Brad Pitt slams "manipulative" Angelina Jolie; claims he has already paid her $9 million since split
A day after Angelina Jolie submitted court filings against Brad Pitt for not paying any “meaningful” child support for the last year and a half, Brad Pitt fired back at his estranged wife on Wednesday, denying the allegation and excoriating her for choosing to wage a public campaign against him while involving their children. Amid their ongoing and public divorce proceedings, Pitt hit back in his own legal broadside Wednesday that detailed how he purportedly let Jolie some $8 million to help her purchase her current home, and paid more than $1.3 million in bills for the benefit of her and their children.
Jolie's filing is "unnecessary, omits material information and is a thinly-veiled effort to manipulate media coverage," Pitt's attorneys said in their filing.
The 'Maleficent,' star alleged in the two-page filing on Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court, asking for a judge to schedule a new hearing in the case that includes a request to address the informal agreement the couple signed regarding child support.
"[Pitt] has a duty to pay child support. As of present, [Pitt] has paid no meaningful child support since separation," Jolie's attorney, Samantha Bley DeJean, wrote. The court filing did not define what is "meaningful" support.
The 43-year-old Jolie filed for divorce from 54-year-old Pitt in September 2016, citing irreconcilable differences. The Oscar-winning actress and activist for refugees around the world has six children with her actor husband aged between 9 and 16.
The breakup of the iconic couple, once known by fans as "Brangelina," has been a very public controversy. Around the time Jolie filed for divorce, Pitt was accused of being rough with one of his children on a private plane that was en route from Europe to Los Angeles.
The incident was reported to authorities but the FBI and Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services both cleared Pitt of any wrongdoing after reviews of evidence and interviews with those involved. In 2017, lawyers sought to seal records with the couple's six minor children in the ongoing divorce and child custody case.
Pitt's lawyers alleged in court documents that Jolie and her attorneys have compromised the children's privacy through court filings in a bid to undercut Pitt in the couple's custody battle.