Actors Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have reached a divorce settlement, ending one of the longest and most contentious divorces in Hollywood history, though a number of legal matters have yet to be resolved.
On Monday, Jolie and Pitt submitted a default declaration to the Los Angeles Superior Court, confirming a written agreement regarding their marital and property rights. People magazine first reported the settlement.
“More than eight years ago, Angelina filed for divorce from Mr. Pitt,” Jolie’s attorney, James Simon, said in a statement. “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. 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 agreement waives any future claims for spousal financial support, though no additional details were defined. The settlement now awaits a judge’s final approval.
Jolie, 49, and Pitt, 61, were often seen as Hollywood royalty at the time of their 12-year relationship—the couple often referred to as “Brangelina” in the Hollywood press.
The Oscar winners have six children together—three biological and three adopted.
The couple married legally on Aug. 14, 2014, but their marriage lasted only 2 years.
The divorce was initiated by Jolie in 2016 following a private jet flight during which she said Pitt physically abused her and their children. The FBI and child services officials investigated the case, but two months later announced no charges would be pursued, and a child services inquiry concluded without taking action against Pitt.
A heavily redacted FBI report obtained by The Associated Press in 2022 said that an agent provided a probable cause statement to prosecutors on Pitt, but that after discussion, “it was agreed by all parties that criminal charges would not be pursued.”
The document said Jolie was “personally conflicted” about supporting charges, and in a later court filing she said she opted not to push for them for the sake of the family.
Although Jolie and Pitt were declared divorced in 2019, disputes over assets and child custody ensued, leading to a prolonged legal battle.
Initially, a private judge that the two had hired to handle the case reached a decision that included equal custody of their children, but Jolie filed to have him removed from the case over an unreported conflict of interest, nullifying this ruling. The couple had to start the process over.
Since then, four of their six children have reached adulthood, leaving only 16-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne as minors requiring custody arrangements. In May 2024, their daughter, formerly Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt, petitioned to have Pitt’s surname legally removed from hers.
The couple’s reliance on a private judge has kept most details of their divorce confidential. However, elements of their disputes surfaced in Pitt’s lawsuit against Jolie over her sale of her half of the French winery they owned, Chateau Miraval. Pitt had wanted to buy her out, but Jolie instead sold her part to the Tenute del Mondo wine group.
Pitt called the sale a “vindictive” move and alleged the sale violated legal agreements. Jolie and her attorney countered that Pitt had attempted to coerce her into signing a wide-ranging non-disclosure agreement to conceal his alleged abuse. This lawsuit remains ongoing.
Both Jolie and Pitt have been extremely tight-lipped about their divorce battles.
Pitt, who admitted to a drinking problem at the time of the 2016 plane incident, stated in a 2017 GQ interview that he had since become sober and was going to therapy.
The pair’s romance began in 2004 on the set of “Mr. and Mrs. Smith,” while Pitt was still married to “Friends” star Jennifer Aniston. The two divorced the following year.
Pitt and Jolie remained top Hollywood A-listers throughout their relationship. Jolie, known for roles in “Maleficent,” “Tomb Raider,” and “Girl, Interrupted” (for which she won an Oscar), has returned to the spotlight this year with her portrayal of opera legend Maria Callas in “Maria,” earning critical acclaim.
Pitt, the star of “Fight Club,” “Inglourious Basterds,” and “Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood,” won an Oscar for the latter in 2019, continuing to remain in the spotlight as an actor and producer.