Angelina Jolie Claims Brad Pitt Choked, Struck Two of Their Children on a Flight

In a recent cross-complaint filed in court, actress Angelina Jolie goes into further detail about the alleged abuse she and her children suffered from her now ex-husband Brad Pitt. In documents acquired by Rolling Stone, Jolie claims she ended their marriage after an explosive fight where Pitt allegedly verbally and physically abused Jolie and at least two of their six children— and wants to finalize the sale of the family home to leave that time in their life behind forever.

According to the complaint, on a Sept. 14, 2016, flight from the family’s French home Chateau Miraval to Los Angeles, Pitt became aggressive and began yelling and throwing Jolie around. After he lunged at one of the children who spoke up, Jolie allegedly jumped on Pitt’s back to stop him, which began a fight, according to the documents.

By the time the altercation was over, Jolie alleged that Pitt had choked one child, hit another in the face, and left the group so scared that they huddled in the back of the plane under blankets, not even daring to use the bathroom — while Pitt allegedly continued to rage and poured beer and wine on them. Even after the plane was on the ground, the complaint says Pitt prevented the family from leaving and going to a hotel, only relenting after 20 minutes when a child intervened. Jolie filed for divorce five days later.

The news comes as part of an ongoing legal battle between Jolie and Pitt regarding the fate of Chateau Miraval. A famed French winery, the couple bought equal shares in the estate in 2008, with the hope to turn the land into both a home and a successful generational business. According to the complaint, while Jolie and Pitt were equal business partners, the actor pushed for “creative control” he deemed necessary, including five swimming pools. The complaint adds that neither Jolie nor any of the children have been able to return to Miraval since the contentious flight because of the trauma they allegedly endured.

In his original suit, Pitt claimed the actress secretly and unlawfully sold her shares to a company, knowing its owner, Russian oligarch Yuri Shefler, would try to control the business. Jolie’s attorneys pushed back, claiming the actress was pushed out of operations by Pitt following the couple’s divorce and was well within her established right to sell her part of the property. Representatives for Jolie and Pitt did not immediately respond to Rolling Stone‘s requests for comment.

Recent filings claim Jolie tried to sell directly to Pitt multiple times but the actor allegedly pulled out of an agreed-upon deal after she submitted sealed proof of domestic violence for their custody case. After reaching out several times with no answer, Jolie allegedly refused Pitt’s final offer because it came with a clause that would require Jolie to never speak about Pitt’s personal conduct toward her or their family — a move Jolie’s attorneys called an “unconscionable gag order.”

Jolie is seeking a court order to declare her sale of Miraval final, in what her representatives call an effort to “move on from the winery and the chateau, to have financial independence from her ex-husband, and to finally have some form of peace and closure to this deeply painful and traumatic chapter of her and her children’s lives.”

From Rolling Stone US.