Brad Pitt has been granted joint custody of the 6 children he shares with ex-wife Angelina Jolie. The news comes after a years-long legal battle between the former couple, who share Maddox, 19, Pax, 17, Zahara, 16, Shilo, 14, Vivienne, 12, and Knox, 12.
Judge John Ouderkirk’s ruling found that Jolie’s testimony lacked credibility in many important areas and that the existing custody order must be modified in the best interest of the children. Jolie, who filed for divorce from Pitt in 2016, initially wanted primary custody, while Pitt requested joint custody. Jolie, in a Monday court filing, said that she would appeal such a decision from Judge Ouderkirk, whom she previously requested be removed from the case. That request was denied in November. In Jolie’s Monday filing, she criticized Judge Ouderkirk for, she claimed, denying her “a fair trial, improperly excluding her evidence relevant to the children’s health, safety, and welfare, evidence critical to making her case.” The actress also claimed the judge “has failed to adequately consider” a section of the California courts code, which says it is detrimental to the best interest of the child if custody is awarded to a person with a history of domestic violence.
In a March court filing, Jolie claimed to have “proof” of alleged domestic violence against Pitt. Pitt was cleared of allegations of child abuse by both the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Child and Family Services back in 2016.
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