in the upcoming film Maria, which has brought her back into the Oscar conversation.