Angelina Jolie details Brad Pitt abuse allegations: Filed in court

LOS ANGELES — Angelina Jolie testified in court Tuesday that during a 2016 flight, Brad Pitt grabbed her head and shook her, then choked one of their children and punched the other when they tried to protect her.

The description of the abuse on the private flight came in a counter-complaint Jolie filed over the couple’s dispute over the French home and winery they co-owned, which is separate from their long-running divorce, which she filed for shortly thereafter.

A representative for Pitt, who was not authorized to speak publicly, vehemently denied Jolie’s allegations and called them “another slander that only hurts the family.”

Allegations of abuse on the plane first became public shortly after the flight, but reports were initially sketchy, with details shrouded in divorce filings and investigations by the FBI and the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services. found that no action against Pitt was necessary.

A judge gave Pete 50-50 custody of the children after a closed court hearing during which the allegations were made. But the appellate court subsequently overruled the private judge for failing to disclose potential conflicts of interest after Jolie’s motion, overturning the decision.

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More details about the allegations were revealed earlier this year when Jolie’s lawsuit against the FBI was made public through a Freedom of Information Act request.

The New York Times was the first to report the filing to the court.

The documents say that on September 14, 2016, Jolie, Pitt and their six children were traveling from the Chateau Miraval winery to Los Angeles.

“Pete’s aggressive behavior started before the family arrived at the airport, Pete had a confrontation with one of the children. After the flight took off, Jolie approached Pete and asked him what happened,” the statement said. “Pete accused her of being too respectful of children and verbally attacked her.”

It was later said: “He dragged her into the bathroom and started shouting at her. Pete grabbed Jolie by the head and shook her, then grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her again before pushing her against the bathroom wall.”

One of the children, who were between the ages of 8 and 15 at the time, verbally defended Jolie, the countersuit says, and Pitt lashed out.

“Pete lunged at his own child and Jolie grabbed him from behind to stop him. To get Jolie off his back, Pitt threw himself back into the plane seat, injuring Jolie’s back and elbow,” the statement said. “The children rushed and all bravely tried to protect each other. Before it was over, Pete choked one of the kids and punched the other in the face.’

The document says he then poured beer on Jolie and poured beer and red wine on the children.

In the days that followed, Jolie told two FBI investigators about the flight. This appeared in a heavily redacted report later released by the agency.

It featured a photo of a bruise on Jolie’s elbow and a “burn injury” on her hand. In it, she said she saw Pete have two or three drinks, but said he appeared sober and was not drunk.

Investigators met with federal prosecutors and “all parties agreed that criminal charges will not be filed in this case due to several factors,” the report said.

In a statement, the FBI said it had “conducted a review of the circumstances and will not be pursuing any further investigation.”

47-year-old Oscar-winning actress and director Jolie and 58-year-old Oscar-winning Pitt were one of the most famous couples in Hollywood for 12 years.

They were romantic partners for ten years when they married in 2014. Jolie filed for divorce in 2016 and a judge declared them single in 2019, but the divorce case was not finalized due to custody and financial issues that are still unresolved.