Shocking new claims about Brad Pitt have emerged, as Angelina Jolie’s lawyers allege he abused her and their children in a now infamous fight on a private plane in 2016.
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New details about the incident have been revealed in a cross-complaint filed by Jolie’s legal team, as the exes continue their legal battle over a French winery they used to co-own.
First reported by the New York Times, the filing claims Pitt “choked” one of the children and “struck” another during the flight.
“When one of the children verbally defended Jolie, Pitt lunged at his own child and Jolie grabbed him from behind to stop him,” it reads, per People.
“To get Jolie off his back, Pitt threw himself backwards into the airplane’s seats, injuring Jolie’s back and elbow. The children rushed in and all bravely tried to protect each other.”
It continued: “Before it was over, Pitt choked one of the children and struck another in the face. Some of the children pleaded with Pitt to stop. They were all frightened.”
It also alleged that Pitt continued to periodically “yell and swear” at Jolie and their children, even “pouring beer and wine” on the kids at one point. A source close to Pitt called the claims “untrue”.
The Los Angeles Department of Child and Family Services and FBI investigated the actor in 2016, following an anonymous tip about the alleged abuse on the plane.
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Pitt denied any abuse. DCFS concluded its investigation with no findings of abuse and the FBI closed its investigation in November, 2016 with no charges laid against him.
Jolie’s Nouvel company is suing Pitt for US$250 million (approx. AU$369.3 million), claiming he “masterminded a so-far-successful plan to seize control of” the French winery they used to co-own.
The company accused Pitt of “waging a vindictive war” against Jolie and treating “Château Miraval … as his personal fiefdom”, and demanding a “hush clause” that would prevent Jolie from speaking about the circumstances of their divorce.
The couple split following the incident on the plane, and the lawsuit accused the actor of “gaslighting” and attempting to play the “victim” in the legal battles since.
However, Pitt’s legal team have claimed Miraval, his business linked to the winery, became a “passion project” for the star and that he grew it “into a multimillion-dollar global business and one of the world’s most highly regarded producers of rosé wine”.
They claimed Jolie contributed “nothing to Miraval’s success” and attempted to sell the winery behind Pitt’s back.
“Jolie pursued and then consummated the purported sale in secret, purposely keeping Pitt in the dark, and knowingly violating Pitt’s contractual rights,” read the filing from Pitt’s team at the time.
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