Inside Angelina Jolie And Brad Pitt’s Divorce: Source Says Their Kids “Wanted Her To Speak Up For Herself”
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s children have long wished for their mother to be more vocal in defending herself during the highly publicized divorce battle, according to a source close to the actress.
Speaking to PEOPLE, the insider said, “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.”
The source added, “They have wanted her to speak up for herself, to defend herself over these years, but she reminds them to focus on changing laws over telling public stories.”
Angelina, 49, and Brad, 61, met on the set of Mr. and Mrs. Smith in 2005 and married in 2014. They share six children: Maddox, 23, Pax, 21, Zahara, 19, Shiloh, 18, and twins Vivienne and Knox, 16.
The couple’s divorce saga began on September 19, 2016, when Angelina filed for divorce after an incident on a private plane where Brad allegedly became intoxicated and abusive. Although he was investigated, no charges were filed, and Jolie chose not to press charges.
In 2017, both actors signed agreements to keep court documents confidential and work with a private judge to resolve their disputes. However, in 2018, court documents revealed Angelina risked losing primary custody if she didn’t work on improving the children’s relationship with their father.
A custody trial initially resulted in Brad being granted 50-50 custody, but the judge overseeing the case was later disqualified, and the ruling was never enforced.
PEOPLE confirmed on December 30 that Angelina and Brad have officially finalized their divorce after eight years of legal battles.
Angelina’s attorney, James Simon, stated that the actress has been focused on finding peace and healing for her family. “Frankly, Angelina is exhausted, but she is relieved this one part is over,” he said.
A source close to Brad claimed Angelina’s actions during the legal proceedings have included “a never-ending distortion of facts… causing tremendous collateral damage to those in and around the family.”
Reports from July 2024 indicated Brad has “virtually no contact” with his adult children but maintains visitation rights with the younger ones. Some of the children have reportedly taken steps to remove ‘Pitt’ from their last names. According to the source, the forced distance from his kids “pains” the actor.
“He loves his children and misses them. It’s very sad,” the source added.
Both Angelina and Brad remain locked in a legal battle over their shared French winery, which is separate from their divorce case. Jolie’s lawyer in that lawsuit emphasized, “She wants this to end, the children want this to end, and Mr. Pitt should focus on healing their family, not pursuing lawsuits.”
Meanwhile, a source close to Brad said his recent victories in the winery case “demonstrate the legitimacy of his claims and show that the other side’s talk is not backed up with substance.”
Throughout it all, Jolie has remained focused on her children. In recent interviews, she described them as “especially shy, very private people” and expressed her hope that they will eventually find the privacy they deserve.
