When Angelina Jolie filed for divorce from Brad Pitt back in September, there were countless theories about what may have cause the A-list couple to call it quits.
As is usually the case with this sort of thing, there was no single cause, and the the truth turned out to be some combination of the facts from previous reports.
While it’s true that a confrontation between Brad and his eldest son, 15-year-old Maddox, led Jolie to move out on Pitt and file for divorce, it now seems that there were problems between the iconic screen stars well before that ugly incident.
In the months since we first learned of their split, details about the Brangelina divorce have been surprisingly plentiful, and Brad’s team says that’s no accident.
The actor has accused Jolie of leaking information to the press in an effort to ruin his reputation.
Pitt’s lawyers requested an emergency hearing this week in order to prevent the release of further legal documents by Jolie’s lawyers.
Unfortunately for Brad, the motion wasn’t filed in time to stop Team Jolie from dropping a potetially damaging new bombshell:
According to documents obtained by the Daily Mail, Jolie recently requested that Pitt be tested for drug and alcohol use four times a month.
As has been the case with just about every development in this increasingly ugly legal battle, Jolie’s lawyers say the actress is concerned for the safety of her children, while Brad’s people say it’s part of a campaign to trash his public image.
Brad’s alleged drug use has made tabloid headlines several times in recent months, with several sources claiming the actor’s love of booze and pot had put a strain on his marriage well before the Maddox incident in September.
According to a statement from Brad’s lawyers, the official reason for Angelina’s filing is to prevent Brad from getting more regular visits with the couple’s kids:
“Based on Ms. Wasser’s email dated December 2, 2016, the unauthorized filing of the October Stipulation was caused by [Jolie’s] reaction to [Pitt’s attorney] having advised her counsel that [Pitt’s] time with the children should be increased,” the statement reads.
So perhaps she wants to keep Brad away from the kids, and the collateral damage to his reputation is just a bonus?
Whatever the case, every time we think this split can’t get any uglier, these two manage to surprise us.
In a way, it’s impressive.
In another, more accurate way, it’s really, really sad.