After 8 Years of Fighting, Brad Pitt Changes His Stance in Divorce with Angelina Jolie

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s prolonged custody battle seems to be concluding, with Pitt reportedly relinquishing his pursuit of shared custody of their six children. Jolie, expected to retain primary custody, faces Pitt’s ongoing lawsuit over their previously jointly-owned winery, despite most of his claims being dismissed.

Brad Pitt and Angeline Jolie separated in 2016 and have been engaged in a tumultuous courtroom feud. The two share six kids, Shiloh, twins Vivienne and Knox, Zahara, Pax, and Maddox.

After years of a bitter divorce battle Pitt and Jolie are said to be nearing the end of negotiations. As the legal saga seems to be coming to a close, reports indicate that Pitt has abandoned his pursuit of shared custody of their children.

Originally aiming for a 50/50 custody arrangement for their six children, Pitt has reportedly altered his stance on the matter, signaling a potential resolution to their prolonged legal dispute. This indicates that Angelina Jolie, aged 48, will maintain primary physical custody of the children, with visitation rights granted to Pitt.

A significant factor influencing their decision is the fact that most of their children have reached adulthood. Only Shiloh, at 17, and Knox and Vivienne, both 15, remain minors, with Shiloh soon to turn 18 in May, 2024.

The older children—Maddox, 22, Pax, 20, and Zahara, 19—appear to have strained relationships with Pitt. Legally adults, they are no longer subject to custody agreements. Zahara now prefers to go by the name Zahara Jolie rather than Zahara Jolie Pitt, indicating a possible distancing from Pitt’s surname.

Reports suggest that Pax, their adopted son, has not communicated with Pitt since the widely publicized altercation aboard a private plane that marked the end of Pitt and Jolie’s marriage. It’s even been claimed that Pax no longer considers Pitt as a parental figure.

In a private Instagram post from 2020, Pax referred to Pitt as a “despicable person,” alleging that his presence instilled fear in their younger siblings. He criticized the actor for lacking empathy and understanding of the impact of his actions on their family.

A representative from Pitt’s side had characterized the situation between him and the children as “textbook parental alienation,” suggesting that Jolie has intentionally prolonged the divorce proceedings until the children reach adulthood.

However, friends of Jolie’s had countered this narrative, asserting that the actor bore responsibility for the rift in the family. They maintained that Jolie’s primary goal is to facilitate healing within the family and to progress beyond the current challenges.

Aside from child custody, since the split, the two stars have also been fighting in court over the vineyard that they once owned together. The ex-couple has been embroiled in a prolonged legal dispute concerning the Château Miraval property and their jointly-owned winemaking endeavors.

They initially acquired the property in 2008 and maintained equal ownership until 2021, when Jolie opted to sell her stake.

On October 5, 2021, the actress completed the sale of Nouvel, the holding company that managed her shares in Miraval, to Tenute del Mondo, the wine division of the Stoli group owned by Russian billionaire Yuri Shefler, for a sum of $67 million.

In February 2022, Pitt initiated legal action against Jolie for selling the winery, seeking monetary compensation, coverage of legal expenses, and the annulment of Jolie’s sale of Miraval to Shefler.

In June 2023, Pitt filed additional legal paperwork alleging that his former spouse had purposefully sought to undercut him and his stake in their winery. Pitt’s legal team alleged that Jolie’s sale of her stake in the winery to Shefler was a calculated move to harm Pitt’s involvement in the company.

After Pitt’s apparent victory on March 13, 2024, in his legal battle against Jolie, an insider familiar with the case disclosed that a court in Los Angeles, California, ruled contrary to Pitt’s expectations. Jolie’s dissent to his initial complaint resulted in the dismissal of five out of the seven claims Pitt had lodged against her.

Jolie’s attorney, Murphy, issued a statement regarding the judge’s decision on Jolie’s demurrer. Murphy stated that most of Pitt’s claims were dismissed because they lacked a legal basis.

He emphasized that the actor’s lawsuit wasn’t primarily about a business dispute, but rather an attempt to conceal alleged serious abuse. Murphy was pleased with the judge’s ruling, which saw many of Pitt’s claims dismissed from the complaint.

Murphy added, “Angelina truly harbors no ill-will toward Mr. Pitt, and hopes he will now release her from his frivolous lawsuit, stop his relentless attacks, and join her in helping their family heal in private.”

Brad Pitt has been given an opportunity by the court to amend and potentially bolster some of the claims that were dismissed. However, according to a source, there is skepticism regarding the actor’s ability to make these claims legally viable.

So, Pitt’s and Jolie’s legal battle on shared child custody finally nears the end. However, the lawsuit Pitt filed against Jolie regarding their previously co-owned winery is still ongoing as much as most of the actor’s claims have been dismissed and the actress’s lawyer is foreseeing a win.