Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt used to be one of the most popular celebrity couples throughout their relationship. However, things took a turn for the worse in September 2016 when the 12-year relationship ended.

Even after years of separation, the ex-couple keeps making headlines now and then. Much like their relationship and subsequent marriage and divorce, their legal battle regarding a winery that they formerly owned together has also been covered by worldwide media.

In a new legal filing obtained recently, some shocking claims have been made about Pitt.

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt Dated for Twelve Years

 
A still from Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005)
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt met for the first time while working on the 2005 movie Mr. & Mrs. Smith. Pitt was married to Friends star Jennifer Aniston at the time but filed for divorce in October 2005. This led to Jolie being accused of causing the divorce.

She put the allegations to rest (via The New York Times) and began dating Pitt shortly after his divorce.

The onscreen chemistry in Mr. and Mrs. Smith had clearly translated off-screen as Pitt and Jolie dated for several years before finally getting married in 2014.

The couple shared six kids, Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, Knox, and Vivienne. Currently, both parents have joint custody of the children.

Angelina Jolie’s Lawyers Claim the Airplane Incident Was Not the First Time Brad Pitt Abused Her

In February 2022, the Interview with the Vampire star sued Jolie for selling her share of their co-owned winery Chateau Miraval without his approval. The Maleficent star countersued her ex-partner stating that she had tried to sell it to Pitt, but his team wanted her to sign an NDA that would prevent her from speaking publicly about the 2016 airplane incident in which Pitt allegedly abused his then-wife and children (via The New York Times).

In an FBI report provided to CNN, the actress alleged that on the flight back to California after a two-week-long vacation, Pitt asked her to accompany him to the back of the plane after a heated interaction with one of their children.

In a restroom where the children could not see them, the actor allegedly physically abused the Unbroken actress. She also alleged that watching him run after one of the kids made her worried that he would attack them so she tried to stop him and ended up getting more hurt.

Recently, PEOPLE obtained a new filing. In this filing, the actress’ lawyers have claimed that Pitt has been abusive more than once. The filing reads:

“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 then immediately left him.”

The actor or his representatives have made no comments on these claims. However, a friend of Pitt who is familiar with the legal battle has addressed this filing in a statement to PEOPLE and alleged that it is a “distraction” introduced by Jolie’s legal team to mislead the case.

Angelina Jolie’s Lawyers Claim the Winery Lawsuit Could Have Been Avoided

Angelina Jolie as Fox in Wanted (2008)
While both Jolie and Pitt do not seem to mind all the public attention towards their family and legal battles, it is certainly going to have at least a little effect on both of them.

The ex-couple also underwent a long legal battle for the custody of their children.

In the new filing, Jolie’s lawyers also claimed that the winery lawsuit could have been avoided if Pitt had bought her share when she offered (via PEOPLE).

He, however, was allegedly adamant about having an NDA as part of the deal. The lawyers insist that the actor was scared that sealed documents included in their separate, years-long custody battle could be made public without the NDA.