Absolument Jolie

Angelina Jolie is accused of sabotaging her six kids' relationship with Brad Pitt - as ex bodyguard claims the actress was overheard telling the children to AVOID spending time with their devoted dad

Details: Published on Friday, 10 May 2024 09:49; Written by Daily mail

Angelina Jolie has been accused of trying to poison her children's relationship with Brad Pitt by telling them to shun the actor during custody visits, DailyMail.com can reveal. The Hollywood actress is accused of trying to drive a wedge between her estranged husband and their six kids in the aftermath of their split, according to court filings lodged at LA Superior Court. In an explosive declaration seen by DailyMail.com, a former bodyguard for the couple was informed by his own contractors that Jolie was pushing for her children to avoid Pitt when she had custody of them.Documents detailing the explosive claims were made public as part of the ongoing 'War of the Roses', with the A-List couple stuck in an acrimonious battle over her rights to sell their French vineyard and home. The Tomb Raider star sold her $62million stake to Russian billionaire Yuri Shefler in 2021, which Pitt argues went against their agreement to offer the other the right of first refusal. Pitt, 60, and Jolie, 48, have been locked in a long-running bitter battle over the Chateau Miraval estate, which produces an award-winning sparkling rosé. Former British SAS solider Tony Webb worked for the family for more than 20 years, starting in 2000, but claims that Jolie fired him after two of his security personnel sided with Pitt after the split. According to documents lodged by Pitt's lawyers today, Webb claims that the two colleagues were told by Jolie's personal assistant that she 'would sue' after it emerged that they might give evidence in the couple's custody battle. Documents submitted to the court, seen by DailyMail.com, state Webb's colleague told him he overheard Jolie 'encouraging the children to avoid spending time with Pitt during custody visits.' His comments make up part of the motion lodged by Pitt, where Jolie is called a 'hypocrite' for claiming he wanted to use an NDA in the sale of their French vineyard to 'control' her – despite regularly gagging her own staff with similar contracts. In his statement, Webb claims that two of his contractors were subpoenaed to give evidence at the estranged couple's custody hearings – exposing conversations between Jolie and the children.
  He claims in the document that he typically took orders from Jolie's personal assistant Michael Vieira and became aware that the relationship between Pitt and Jolie broke down in 2016. According to Webb, the papers read, 'After their divorce SRS Global and I continue to provide security for Ms. Jolie, Mr. Pitt and their children. 'Shortly before two SRS global contractors testified in a court case that I understood was related to Ms Jolie and Mr Pitt's divorce and the custody of their children Mr. Vieira called me on my cell phone. 'He told me that he had heard that two contractors who provided personal security for Ms. Jolie through SRS Global might be testifying in the family court case. 'Mr. Vieira then asked me to stop the two individuals from testifying. I understood that Mr. Vieira was making this request on the behalf of Ms. Jolie,' Webb alleges in his declaration. Webb went on to say in the document that he had 'no power' to stop the two individuals from testifying because they were 'independent contractors' rather than his direct employees.The filings claim that Vieira then warned Webb that both men had 'entered into NDA's' with Jolie, and if they 'testified in the family law case, Jolie would sue them.' Webb added: 'I communicated this message to the two individuals over the phone and they both told me they planned to testify. 'One of the two individuals, Ross Foster, specified that he intended to testify regardless of the NDA if he received a court subpoena. 'When Mr. Foster told me this he told me also that if asked he would testify about statements he overheard that Ms. Jolie making to the children, encouraging them to avoid spending time with Mr. Pitt during custody visits'.Webb, from England, retired from military service to set up SRS Global Security Ltd before working for Pitt and Jolie. He spent more than a decade with the famous SAS service, and the Falklands veteran now works for Pitt following the pair's acrimonious split. His statement added that the work began with Jolie as 'individual assignments on movie sets', before running her security for the family in 2012 when they left the US.
  His declaration accuses Jolie of repeating her threat to sue the bodyguards in a follow up email, with Pitt’s lawyers using the claims as part of their motion to force the actress to reveal her use of NDA’s. NDAs are not typically used to gag witnesses coming forward to testify in court proceedings, though despite the threats Webb told the hearing that both his colleagues testified under subpoena. This led to Jolie terminating SRS in June 2021, with Webb writing to Jolie to thank her for the work, adding: 'I also wrote that I was sad that we had become distant over the past few years and that I knew she blamed me for what my independent contractors had done. 'But that because they were self-employed, I could not control what they did or said as they were not employed directly by SRS Global'. 'Ms Jolie responded take good care as ever, Angie,' according to Webb's declaration. Pitt's team argues that Jolie is 'using NDA's in an 'improper manner'. In a separate previous legal filing, Pitt's attorney John Berlinski argued that Webb's evidence shows that Jolie has 'weaponized' NDAs in a bid to keep the couple's 'family issues' under wraps. He added: 'The very thing that Jolie claims was so sacred to her that Pitt's proposed NDA caused her to renege on her deal to sell to him. 'Jolie’s use of NDAs to silence her security detail and attempt to prevent them from testifying truthfully in court about what actually happened behind closed doors bears a striking resemblance to Jolie’s (false) allegations in this case that Pitt improperly used an NDA to “silence” her. 'The only reason this motion is even before the Court is because of Jolie’s ploy to turn this business dispute into a sideshow about family court matters. 'In short, establishing that NDAs are a commonplace feature of Jolie’s personal and professional life, and entirely routine for her, goes directly to the credibility of her defense— regardless of the precise terms or subject matter of any one particular NDA.'He went on to accuse Jolie of using the NDA proposal to 'introduce into this case the unfortunate circumstances related to the dissolution of the couple’s marriage, claiming that the proposal engendered an “emotionally devastating” reaction in her.'
  Berlinski added that her timeline 'does not work', claiming that the confidentiality agreement suggested by Pitt was provided after she 'opened negotiations' with the Russian billionaire. The bodyguards' explosive claims are the latest chapter in the court battle, as Pitt is asking LA Superior court to unwind Jolie's October 2021 sale of her stake over claims she breached and agreement the pair had to offer the other first refusal on a sale if either wanted out. Jolie claims she backed out of selling to Pitt because he asked her to sign an NDA as part of the deal, which she found 'unconscionable'. But Pitts lawyers insist this is a smokescreen to rationalize her betrayal of the Oscar winner, with her proposing her ex-husband sign an NDA just six months later as part of her divorce talks. Part of their motion asks for Jolie to disclose any other NDA's that she entered with third parties – including her own personal staff.They argue that it could 'undermine her defense' and that disclosure of her NDAs will ultimately discredit Jolie's arguments over why she abandoned the talks with her estranged husband. Webb added in his statement that Vieira 'often asked' his company to 'provide hotel staff with NDA's and get signatures from them' on behalf of Jolie. Legal documents obtained by DailyMail.com in April revealed Pitt had branded Jolie a hypocrite for claiming he wanted to use the NDA to 'control' her. The arguments come after Pitt has landed several legal victories in the battle for the winery including a key judgement in Luxembourg which handed him back control of the award-winning vineyard pending further hearings. In March LA Superior court rejected the allegations that his suit was 'frivolous, malicious, and part of a problematic pattern.' A hearing on Pitt's NDA motion is to be decided during a hearing on May 16, while full trial over the issues is not expected this year.

source : Daily mail

Angelina Jolie turns up heat in war with Brad Pitt over $500M winery Miraval as lawyers call his requests for NDAs 'unreasonable' and 'abusive'... after accusing him of trying to 'bleed her dry' in their ongoing bitter legal battle

Details: Published on Saturday, 27 April 2024 11:15; Written by Daily mail

         Angelina Jolie has turned up the heat on Brad Pitt as their war over $500M winery Chateau Miraval gets even uglier as her lawyers have called his request for NDAs 'abusive' just days after she had accused him of trying to 'bleed her dry' in their ongoing bitter legal battle. Pitt, 60, had recently filed a motion asking to see 48-year-old Jolie's NDAs with any third parties and now her lawyers have called the move 'expensive,' 'wasteful,' 'unreasonable,' and 'abusive' according to court documents obtained by Page Six on Friday. The publication reports that Jolie had argued in court documents that her ex had asked her to sign an expansive NDA in their 'scuttled' deal for the winery because he was trying to silence her from talking about allegations that he was abusive to she and her children including on a flight from France to California in 2016.Earlier this month Jolie's claims via her lawyers had been reported: 'While Pitt’s history of physical abuse of Jolie started well before the family’s September 2016 plane trip from France to Los Angeles, this flight marked the first time he turned his physical abuse on the children as well.' Now, according to Page Six, the actress is claiming in new court documents that turning over the other NDAs that she had signed would be an invasion of privacy to other parties - which the publication notes are presumably movie studios, brands and employees - as it reveals 'contracts that include Jolie’s compensation or compensation she paid to third parties.' Jolie's side has also claimed Pitt wanted her to sign an unfairly 'onerous' and 'expansive' NDA, 'covering Pitt’s personal misconduct, whether related to Miraval or not,' in exchange for her to sell her stake to him. Their deal had ultimately fell through as Jolie claims that it was due to the NDA and the actress proceeded to sell her shares to a Stoli Group subsidiary. Pitt has responded by opposing the Stoli deal while alleging that she had unfairly sold the stake out from under him. Earlier this month it was DailyMail.com exclusively reported that the ongoing legal battle - dubbed 'the war of the rosés' - saw Jolie accusing 'controlling' ex Pitt of 'financially draining her,' through the protracted legal battle over the winery that's dogged the couple since their split in 2016.
        But while she seeks to claim her ex is 'bleeding her dry,' DailyMail.com can reveal that since their ten-year relationship ended in divorce after a two-year marriage, her fortunes have soared.Far from causing her funds to dwindle, a DailyMail.com investigation reveals that Jolie’s relationship with Pitt has helped enrich her by close to $100million.That money has come through loans, child support, gifts and the millions she garnered from the sale of her 50 percent share in the property at the heart of the dispute - Chateau Miraval – ten percent of which was a gift from Pitt.The couple’s former French home, a stunning 1,200 acre estate and vineyard was worth $60million when they bought it in 2008. Now, thanks to Pitt’s effort and investment in the business, it’s worth a staggering $164million.And, while Jolie, 48, appears to be crying poverty in her latest court filings, sources close to Pitt point out that the Tomb raider star had sufficient funds to sign a recent deal to take over 57 Great Jones Street, a unique Manhattan space once owned by Andy Warhol and previously rented for $60,000 a month.Jolie has signed an eight-year lease for the 6,600 square-foot property to use as a store to promote her fashion label, Atelier Jolie. In newly filed court documents obtained by DailyMail.com, the actress claims: 'It is extremely painful for Jolie to have to defend herself from Pitt's lawsuit – itself another example of Pitt's unrelenting efforts to control and financially drain her – especially because Pitt's false allegations as to the reasons the Miraval deal cratered can only proven by doing exactly what Jolie never wanted to do: Provide to the trier of fact the reason the Miraval deal failed, which was Pitt's demand for an NDA to cover up his history of physical and emotional abuse of Jolie and their family.' Says one source familiar with the situation: 'Angie says Brad is bleeding her dry – but it looks like she wants to bleed him dry.'Far from being out to ruin his ex, it looks like Brad has bent over backwards to support Angie and help her out financially in spite of her appearing to be so vindictive,' the source added.
        Pitt had originally sought to buy Jolie out himself, to keep the winery 'in the family' should she want to opt out. But the deal collapsed amid acrimony.Pitt accused Jolie of breaching their purchase agreement when she sold her 50 percent stake in Chateau Miraval to Russian oligarch, Yuri Shefler, in 2021, without her ex-husband's consent. According to Jolie the earlier offer to sell it to Pitt for $54million imploded due to his demands.But friends of the Oscar-winning star of Upon a Time in Hollywood have stepped up to defend Pitt as a man who has been nothing but generous in his dealings with the actress. By 2018, Pitt had spent more than $1.3million on child support, including therapy for the children, as well as paying hundreds of thousands in sundry bills. According to sources Pitt has been consistent in his payment of these expenses for the past seven years during which time he is believed to have he has stumped up close to $10million in child support.When the then couple bought Miraval in 2008, Pitt took a 60 percent stake in the winemaking enterprise and estate while Jolie took 40 percent.Pitt poured millions into the estate, riding the rosé wave, and expanding the business in an effort that saw sales grow 300 percent.Soon the estate that they purchased for an estimated $60million was worth closer to $164million.By the time of their wedding Jolie had 'stopped investing' according to previously filed court records – something that she has denied. Still, Pitt transferred 10 percent of his share to her by way of a wedding gift in December 2013 'for the sum of 1Euro [never paid]' so that by the time of their marriage in August 2014, they were 50/50 equal partners.As well as this generous gift, Pitt gave his wife a rare Winston Churchill painting, 'Tower of Koutoubia Mosque' which she sold in March 2021 for $11.5million.He loaned her $8million to purchase her current Los Angeles home in 2018. Jolie bought the grand compound in Los Feliz, once home to Cecil B. DeMille for $24.5million and has since claimed that the $8million from Pitt was in the form of a loan which came with interest and a repayment plan.Ironically, she told Vogue that she chose the property because she wanted the children to be closer to their father who lives just five minutes away.Meanwhile, as the war over the sale of the winery plods on, Pitt has landed several legal victories in recent months including a key judgement in Luxembourg which handed him back control of Chateau Miraval's award-winning vineyard pending further hearings.Just last month he scored another win when LA Superior Court rejected Jolie's allegations that his suit was, 'frivolous, malicious, and part of a problematic pattern.'

source : Daily mail

Inside Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's BITTER divorce: As pair's split takes yet ANOTHER twisted turn, FEMAIL lays bare how their 'fairytale' marriage turned into a nightmare

Details: Published on Tuesday, 09 April 2024 10:45; Written by Daily mail

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's marriage was one of the most talked about unions in Hollywood while they were riding high as one of the industry's most high-profile couples. But their split has arguably become an even bigger discussion point with their legal battle being drawn out over years after an alleged argument on a plane that ended their relationship. Just last week DailyMail.com reported that the 48-year-old actress and mother-of-six accused her 60-year-old estranged spouse of being physically and emotionally abusive before the private jet incident in 2016.'Pitt's history of physical abuse of Jolie started well before the family's plane trip from France to Los Angeles… this flight marked the first time he turned his physical abuse on the children as well,' her attorneys claim in newly released court papers. The court papers claimed that Jolie had evidence of 'Pitt's history of physical abuse of the family and control abuse of Jolie' and alleged the children continued to experience 'significant and ongoing post-traumatic stress.' Pitt has denied all allegations of physical abuse and was not charged following an FBI probe into the incident on the flight. The once golden couple, who met on the set of 2005's Mr. & Mrs. Smith while he was still married to Jennifer Aniston, adopted one son, Pax, and welcomed daughter Shiloh and twins Knox and Vivienne during their tumultuous relationship. As their bitter legal battle continues, FEMAIL has delved into how Pitt and Jolie's relationship came together and fell apart - from the controversial beginning of their romance to their eventual split that has led to reports of a family feud and allegations of abuse.Pitt and Jolie's relationship had a controversial start after the pair met on the set of their action-romance movie Mr. & Mrs. Smith, while he was still married to Aniston in 2003. hough the couple denied their romance had blossomed then, the alleged love triangle narrative would hang over their union for years to come. Jolie herself told Vogue in 2006 that they didn't realize until the end of shooting that their friendship might have been something more and neither was looking for a relationship at the time. She said the pair 'remained very, very good friends' when they finished work on the film.'I think we were both the last two people who were looking for a relationship. I certainly wasn't. I was quite content to be a single mom,' Jolie told the fashion bible. 'Because of the film we ended up being brought together to do all these crazy things, and I think we found this strange friendship and partnership that kind of just suddenly happened.'
  She added: 'And then life developed in a way where we could be together, where it felt like something we would do, we should do.' In an interview with the New York Times in 2008, she described Mr. & Mrs. Smith as 'the movie where their parents fell in love' when asked if her kids had seen it. During shooting, sources on the film said that Jolie would show up at Pitt's trailer and tell him: 'Maddox would like to say "Hi."' Pitt was enchanted – by the boy and his mother. Eventually the actor and his then wife, Aniston, separated in January 2005 before their divorce was finalized later in October. At the time, the former couple shut down accusations that they were going their separate ways due to infidelity through a joint statement that read, 'Our separation is not the result of any of the speculation reported by the tabloid media.' During his relationship with Jolie, he also formally adopted her son, Maddox, in 2006.The first thing to note is that there was nothing conventional about the experiment in family living conducted by Pitt and Jolie. For instance, in an interview with W Magazine, the actress revealed she taken her then seven-year-old son, Maddox, blade shopping. Jolie shared that her own mother had taken her to 'buy her first daggers when she was 11 or 12,' adding that she had 'already bought Maddox some' from a 'special shop,' she told the publication as per Today. But she stressed that the knives did not have any sharp edges, adding: 'We also talk about samurais and about the idea of defending someone as good. We talk about everything.' In another interview with Entertainment Weekly, Jolie revealed that a then six-year-old Maddox drew a picture of a machine gun on her Mother's Day card – and Pitt had the image made into a gold trinket to hang on a chain. 'He's (Maddox) all into war and guns. So for Mother's Day he drew a machine-gun, and Brad had it made into a necklace, which is really sweet. It's really cute,' she gushed. According to sources in France, where the family spent holidays at the Chateau Miraval, the children 'always ruled the roost,' DailyMail.com reported.It seems that an 'anything goes' principle applied for the family of three adopted children - Maddox, from Cambodia, Pax from Vietnam, and Zahara an orphan from Ethiopia - plus twins Knox and Violet, and daughter Shiloh.
  At home there were no rules, except that the children weren't encouraged to make any friends outside of the family circle. For a time, Maddox liked to speak French, even though the rest of the family, with the exception of his mother and brother Pax, struggled with the language. Shiloh, for some time, only answered to the name of John and dressed in boy's clothes, including neckties and fedora hats. The habit arose because of her passion for the Peter Pan movie. One former nanny, who quit in despair, reportedly said that the children insisted on breakfasting on items like pizza or chocolate, and enjoyed a diet of junk food, particularly Cheetos. A source told DailyMail.com that the nannies varied in number between six and nine, with each having one child as their key responsibility. They were, the insider claimed, rotated every six months to prevent the attachment becoming too settled. When Shiloh was three and Zahara five, both would carry blankies, even on a trip to the grocery store, with photographers capturing the youngsters with their comforters on several occasions.Jolie started her family in 2002. Having filmed Tomb Raider in Cambodia, she decided that she wanted to adopt an orphaned Cambodian baby – even though her second marriage to actor Billy Bob Thornton had recently ended. She later said: 'Our marriage was falling apart before I adopted and by the time Maddox came home, Billy and I were apart.' As the scandal over Pitt's marriage breakup with Aniston raged, she was spotted playing with Maddox in Central Park, looking the picture of loving motherhood. Meanwhile Jolie's own father Jon Voight was not convinced by her reinvention as the ultimate mother. When she adopted Maddox he begged her to seek help for the 'serious symptoms of real problems' he thought she showed. Voight added, bluntly: 'She has never been normal.' Born on June 4, 1975, she is the daughter of actor Voight and French-Canadian actress Marcheline Bertrand. Her parents separated in 1976, and she and her brother, James, were then raised by their mother.Apparently, she took her parents' breakup hard, and the relationship with her father has since been difficult. She struggled to get over the fact that he was not faithful to her mother, and she spent years watching him from afar, wishing that they had more of a relationship. 'My mom was in a lot of pain. My father had an affair, and then there were a lot of challenges with child support and alimony,' she told the Guardian in 2021. 'I didn't feel that close to my father,' she also shared in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter in 2017. 'I felt more of my mother's daughter when I was a child.'
  As a teenager, she was sexually precocious, moving her 16-year-old boyfriend into the family home when she was 14. By her own account, she even tried drugs. Writer Ian Halperin said in his recent book about Brangelina that she was sent to see the school therapist and claimed that a report written about her by the medical professional, and seen by him, said that she was 'inclined towards anti-social psychopathy' – a serious and startling claim.Psychopathy is characterized by a lack of empathy, coupled with a use of charisma, manipulation, sex, violence, and intimidation. She previously self-harmed, once telling an interviewer: 'I collected knives and always had certain things around. 'For some reason, the ritual of having cut myself and feeling the pain, maybe feeling alive, feeling some kind of release, it was somehow therapeutic to me.' By the time she was a mother, her own mother was engaged in a long and devastating battle with breast cancer. She died in 2007, aged 56, after being diagnosed in 1999. Perhaps she felt that the experience would act as a bulwark against the coming grief; however, Jolie was conflicted about having a baby of her own, and opted to adopt. 'Having a child of my own would make me feel that there was a child out there who did not have a home because I had chosen to have a baby,' she told an interviewer in 2005.Both of them worked periodically, and the whole family spent years crisscrossing the globe. They settled at one time in New Orleans, and in France, and called a myriad of hotels a temporary home. Jolie at one time would rent a suite at a Los Angeles hotel, even though she and Pitt had property in Hollywood. Reports published in a number of US magazines at the time claimed that the actress used to ask for the suite that she had booked for her mother when she was ill, and would go up to her room and spend time alone and weep. Pitt struggled with managing the relationship and the spotlight; he would drink heavily and said more than once that he would wake up still drunk from the previous night. His friend, director Quentin Tarantino, alluded to his pot-smoking habit, which Jolie disapproved of. One hotel employee, Anna Kowalski, alleged that Jolie and Pitt habitually slept in separate rooms from as early as 2010, years before their split, and had little to do with each other, with Jolie sitting alone drinking wine in the bedroom of the suite, and Pitt sitting in another room with a beer.
  As the kids grew older, she found a passion for charitable missions, and would bring them along. Zahara and Shiloh were taken to Ethiopia to scout locations for a medical center, while Maddox went to Iraq as a birthday treat.As the marriage entered its final year, Jolie's brother James moved in with her and Pitt, having been hired as the chief nanny to their brood. He was her great support - who can forget their unsettling kiss on the Oscars red carpet in 2000 – and according to a DailyMail.com source, having James around stoked the tensions which ended the marriage. That insider claimed that relations were so sour between the two men of the house that Pitt used to make James fly economy when the rest of the family were in first class. And some magazines suggested that the younger children had fallen into the habit of calling James 'Dad' by the summer of 2016. Soon after the split, though, the arrangement was terminated – the reason being that he was simply worn out by the 'shattering' job. Since the breakup, there has been endless court-appointed therapy for the children, who shuttle between their warring parents in their respective LA homes via chauffeur cars, accompanied by security.Last week, DailyMail.com revealed Pitt's alleged last words in their marriage were in new legal court papers. As he stood on the steps of the private jet that brought him, Jolie and their six children from their home in France to Los Angeles in September 2016, it was claimed he uttered: 'F*** you. F*** you all.' For good measure, according to Jolie, he called her a 'bitch' and 'shook her' by the head and shoulders. What started out as an altercation apparently between him and one of the children turned — she says — into a physical fight during which he poured beer and wine over his family and injured his wife by throwing himself backwards into a row of seats while she was clinging to his back. However, in a new legal move, the actress claimed that Pitt was physically and emotionally abusive to her before that point.'Pitt's history of physical abuse of Jolie started well before the family's plane trip from France to Los Angeles… this flight marked the first time he turned his physical abuse on the children as well,' her attorneys claim in newly released court papers. The court papers claim that the actress had evidence of 'Pitt's history of physical abuse of the family and control abuse of Jolie,' and claimed the children continued to experience 'significant and ongoing post-traumatic stress.' Attorneys for Jolie refer to a 'history of abuse, control and cover-ups' and claim she had 'testimony, emails, photographs, and other evidence' which, they said, would show how Pitt tried to conceal his behavior if they came to trial. The actor's denials of physical abuse was described in the court documents as 'gaslighting.' Additionally, it claimed he exerted 'coercive' financial control over her via their dispute over the Miraval wine-making business as their divorce drags on over the past seven years. Separate legal documents seen by DailyMail.com show that the actress claimed she walked out of talks to sell her part of the vineyard to Pitt for $54 million because of standard non-disparagement clause in his proposed contract for the sale.
  She claimed that it was an 'unconscionable' attempt by her ex-partner to 'control her' after their split. Pitt's lawyers told LA Superior Court on Friday that Jolie's NDA objection was really just a cover story which she cooked-up to 'rationalize' her betrayal of Pitt, as first reported by TMZ. The Fight Club star's attorneys also claim that she asked for Pitt to sign a broader NDA just six months later as part of their divorce settlement talks. Part of their motion asks for Jolie to disclose any other NDAs that she entered into with third parties - including her own personal staff. Pitt's lawyers argued that disclosure of her NDAs would ultimately discredit Jolie's arguments over why she abandoned the talks with her estranged husband.Court documents state: 'If Jolie conditioned her continued employment of an individual on that individual's agreement to an NDA covering what they witnessed in her home—including her treatment of her children and Pitt—that would be highly probative of whether she truly believed the provision requested by Pitt was an "unconscionable gag order." 'The same is true with respect to any NDA between Jolie and any third party with whom she is in a relationship or who has assisted with the care of the couple's children. 'To the extent that Jolie requested this third party's silence about her family or home life, particularly in a circumstance where there was no business justification, it would speak volumes about whether Jolie actually viewed Pitt's requested NDA, which was linked to the Miraval business, as the deal-ender she subsequently alleged it to be.' Previously in March this year, DailyMail.com reported that the couple were finally approaching the finish line in their epic legal war, with an end expected by the summer after the actor reportedly dropped his pursuit seeking shared custody. While Pitt had originally sought a 50/50 arrangement relating to their six kids, an insider revealed that he was no longer contesting the matter. That means that Jolie would retain primary physical custody of the children and he would have visitation rights. One factor in that decision was that much of their brood had 'aged out' - only Shiloh, 17, Knox, and Vivienne, both 15, are still under 18 - and Shiloh will pass that milestone in May. The older children - Maddox 22, Pax, 20, and Zahara, 19 - are thought to have difficult relationships with Brad, as DailyMail.com has previously reported, and as adults, in the eyes of the law, are now not covered by any custody agreements. Adopted son Pax allegedly hasn't spoken to the Fight Club alum since the now-infamous private plane fight which ended the marriage, and is said to not even regard Brad as a parent anymore. Back in 2020, on his private Instagram account, he called Brad a 'world class a**hole' and 'despicable person' who made his four youngest children 'tremble in fear,' as previously revealed by DailyMail.com. He added in the scathing post, shared on Father's Day: 'You time and time and again prove yourself to be a terrible and despicable person.'You have no consideration or empathy toward your four youngest children who tremble in fear when in your presence. 'You will never understand the damage you have done to my family because you're incapable of doing so.' In addition, Zahara now goes by 'Zahara Jolie' rather than 'Zahara Jolie Pitt,' which is her legal name

source : Daily mail

Angelina Jolie accuses Brad Pitt of being 'physically abusive' towards her BEFORE that infamous 2016 row on plane in latest bombshell lawsuit

Details: Published on Friday, 05 April 2024 05:46; Written by Daily mail

         Angelina Jolie's legal team says Brad Pitt was physically abusive to her before their 2016 row a on plane, in newly-filed legal documents linked to the former pair's battle over their French winery.Attorneys on Thursday for Jolie, 48, filed papers in a motion in Los Angeles County Superior Court, saying that Pitt, 60, had a history of being physically aggressive with Jolie before the well-documented September 14, 2016 row during a flight from Nice, France, to Los Angeles.Pitt has denied all of the allegations of physical abuse, and was not charged amid an FBI probe into the incident; Dailymail.com has reached out to Pitt's reps for comment on the story. 'While Pitt’s history of physical abuse of Jolie started well before the family’s September 2016 plane trip from France to Los Angeles, this flight marked the first time he turned his physical abuse on the children as well,' Jolie's legal team said in court docs about the ongoing legal proceedings. A source close to the Maleficent actress said that Pitt declined to enter into counseling for domestic violence, and disregarded severe family problems by seeking partial custody of their six children: Maddox, 22, Pax, 20, Zahara, 19, Shiloh, 17, and twins Vivienne and Knox, 15.'Pitt never came to this understanding and not only sought 50-50 custodial time - including with children with whom he had not had a stable relationship in years - but also sought sole custody if the children did not sufficiently bond with him,' Jolie's lawyers told the court in legal docs. Jolie's legal team said in their court filing Thursday that 'despite this distressing request, Jolie still did not seek sole custody' of the children, as 'instead she advocated that the children’s wishes and needs be prioritized, based in part on what the children felt they could do, and for a custody plan formulated in the children’s best interest to heal.'
        Jolie's attorneys said in the court motion that the Academy Award-winning actor was required by to address his abusive conduct amid their efforts to procure more information from Department of Children and Family Services in regards to a safety plan and drug and alcohol testing in the wake of the flight; as well as the actor's communications with the FBI, U.S. Attorney’s Office, DCFS, and the Los Angeles Police Department regarding the flight.Jolie's lawyer Paul Murphy told Dailymail.com in a statement that the information released in Thursday's filing is revealing of why the Fight Club actor wanted Jolie to sign a non-disclosure agreement amid the parting.'Mr. Pitt refused to purchase Ms. Jolie’s interest when she would not be silenced by his NDA,' Murphy said. 'By refusing to buy her interest but then suing her, Mr. Pitt put directly at issue why that NDA was so important to him and what he hoped it would bury: his abuse of Ms. Jolie and their family. After eight months of delays, this motion asks the Court to force Mr. Pitt to finally produce that evidence.' An insider close to the situation told Dailymail.com that the Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood actor has caused himself problems with his long-running litigation over the French winery.'Pitt is drawing all of this out of Angelina,' the insider said. 'She does not want to be here, she does not want to be raising any of these facts, and she is doing it only because Pitt’s lawsuit against her is forcing her to defend herself.'The insider described the situation as 'incredibly sad,' adding that Jolie 'just wishes' Pitt 'could move on and let her be.' By prolonging the legal battle over the winery - which the former couple purchased in 2008 for $28.4 million - Pitt has left himself more exposed to further problematic allegations that could circulate through the court system, and subsequently, to the public, the insider said.
        A source close to Pitt said that the latest accusations raised by Jolie and her legal team mark what has been a recognizable pattern of obfuscation, in terms of how the Lara Croft: Tomb Raider has reacted to adverse developments amid the court case involving the winery.'This is a pattern of behavior - whenever there is a decision that goes against the other side they consistently choose to introduce misleading, inaccurate and/or irrelevant information as a distraction,' a friend of Pitt familiar with the litigation over the years told Daily Mail.com on Thursday. 'There was a lengthy custody trial that involved the entire history of their relationship and a judge who heard all the evidence still granted him 50/50 custody.'Pitt and his team have sought to bury details related to the flight and other matters raised in the legal docs, Jolie's legal team told the court.The children were not allowed to testify even though they wanted to, and should have been permitted to do so by law, Jolie's attorneys said.'Some of their children over 14 years old sought to testify on their preferences on child custody, which they have the right to do per Family Code section 3042, but Pitt objected to allowing their input,' Jolie's legal team said in court docs.Jolie's attorneys added that 'despite the legal relevance and obvious importance of Pitt’s physical abuse of his own children and the children’s preferences on custody,' then-Judge John Ouderkirk 'sided with Pitt and refused to allow any children to give their testimony, even in a closed hearing and despite their wish to speak.' Jolie's legal team has been seeking records of the actor's communications with third parties, in regards into Pitt’s abusive behavior both before and aboard the flight, Jolie's attorneys said in court docs.Jolie's attorneys told the court that that records disclosing Pitt's third party communications would qualify as highly relevant evidence in terms of illustrating his behavior toward his family, and the measures he took to convince those agencies not to bring charges against him.
        Jolie's legal team said in the court filing that the A-list actress said in a May 30, 2021 text message that she has sought to sell her share of the winery to Pitt, 'but he’s really not being fair and also [including] a lot of punishing restrictions.' Jolie's legal team said in the court filing that Pitt and his team asked for a new expanded NDA in a June 2, 2021 proposal.Pitt's team now demanded 'an even more onerous NDA,' Jolie's lawyers said in the court filing, in which he asked for a four-year period of both parties refraining from speaking about the other; or make comments or take actions that could impact that could impact the winery, its product or its shareholders.In a legal complaint filed in June 21, 2023 in Los Angeles Superior Court, attorneys for Pitt said the actor and Jolie 'were on the cusp of striking a deal on a buyout' of the winery, until Jolie withdrew amid concerns about the NDA terms laid out.Jolie's legal team told Pitt's lawyers that the actress was 'stepping back from all aspects of negotiations regarding the sale of her stake in Miraval' due to the 'restrictive language' requested in the mutual non-disparagement clause, attorneys for Pitt said in the complaint.Jolie claimed the clause was "designed to limit [her] freedom to speak," Pitt's legal team said in the court filing. Pitt's legal team said in the 2023 filing that Jolie's withdrawal in 2021 'was clearly pretextual,' as Jolie, 'through divorce counsel, proposed an even broader non-disparagement clause' within a year's time 'in connection with the former couple’s divorce proceedings.'Jolie requested that other 'than in court pleadings or testimony, neither party shall directly or through a party’s representatives make in a public forum any derogatory remark about the other party,' Pitt's lawyers said in the 2023 filing.Pitt's legal team said in the 2023 court filing that the actor's NDA requests were 'narrower' and 'intended to protect the business.'Pitt's lawyers said in the 2023 court filing that the terms he laid forth 'made clear that there would be no limitation on Jolie’s ability to speak in connection with Pitt and Jolie’s divorce or custody proceedings.'It specifically provided: This commitment shall however not limit the ability, for any Party, to make any claims, filings or testimony in any legal proceedings.'

source : Daily mail

Angelina Jolie is accusing Brad Pitt of trying to 'bleed her dry' in their ongoing bitter legal battle - despite him helping enrich his vengeful ex by close to $100million

Details: Published on Wednesday, 17 April 2024 15:19; Written by Daily mail

It's a breakup that's lasted almost as long as the relationship that preceded it. Dubbed 'the war of the rosés,' Angelina Jolie has now accused 'controlling' ex Brad Pitt, 60, of 'financially draining her,' through the protracted legal battle over the winery that's dogged the couple since their split in 2016. But while she seeks to claim her ex is 'bleeding her dry,' DailyMail.com can reveal that since their ten-year relationship ended in divorce after a two-year marriage, her fortunes have soared.Far from causing her funds to dwindle, a DailyMail.com's investigation reveals that Jolie’s relationship with Pitt has helped enrich her by close to $100million.That money has come through loans, child support, gifts and the millions she garnered from the sale of her 50 percent share in the property at the heart of the dispute - Chateau Miraval – ten percent of which was a gift from Pitt.The couple’s former French home, a stunning 1,200 acre estate and vineyard was worth $60million when they bought it in 2008. Now, thanks to Pitt’s effort and investment in the business, it’s worth a staggering $164million. And, while Jolie, 48, appears to be crying poverty in her latest court filings, sources close to Pitt point out that the Tomb raider star had sufficient funds to sign a recent deal to take over 57 Great Jones Street, a unique Manhattan space once owned by Andy Warhol and previously rented for $60,000 a month.The details of Jolie's ownership are not known but she has opened the 6, 600 square feet property as a store to promote her fashion label, Atelier Jolie. In newly filed court documents obtained by DailyMail.com, the actress claims: 'It is extremely painful for Jolie to have to defend herself from Pitt's lawsuit – itself another example of Pitt's unrelenting efforts to control and financially drain her – especially because Pitt's false allegations as to the reasons the Miraval deal cratered can only proven by doing exactly what Jolie never wanted to do: Provide to the trier of fact the reason the Miraval deal failed, which was Pitt's demand for an NDA to cover up his history of physical and emotional abuse of Jolie and their family.'Says one source familiar with the situation: 'Angie says Brad is bleeding her dry – but it looks like she wants to bleed him dry.'Far from being out to ruin his ex, it looks like Brad has bent over backwards to support Angie and help her out financially in spite of her appearing to be so vindictive,' the source added.
Pitt had originally sought to buy Jolie out himself, to keep the winery 'in the family' should she want to opt out. But the deal collapsed amid acrimony.Pitt accused Jolie of breaching their purchase agreement when she sold her 50 percent stake in Chateau Miraval to Russian oligarch, Yuri Shefler, in 2021, without her ex-husband's consent. According to Jolie the earlier offer to sell it to Pitt for $54million imploded due to his demands.But friends of the Oscar-winning star of Upon a Time in Hollywood have stepped up to defend Pitt as a man who has been nothing but generous in his dealings with the actress.By 2018, Pitt had spent more than $1.3million on child support, including therapy for the children, as well as paying hundreds of thousands in sundry bills.According to sources Pitt has been consistent in his payment of these expenses for the past seven years during which time he is believed to have he has stumped up close to $10million in child support.When the then couple bought Miraval in 2008, Pitt took a 60 percent stake in the winemaking enterprise and estate while Jolie took 40 percent.Pitt poured millions into the estate, riding the rosé wave, and expanding the business in an effort that saw sales grow 300 percent.Soon the estate that they purchased for an estimated $60million was worth closer to $164million.By the time of their wedding Jolie had 'stopped investing' according to previously filed court records – something that she has denied. Still, Pitt transferred 10 percent of his share to her by way of a wedding gift in December 2013 'for the sum of 1Euro [never paid]' so that by the time of their marriage in August 2014, they were 50/50 equal partners.As well as this generous gift, Pitt gave his wife a rare Winston Churchill painting, 'Tower of Koutoubia Mosque' which she sold in March 2021 for $11.5million.He loaned her $8million to purchase her current Los Angeles home in 2018. Jolie bought the grand compound in Los Feliz, once home to Cecil B. DeMille for $24.5million and has since claimed that the $8million from Pitt was in the form of a loan which came with interest and a repayment plan.Ironically, she told Vogue that she chose the property because she wanted the children to be closer to their father who lives just five minutes away.Meanwhile, as the war over the sale of the winery plods on, Pitt has landed several legal victories in recent months including a key judgement in Luxembourg which handed him back control of Chateau Miraval's award-winning vineyard pending further hearings.Just last month he scored another win when LA Superior Court rejected Jolie's allegations that his suit was, 'frivolous, malicious, and part of a problematic pattern.'

source : Daily mail

Brad Pitt accuses 'hypocrite' Angelina Jolie of refusing to sign 'cruel' NDA she claimed 'caused her to nearly shutdown'- as the war of the rosés drags on

Details: Published on Tuesday, 09 April 2024 10:40; Written by Daily mail

Brad Pitt has branded ex-wife Angelina Jolie a hypocrite for claiming he wanted to use an NDA in the sale of their French vineyard to 'control' her – despite regularly gagging her own staff with similar contracts.Pitt, 60, and Jolie, 48, have been locked in a bitter battle over their French vineyard and home after the Tomb Raider star sold her $64million stake to Russian billionaire Yuri Shefler in 2021.The Chateau Miraval estate, which produces an award-winning sparkling rosé, is at the center of a long-running court battle between the pair.Legal documents seen by DailyMail.com show that the actress claimed she walked out of talks to sell her part of the vineyard to Pitt for $54million because of standard non-disparagement clause in his proposed contract for the sale.She claims that it was an 'unconscionable' attempt by her ex-partner to 'control her' after their split.Pitt's lawyers told LA Superior Court on Friday that Jolie's NDA objection was really just a cover story which she cooked-up to 'rationalize' her betrayal of Pitt, as first reported by TMZ. The Fight Club stars attorneys also claim that she asked for Pitt to sign a broader NDA just six months later as part of their divorce settlement talks.Part of their motion asks for Jolie to disclose any other NDA's that she entered into with third parties - including her own personal staff.They argue that it could 'undermine her defense' and is the latest twist in the so-called 'War of the Rosés' between the former Hollywood couple.Pitt's lawyers argue that disclosure of her NDAs will ultimately discredit Jolie's arguments over why she abandoned the talks with her estranged husband.Court documents state: 'If Jolie conditioned her continued employment of an individual on that individual's agreement to an NDA covering what they witnessed in her home—including her treatment of her children and Pitt—that would be highly probative of whether she truly believed the provision requested by Pitt was an 'unconscionable gag order.''The same is true with respect to any NDA between Jolie and any third party with whom she is in a relationship or who has assisted with the care of the couple's children.'To the extent that Jolie requested this third party's silence about her family or home life, particularly in a circumstance where there was no business justification, it would speak volumes about whether Jolie actually viewed Pitt's requested NDA, which was linked to the Miraval business, as the deal-ender she subsequently alleged it to be.' A letter from Jolie's legal team dated April 2021 included her own draft non-disparagement agreement, along with a second from her US divorce lawyers six months after she pulled out of the sale which suggested an even broader NDA as part of their divorce.
Pitt's filing adds: 'The scope, terms, and subject matter covered by the NDAs that Jolie has signed or asked a third party to sign are probative of whether Jolie truly withdrew from the negotiations with Pitt because of the NDA he requested, as she asserts.'By way of example only, if Jolie has required others to sign NDAs that were at least as broad as the one she claims was so 'unconscionable' here, it would severely undermine her claimed excuse for terminating negotiations with Pitt and covertly negotiating with Stoli. Nor is the existence of these documents speculative.'Jolie is accused of 'adamant refusing' to produce other NDAs that she signed or requested others to sign, and insists that they are not relevant.It comes 24 hours after Jolie's team filed new documents which claimed that Pitt was physically abusive to her before their 2016 row on a plane which led to their split.Sources close to Pitt are accusing Jolie of making the filings to create 'a smokescreen' to distract from the issues central to the Chateau Miraval case.A friend told DailyMail.com: 'This case isn't about what took place on a plane in 2016.It's about whether they had an agreement not sell their interests in the winery and family home without the other's consent.'That's what Brad and his team are focused on, and so far the legal momentum has been on their side.'The NDA Jolie was asked to sign is a standard business contract designed to protect the asset being sold - in this case her stake in Chateau Miraval.'It's unclear why she finds this so unconscionable when her own lawyers suggested a mutually binding gagging clause as part of their divorce just a few months later.'The arguments come after Pitt has landed several legal victories in the battle for the winery including a key judgement in Luxembourg which handed him back control of the award-winning vineyard pending further hearings.Last month LA Superior court rejected the allegations that his suit was 'frivolous, malicious, and part of a problematic pattern.'

source : Daily mail

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's years-long bitter divorce battle FINALLY nears the end - as the actor drops his pursuit seeking shared custody of their children

Details: Published on Friday, 29 March 2024 06:21; Written by Daily mail

         Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's years-long bitter divorce battle is finally nearing the end - as the actor has now reportedly dropped his pursuit seeking shared custody of the children he has with his ex.A source told DailyMail.com that the couple, who have been embroiled in a nasty courtroom showdown since they split in 2016, are currently in negotiations and are finally approaching the finish line in their epic legal war, with an end expected by the summer.While Brad, 60, had originally sought a 50/50 arrangement relating to their six kids, an insider has now revealed that he is no longer contesting the matter.One factor in that decision is that much of their brood has 'aged out' - only Shiloh, 17, Knox, and Vivienne, both 15, are still under 18 - and Shiloh will pass that milestone in May.The older children - Maddox 22, Pax, 20, and Zahara, 19 - are thought to have difficult relationships with Brad; and as adults, in the eyes of the law, are now not covered by any custody agreements.Adopted son Pax allegedly hasn't spoken to the Fight Club alum since the now-infamous private plane fight which ended the marriage, and is said to not even regard Brad as a parent anymore.Back in 2020, on his private Instagram account, he called Brad a 'world class a**hole' and 'despicable person' who made his four youngest children 'tremble in fear,' as previously revealed by DailyMail.com.He added in the scathing post, shared on Father's Day: 'You time and time and again prove yourself to be a terrible and despicable person. 'You have no consideration or empathy toward your four youngest children who tremble in fear when in your presence. 'You will never understand the damage you have done to my family because you're incapable of doing so.'
        In addition, Zahara now goes by 'Zahara Jolie' rather than 'Zahara Jolie Pitt,' which is her legal name. A source from Brad's camp described what has gone on between him and the kids as 'textbook parental alienation' and claimed it was Angelina's intention to draw out the divorce until the children were 18. Her friends, though, have insisted: 'Brad has nobody to blame but himself. All Angelina wants is to heal their family and move on.'DailyMail.com has reached out to both Angelina and Brad's representatives.The two stars first started dating in 2005 and from the start, their romance was controversial. They met on set of the movie Mr. and Mrs. Smith - while he was still married to Jennifer Aniston - and almost immediately, rumors erupted that he had cheated on the Friends alum.It was a love triangle that captured the entire nation - and while Brad started dating Angelina almost immediately after he and Jennifer split, he has furiously denied that he was unfaithful to his ex. The couple, dubbed 'Brangelina,' quickly became Hollywood's It couple.They tied the knot in August 2014 during a secret ceremony in the South of France, and welcomed three children together - Shiloh in 2006, and twins Vivienne and Knox in 2008.They also adopted two more, Zahara and Pax, and Brad legally adopted the son that Angelina had adopted before they got together, Maddox. But in 2016, it came to an explosive end after the pair got into an alleged physical altercation while on a private flight with their six kids. Angelina later claimed that Brad 'choked' one of the children during the horrifying dispute and 'struck' another in the face, leaving her and the kids feeling like 'hostages' and cowering in fear under a blanket for hours until they landed.
        She also alleged that he grabbed her by the head, slammed her against a wall, and violently shook her at one point during the flight - which resulted in her injuring her back and elbow.Brad's rep called Angelina's account 'completely untrue' to CNN at first, but then released an amended statement to the publication that read: 'Angelina's story continues to evolve each time she tells it. 'Brad has accepted responsibility for what he did but will not for things he didn't do. He has been on the receiving end of every type of personal attack and misrepresentation.'Thankfully, the various public authorities she has tried to use against him over the past six years have made their own independent decisions. Brad will continue to respond in court as he has consistently done.'In May 2021, after years of duking it out in court, Brad and Angelina were officially granted joint custody of their kids - but one month later, the judge's decision was thrown out, which meant they had to start all over again.But in early February, the first signs that the divorce proceedings were finally nearing the end emerged when the pair filed their Final Declarations of Disclosures. Since they split, the two stars have also been fighting in court over the vineyard that they once owned together. After Angelina sold her share of their French winery, called Chateau Miraval, to Russian oligarch Yuri Shefler in October 2021, Brad sued her for breach of contract, and has since accused Yuri's company of 'attempting a hostile takeover of the wine business.'Angelina's investment company Nouvel then filed a $350 million lawsuit against Brad, claiming that he 'wasted the company's assets' and 'spent millions' of dollars on 'vanity projects' like swimming pool renovations and building a recording studio on the property. During a hearing earlier this month, the judge ruled in favor of the Oscar-winning actress 'and dismissed five of the seven claims Brad had asserted against her.'She 'truly harbors no ill-will toward' her ex, her lawyer said afterwards, adding that he 'hopes he will now release her from his frivolous lawsuit, stop his relentless attacks, and join her in helping their family heal in private.'

source : Daily mail