Not over yet. Angelina Jolie is appealing Brad Pitt’s custody ruling less than one month after the Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood actor was awarded increased physical custody of his children with the Maleficent actor. The pair are set to reappear in court on July 9.
The exes, who divorced in 2016 after two years of marriage and 12 years together, share six kids: Maddox, 19, Pax, 17, Zahara, 16, Shiloh, 14, and 12-year-old twins Vivienne and Knox. In May 2021, the Fight Club star, 57, was tentatively granted increased custody of his five kids who are still minors. This leaves out the couple’s eldest son, Maddox, who at 19 is legally an adult and not subject to his parents’ custody trial. Still, Maddox testified against his father in March 2021, with sources telling Us Weekly at the time that his testimony “wasn’t very flattering toward” Brad.
As it turns out, however, Maddox was the only one of Brad and Angie’s children who was given the chance to testify by the judge presiding over the case. A source told People in May that testimonies came from “witnesses, experts, people who have been with the kids,” instead, noting that the rest of the “children’s voices were heard, but they just didn’t testify themselves.” Yet Angelina still isn’t all too pleased that her kids weren’t given the opportunity to testify. She has claimed that the judge denied her a “fair trial” as a result.
Angelina’s lawyers filed an appeal with California’s Second District Court of Appeal in late May alleging that “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 case,” according to documents obtained by the Associated Press. The court filing also claims that the judge “refused to hear the minor teenagers’ input as to their experiences, needs, or wishes as to their custody fate.” In California state, minors over 14 are permitted to testify in custody cases if the judge allows, which means Pax, Zahara, and Shiloh were all eligible to testify.
Angelina’s appeal isn’t just about her kids’ testimony. As one source described to People previously, “joint custody is not the issue that Angelina objects to, there were other issues of concern, but the court proceedings are closed and sealed.” Among those issues, it seems, are claims of Brad’s alleged domestic abuse. The Those Who Wish Me Dead actress also reportedly submitted “additional information” to support her claims, as per AP, but these documents are under seal. Only time will tell what they may hold.
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