Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie reach divorce settlement after eight years

Hollywood stars Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have finally reached a settlement in their divorce case after an eight-year legal battle. According to Variety, the former couple finalised the terms and officially signed the agreement on December 30.
In a statement, Jolie’s lawyer, James Simon, said: “More than eight years ago, Angelina filed for divorce from Mr. Pitt. She and the children left all of the properties they had shared with Mr. Pitt, and since that time, she has focused on finding peace and healing for their family.” He further added, “This is just one part of a long ongoing process that started eight years ago. Frankly, Angelina is exhausted, but she is relieved this one part is over.”

The statement also noted that the 'Mr. & Mrs. Smith' co-stars have requested a 10 to 15-day jury trial and will participate in a settlement conference or mediation session as an alternative means of resolving any remaining disagreements.

As per Variety, the couple made headlines in 2016 following an alleged physical altercation aboard a private plane. Pitt reportedly “choked” one of his children and “struck another in the face.” People magazine first reported the incident, which also claimed that Pitt “grabbed Jolie by the head and shook her.”

An anonymous filing was made against Pitt after the incident, but the subjects of the lawsuit were revealed to be Pitt and Jolie in 2022. In April, Jolie’s lawyer filed a claim alleging that Pitt’s physical abuse “started well before” the 2016 incident. The claim also accused Pitt of preventing Jolie from selling her half of their Chateau Miraval winery unless she signed “a nondisclosure agreement that would have contractually prohibited her from speaking outside of court about Pitt’s physical and emotional abuse of her and their children.”
(With IANS inputs)