Hollywood actor Brad Pitt has been granted joint custody of the children he shares with Angelina Jolie after a long 5 year court battle.
Judge John Ouderkirk, the private judge hired by Pitt and Jolie to oversee the case, made this decision after months of extensive testimony from people who spent time with the kids, including therapists and child service professionals. However, the judge has not heard the views of the children.
Brad has been seeking the opportunity to spend more time with his kids as he prioritised their wellbeing. The decision in his favour impacts five of the six kids- Pax, 17, Zahara, 16, Shiloh, 14, and twins Vivienne and Knox, 12. As the oldest Maddox is 19 years old, he is not subject to the decision.
Jolie filed for divorce from Pitt in 2016 after an altercation occurred when the family was travelling on a private plane from France to California and Pitt was accused of being abusive towards Maddox.
Not happy with the decision, Jolie filed a complaint to California’s Second District Court of Appeal against the order passed by Ouderkirk. She holds that it is detrimental to the best interests of the children if custody is awarded to a person with a history of domestic violence and also wants the children over 14 to be allowed to testify in the case.
