Brad Pitt And Angelina Jolie Reach Agreement To Keep Divorce Details Private [Video]
Since Angelina Jolie filed for divorce from hubby Brad Pitt in September, the famous couple has been dominating celebrity news and tabloids. Every new report seemed to bring with it allegations of a new scandal and new drama, everything from alleged child abuse to reports that Brad was being cut off from his kids. Now, after months of dominating the very public media, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have reportedly reached an agreement to settle their divorce privately.
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie release their first joint statement, agree to seal court documents about their divorce https://t.co/1yoRgfZXdE pic.twitter.com/NoEglg7Ln1
— CNN (@CNN) January 10, 2017
As The Guardian reports, the duo released their first joint statement in months on Monday, assuring their fans and critics alike that they plan on keeping their names (and their kids) out of the public eye as they continue to negotiate the end of their two-year marriage (and nearly 12-year relationship.)
“The parties and their counsel have signed agreements to preserve the privacy rights of their children and family by keeping all court documents confidential and engaging a private judge to make any necessary legal decisions and to facilitate the expeditious resolution of any remaining issue. The parents are committed to act as a united front to effectuate recovery and reunification.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fStKrojaH48
Just weeks ago, it had been reported that Jolie and Pitt were once again engaged in post-matrimonial drama involving the custody of their kids. Angelina Jolie reportedly filed documents in a California court that became a matter of public record. In response, Brad Pitt accused his estranged wife of trying to drag his name through the mud to get the upper hand in the famous ex-couple’s ongoing custody battle. He filed an emergency request filed by Brad Pitt to seal the child custody details of his divorce proceedings, details involving children 15-year-old Maddox, 12-year-old Pax, 11-year-old Zahara, 10-year-old Shiloh, and 8-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne.
“I am extremely concerned that if court records regarding custody are not sealed, information contained therein will cause irreparable damage to our children’s privacy rights.”
I mean.. how it should've been all along
— Meghan (@meghanjuna) January 10, 2017
@LaineyGossip She probably saw that clip of Golden Globe applause, effusive applause.
— Lisa Barbie (@Liiiiissssaaa_) January 10, 2017
Ultimately, a California judge denied Brad Pitt’s emergency request, and Angelina Jolie (through her legal team) accused the Legends of the Fall star of trying to protect his reputation, not the couple’s six children.
“His… request is a thinly veiled attempt to shield himself, rather than the minor children, from public view.”
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt Reach a Custody Agreement for Six Children https://t.co/mjXsMRsboj pic.twitter.com/wTJHtUQcdW
— Sheila Weeks (@sheilaweeks) January 3, 2017
As the couple’s ugly divorce and custody disagreement continues, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie (and their collective children) have been the subject of increasing international scrutiny, with their every action and legal filing finding its way into media reports. A non-emergency hearing regarding making their custody details private was scheduled in California next week, but it now appears that it will be unnecessary.
As CNN reports, the couple’s apparently joint decision was most likely for the best, particularly considering the most recent legal documents filed by Brad Pitt in the case. In those documents, Pitt said that Jolie was “determined to ignore even agreed upon standards relating to the children’s best interest,” even going so far as to add that she has “no self-regulating mechanism” with regards to protecting the pair’s children.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUccjQ2Ehwo
Both Brad and Angelina have attempted to maintain low profiles since their extremely publicized split but to little avail. While Angelina Jolie has mostly kept to herself and remained surrounded by the pair’s children (the single most contentious matter of the mega-rich couple’s divorce), Brad Pitt did make an onstage appearance at Sunday’s Golden Globe Awards. It was the first such engagement for the Interview with a Vampire star in months, and he was rousingly applauded for his efforts.
While the decision of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie to retain a private judge for their divorce may appear extreme, it’s not unusual in high-profile cases such as theirs.
[Featured Image by Joel Ryan/Invision/AP Images]
