LOS ANGELES, USA – Hollywood icons Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have reached a settlement in their divorce, concluding a protracted legal battle that spanned over eight years.
The resolution marks the end of a contentious chapter in the lives of the former power couple, who were once the epitome of glamour in the entertainment industry.
The settlement, finalised on Monday, December 30, 2024, follows years of acrimony and public scrutiny.
Jolie’s attorney, James Simon, acknowledged the lengthy process in a statement shared with People magazine.
“More than eight years ago, Angelina filed for divorce from Mr. Pitt. 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,” Simon said.
“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.”
Pitt’s representatives declined to comment on the development when approached by The Daily Beast.
The Rise and Fall of Brangelina
Pitt and Jolie first captivated audiences in 2005 while working together on the film Mr. & Mrs. Smith.
Their on-screen chemistry fuelled widespread speculation, particularly as Pitt’s high-profile marriage to Jennifer Aniston ended around the same time.
A widely publicised photograph of Pitt with Jolie and her son Maddox on a Kenyan beach cemented the couple’s status in the tabloids.
Dubbed “Brangelina” by the media, they quickly became a defining Hollywood supercouple, navigating fame in the pre-social media era.
Their relationship evolved over the years, with Jolie adopting two children—Maddox and Zahara—before the couple expanded their family further by adopting Pax in 2007.
Jolie also gave birth to three biological children with Pitt: Shiloh in 2006, and twins Knox and Vivienne in 2008.
After seven years together, the pair announced their engagement in 2012 and married in 2014.
However, the union was short-lived. Jolie filed for divorce in September 2016, citing irreconcilable differences, just days after an alleged incident aboard a private plane.
She claimed that Pitt had abused her and their six children during the flight, though authorities did not file charges, and Jolie chose not to pursue legal action.
Prolonged Legal Disputes
Despite an initial joint statement in early 2017 pledging to handle their divorce privately, legal proceedings between Pitt and Jolie were anything but smooth.
Custody battles and financial disagreements prolonged the process, with both parties levelling accusations against the other.
By 2019, a court declared the two legally single, but disputes persisted.
Among the unresolved issues was the ownership of Château Miraval, a sprawling winery in southern France that the couple had co-owned.
Legal wrangling over the estate continues in a separate case.
A New Chapter
The finalisation of their divorce offers a semblance of closure to what has been one of the most highly publicised celebrity breakups of the past decade.
While further legal disputes remain, this milestone marks a significant step forward for both Jolie and Pitt, who now appear to be moving on with their respective lives.
For fans and onlookers, the resolution of the Brangelina saga signals the end of an era for a couple whose lives once seemed larger than life.
