Angelina Jolie Divorce: Settlement, Winery Lawsuit, and Custody

Angelina Jolie’s divorce from Brad Pitt was finalized on December 30, 2024, when the two signed a default declaration in Los Angeles Superior Court resolving their marital and property rights more than eight years after she first filed.¹ Both sides waived any claim to future spousal support.² The divorce itself is closed. A separate lawsuit over the couple’s French winery is not, and it is scheduled for trial in August 2027.³

Why She Filed in 2016

Jolie filed for divorce on September 19, 2016, in Los Angeles Superior Court, citing irreconcilable differences and listing September 15 as the date of separation.⁴ The filing came days after an incident on a private flight from France to Los Angeles on September 14, 2016, as the family returned from their Château Miraval estate.

According to an FBI report later obtained by CNN, Jolie alleged that Pitt had been drinking and became verbally abusive on the flight, grabbing her by the head and shoulders, shaking her, and pushing her into a bathroom wall.⁵ In a 2022 court filing tied to the winery dispute, she further alleged that Pitt choked one of their children and struck another who tried to intervene, and that he poured beer on her and wine on the children.⁶ Pitt has denied the allegations, with a representative saying Jolie “continues to rehash, revise and reimagine her description of an event that happened 6 years ago by adding completely untrue information.”⁷

The flight fell within the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States, and the FBI investigated. In November 2016, the agency closed the review without filing criminal charges, with the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office citing “several factors.”⁵ The Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services also investigated and cleared Pitt that same month.⁸ Pitt publicly acknowledged in 2017 that he had quit drinking after the events of the previous year.

Jolie had asked for joint legal custody of their six children, with physical custody going to her and visitation for Pitt. Pitt responded in November 2016 by seeking joint legal and physical custody.⁸ In January 2017, the couple agreed to engage a private judge and keep the proceedings sealed.⁹ On April 12, 2019, the court granted a bifurcated judgment, restoring both to legally single status while custody and finances remained open.

Why the Custody Fight Took So Long

The private judge both sides had agreed to, John W. Ouderkirk, issued a tentative ruling in May 2021 granting Pitt joint 50/50 custody of the minor children.¹⁰ That ruling never took hold. On July 23, 2021, the California Second District Court of Appeal disqualified Ouderkirk in Jolie v. Superior Court of Los Angeles County (B308958), finding he had failed to disclose ongoing business relationships with Pitt’s attorneys, including two new cases he began working on with Pitt’s counsel in 2019 and one 2018 matter he had reported as completed that was in fact still active.¹¹

The appellate panel wrote that “Judge Ouderkirk’s ethical breach, considered together with the information disclosed concerning his recent professional relationships with Pitt’s counsel, might cause an objective person, aware of all the facts, reasonably to entertain a doubt as to the judge’s ability to be impartial.”¹² Disqualification voided Ouderkirk’s interim rulings, including the joint custody decision, and custody reverted to the parenting plan established in November 2018.¹¹ Under that residual arrangement, Jolie has held primary custody and Pitt has retained visitation rights with the minor children. The arrangement effectively ends when the youngest children, twins Vivienne and Knox, turn 18 in July 2026.¹³

What the December 2024 Settlement Did

The settlement signed on December 30, 2024, resolved “marital and property rights,” with both parties waiving future spousal support.² The specific terms of the property division are confidential. The couple’s combined marital estate had been estimated at roughly $500 million.¹⁴

Jolie’s attorney, James Simon of Hersh Mannis LLP, said his client was “exhausted” but “relieved this one part is over.” The qualifier matters. The settlement did not address the Château Miraval winery litigation, which continues on its own track.¹ Asked by GQ in May 2025 whether he felt relief at the settlement, Pitt said, “No, I don’t think it was that major of a thing. Just something coming to fruition. Legally.”¹⁵

Jolie had also pursued a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit against the FBI over records from the 2016 plane investigation, filed in March 2022 under the pseudonym “Jane Doe.” The parties stipulated to dismiss that case with prejudice on September 25, 2024, with each side bearing its own costs.¹⁶

The Winery Lawsuit That Is Still Open

Château Miraval is a 1,200-acre wine estate in the south of France the couple bought together in 2008. In February 2022, Pitt sued Jolie in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleging she breached an unwritten agreement that neither would sell their 50% stake without the other’s consent.⁷ Jolie denies any such agreement existed.

Jolie had tried to sell her share to Pitt, but according to court filings negotiations collapsed when Pitt insisted she sign a nondisclosure agreement. Her legal team described the NDA as “enforceable by an $8.5 million holdback specifically designed to force her silence about his abuse and cover-up.”¹⁷ Pitt’s side has argued the NDA demand was a “pretext” for Jolie to break off the sale to him and sell to a third party instead, and has pointed out that Jolie has required comparable NDAs from others.¹⁸

In 2021, Jolie sold her share of Nouvel, the company holding her Miraval interest, to Tenute del Mondo, a subsidiary of the Stoli Group owned by Russian-born billionaire Yuri Shefler, in a deal valued at $64 million.¹⁹ Nouvel, now controlled by the Stoli Group, filed a counterclaim alleging Pitt and his business partner Marc Perrin had worked to seize control of the winery and misappropriate its assets, including wasting profits on “vanity projects” such as a $1 million swimming pool and a recording studio restoration, and attempting to transfer 50% of the winery’s trademarks to Perrin for free. Nouvel is seeking at least $250 million in damages.²⁰

The case is before Judge Cindy Pánuco in Los Angeles County Superior Court, with trial set for August 2027.³ On June 24, 2026, a California Court of Appeal panel reversed a lower-court ruling that had dismissed Shefler for lack of personal jurisdiction, holding that he had “purposefully availed himself” of the California forum by personally guaranteeing $39 million of the purchase price and communicating directly with both Jolie and Pitt about the sale.¹⁹ In a separate May 2026 ruling, Pánuco held that Pitt could not compel Jolie to turn over 22 confidential emails with her sales team, finding he had “not met his burden” to override her privilege claims.²¹

The Children’s Name Changes

Several of the six children, Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, Vivienne, and Knox, have moved to drop their father’s surname. Shiloh filed on her 18th birthday in May 2024 to change her legal name from Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt to Shiloh Nouvel Jolie, and a Los Angeles Superior Court judge granted the petition on August 19, 2024.²² Zahara legally became Zahara Jolie in June 2026. Maddox filed in April 2026 to change his name to Maddox Chivan Jolie, citing personal reasons.²³ Vivienne has used “Vivienne Jolie” in professional credits, including the Broadway production of The Outsiders. A source told Us Weekly in May 2026 that Pitt feels “most hurt” that his children “don’t want a public association with his last name.”²⁴

1
CBS News. Angelina Jolie Brad Pitt Divorce Settlement
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Deadline. Brad Pitt Angelina Jolie Divorce Settlement
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The Spokesman-Review. Brad Pitt Angelina Jolie Winery Dispute Heats Up
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Variety. Angelina Jolie Files for Divorce From Brad Pitt
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CNN. Angelina Jolie Brad Pitt FBI Report
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NPR. Brad Pitt Choked His Children, Angelina Jolie Says in Court Filing
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The Hollywood Reporter. Brad Pitt Lawsuit Winery Fight Angelina Jolie
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ET Online. Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt: A Timeline of Their Divorce and High-Profile Legal Battles
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People. Brad Pitt Angelina Jolie Finalize Divorce Settlement
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CBS News. Angelina Jolie Brad Pitt Child Custody Divorce Appeals Court
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People. Brad Pitt Loses Previously Awarded Time With His Kids as Judge Is Disqualified
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Justia. Jolie v. Superior Court of Los Angeles County, B308958
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Page Six. Vivienne and Knox Jolie-Pitt’s Birthday Brings End to Brangelina
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Business Insider. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie Divorce Money
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New York Post. Brad Pitt Breaks Silence on Finalizing Angelina Jolie Divorce
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Yahoo Entertainment. Angelina Jolie Drops Two Legal Actions
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NBC Bay Area. Angelina Jolie Accuses Brad Pitt of Trying to Silence Her With NDA
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Courthouse News. Angelina Jolie Could Be Forced to Reveal Past NDAs in Winery Fight With Brad Pitt
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Courthouse News. Russian-Born Billionaire Back on the Hook in Winery Fight Between Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie
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Wine Spectator. Angelina Jolie Claps Back Seeking $250 Million in Damages Over Château Miraval
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Vanity Fair. Angelina Jolie Wins Major Victory Over Brad Pitt in Legal Battle Over Château de Miraval
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USA Today. Shiloh Jolie Drops Pitt From Last Name
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USA Today. Angelina Jolie Brad Pitt Son Dropping Pitt Name
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Yahoo Entertainment. Brad Pitt Angelina Jolie Kids