Brad Pitt has been awarded joint custody with Angelina Jolie, who strongly criticizes the judge's decision.
Brad Pitt has got the joint custody of his and Angelina Jolie’s children after a protracted legal battle. As reports say, the actor finally convinced the court to entrust him the children he shares with his ex-wife too.
The former couple met on the set of Mr and Mrs Smith in 2005. At the time, Brad was married to Jennifer Aniston and had to wait the divorce, before going public with Angelina. Brangelina publicly confirmed their relationship in 2006 and finally married in a French castle in 2014. Two years later, the couple took everybody unawares, announcing the divorce.
Brad and Angelina share six children: Maddox (19), Pax (17), Zahara (16), Shiloh (15) and twins Vivienne and Knox (12). When Angelina filed for divorce in 2016, she claimed she was doing it for “the health of her family”. Ever since, the kids’ custody has become their battleground.
According to Page Six, judge John Ouderkirk put an end to all of this and opted for the joint custody. An insider told: “There was a significant change made in the custody agreements based on an extremely detailed decision made by the judge”.
“Brad was just trying to have more time with his kids. And it has been clear that Angie has done everything possible to prevent this.”
“This trial lasted for several months and there were a ton of witnesses, experts, therapists and other people who have been with the kids and around them, and the decision was based on this.”
Another insider revealed: “Joint custody is not the issue that Angelina objects to, there were other issues of concern, but the court proceedings are closed and sealed.”
As reported by Metro.co.uk: “Brad has always been seeking the opportunity to have more time with his children. He prioritised their well being while the other side did everything to try and stop that. The judge ruled in Brad Pitt’s favour and significantly modified the customary order to significantly increase his time with the kids.”
Angelina Jolie, for her part, heretofore blamed the judge Ouderkirk’s actions for not letting the children speak in the hearings. Angelina has therefore tried to invalidate the judge, declaring to California’s Second District Court of Appeal: “Judge Ouderkirk denied Ms. Jolie a fair trial, improperly excluding her evidence relevant to the children’s health, safety, and welfare, evidence critical to making her cause”
“They have failed to adequately consider a section of the California courts code, which says it is detrimental to the best interest of the child if custody is awarded to a person with a history of domestic violence.”
However the file didn’t clearly specify what “evidence” and “domestic violence” meant.
On the other side, Brad’s attorneys consider the proceeding to have been equal and fairly conducted. They stated: “Ouderkirk has conducted an extensive proceeding over the past six months in a thorough, fair manner and reached a tentative ruling and order after hearing from experts and percipient witnesses.”
“[Angelina’s deposition] lacked credibility in many important areas, and the existing custody order between the parties must be modified, per Mr. Pitt’s request, in the best interests of the children.” “[Her objections are causing] grave harm upon the children, who will be further denied permanence and stability.”