Hollywood star Brad Pitt has responded to shocking allegations of violence against ex-wife Angelina Jolie and some of their children.
In the first public comments since the allegations emerged on Wednesday (Australian time) in a court filing as part of the fallout from the former couple’s marriage, a representative for Pitt described them as “completely untrue.”
Jolie alleges that, on a 2016 flight, Pitt grabbed her by the head and shook her, and then choked one of their children and struck another when they tried to defend her.
The descriptions of abuse on the private flight came in a cross-complaint Jolie filed on Tuesday in the couple’s dispute over a French home and winery they co-owned that is separate from their ongoing divorce, which she sought soon after.
A representative for Pitt, who was not authorised to speak publicly, strongly denied Jolie’s allegations and called them “another rehash that only harms the family”.
In a statement provided to CNN on Tuesday, a Pitt representative said: “[Jolie’s] story continues to evolve each time she tells it with new, unsubstantiated claims. Brad has accepted responsibility for what he did but will not for things he didn’t do. These new allegations are completely untrue.”
The allegations of abuse on the plane first became public shortly after the flight. But reports were initially vague and details were kept sealed in divorce documents and investigations by the FBI and Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services, both of which found that no action against Pitt was necessary.
A judge gave Pitt 50-50 custody of the children after a closed-door trial in which the allegations were aired. But an appeals court subsequently disqualified the private judge for not disclosing possible conflicts of interest after a motion from Jolie, nullifying the decision.
More details of the allegations were revealed earlier this year when a Jolie lawsuit against the FBI over a Freedom of Information Act request was made public.
The New York Times first reported the court filing.
It says that on September 14, 2016, Jolie, Pitt and their six children were travelling from the winery, Chateau Miraval, to Los Angeles.
“Pitt’s aggressive behaviour started even before the family got to the airport, with Pitt having a confrontation with one of the children. After the flight took off, Jolie approached Pitt and asked him what was wrong,” the filing says.
“Pitt accused her of being too deferential to the children and verbally attacked her.”
Later, it says, “He pulled her into the bathroom and began yelling at her. Pitt grabbed Jolie by the head and shook her, and then grabbed her shoulders and shook her again before pushing her into the bathroom wall.”
One of the children, who were aged eight-15 at the time, verbally defended Jolie, the countersuit says, and Pitt lashed out.
“Pitt lunged at his own child and Jolie grabbed him from behind to stop him. To get Jolie off his back, Pitt threw himself backwards into the plane’s seats injuring Jolie’s back and elbow,” the filing says.
“The children rushed in and all bravely tried to protect each other. Before it was over, Pitt choked one of the children and struck another in the face.”
The document says he subsequently poured beer on Jolie and poured beer and red wine on the children.
Jolie’s gave an account of the flight to two FBI investigators in the days that followed. It appeared in a heavily redacted report later released by the agency.
It included a photo of a bruise on Jolie’s elbow and a “rug-burn type injury” on her hand. In it she said that she had seen Pitt have two to three drinks, but said he appeared articulate and not intoxicated.
The investigators met with federal prosecutors, and “It was agreed by all parties that criminal charges in this case would not be pursued due to several factors,” the report says.
An FBI statement said it had reviewed the “circumstances” surrounding the flight.
“In response to allegations made following a flight within the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States which landed in Los Angeles carrying Mr Brad Pitt and his children, the FBI has conducted a review of the circumstances and will not pursue further investigation. No charges have been filed in this matter,” FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller said in a statement to CNN at the time.
“All parties have had this information for nearly six years and was used in previous legal proceedings. There is nothing new here and serves no purpose other than being a media stunt meant to inflict pain,” a source close to Pitt said of the August report.
The 47-year-old Oscar-winning actress and director Jolie and the 58-year-old Oscar-winning actor Pitt were among Hollywood’s most prominent couples for 12 years.
They had been romantic partners for a decade when they married in 2014.
Jolie filed for divorce in 2016, and a judge declared them single in 2019. However, the divorce case has not been finalised with custody and financial issues still in dispute.
-with AAP
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