Why Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s divorce took so long as they finally reach settlement after 8 years

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have finally reached a settlement after eight years in one of the longest celebrity divorces ever.

Two years on from tying the knot in 2014, Jolie, 49, filed for divorce after she alleged that Pitt, 61, was abusive towards her and their children on a private jet flight from Europe.

In 2019, they were officially divorced but their assets and child custody were still being decided.

During that time, Pitt hired a private judge who determined that there would be equal custody of their children.

However, the Maleficent star argued for the judge to be removed due to a conflict of interest and the Hollywood couple had to start proceedings again.

On Monday (30 December), her attorney James Simon revealed that the couple have finally reached an agreement.

“More than eight years ago, Angelina filed for divorce from Mr Pitt,” Mr Simon said in a statement.

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have finally reached a divorce settlement (MARK RALSTON/AFP via Getty Images)

“She and the children left all of the properties they had shared with Mr Pitt, and since that time she has focused on finding peace and healing for their family.

“This is just one part of a long ongoing process that started eight years ago.

“Frankly, Angelina is exhausted, but she is relieved this one part is over.”

However, no court documents have been filed as of yet and a judge still needs to sign off on the agreement.

Why did Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's divorce take 8 years to settle?

One of the reasons why it has taken so long is because shortly after Jolie's divorce filing in 2016, Pitt was investigated by the FBI and the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) over allegations of abuse.

Pitt and Jolie are co-parents to six children (Fred Duval/FilmMagic/Getty Images)

Both organisations dropped their investigations and didn't file any charges.

Also in a separate lawsuit, Pitt accused Jolie of violating an agreement to not sell their stakes in a company without both of their permission.

The Fight Club actor sued Jolie for selling her stake in winery Château Miraval to a third party in 2022, all while overlapping with a separate legal case in relation to the custody of the children.

In court, Judge Lia Martin dismissed three demurrers that had been filed by Jolie's legal team.

"This is a clear victory for Brad which demonstrates the legitimacy of his claims and demonstrates yet again the other side's talk is not backed up with substance," a source told People at the time.

The pair are co-parents to Maddox, 23, Pax, 20, Zahara, 19, Shiloh, 18, and twins Knox and Vivienne, both 16.

LADbible has contacted Brad Pitt's legal team for comment.