The divorce between former Hollywood couple Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have officially gotten worse. According to USA Today, Jolie is accusing her former husband of forgoing his child support payments.
In court documents obtained by NBC News, Jolie has claimed that Pitt hasn’t paid any “meaningful” child support payments in over a year. As a result, she is planning on receiving a court order to obtain retroactive funds.
“(Pitt) has a duty to pay child support,” wrote Jolie attorney Samantha Bley DeJean, NBC reports. “As of present, (Pitt) has paid no meaningful child support since separation.”
There is some speculation that these claims are not accurate. A source familiar with the situation has disputed the claims that Pitt has not maintained his financial duties for his children.
“The aim of Angelina’s routine court filing is to provide closure to the marriage in a way that clears a path toward the next stage of their lives and allows her and Brad to recommit as devoted co-parents to their children.”
Pitt and Jolie share six children: Maddox, 17; Pax, 14; Zahara, 13; Shiloh, 12; and 10-year old twins Vivienne and Knox.
Jolie filed for divorce in 2016, noting that the divorce would ensure the “health of their family”. Instead, the divorce has become a bitter public struggle, capturing numerous headlines in more than two years.
However, in 2017, the couple released a joint statement stating that they would handle their divorce privately. This promise fell through after multiple sources confirmed that Jolie would be in danger of losing custody of their children if she didn’t let them see Pitt.
“If the minor children remain closed down to their father and depending on the circumstances surrounding this condition, it may result in a reduction of the time they spend with (Jolie) and may result in the Court ordering primary physical custody to (Pitt),” the documents state, according to the reports.
Even in the aftermath of the former couple’s divorce, there is still troubling rumors surrounding the two and their children. On one side, Pitt is being targeted by Jolie for allegedly refusing to make child support payments. While on another, Jolie is receiving a warning from court to expose their children to Pitt or risk losing primary custody.
Jolie’s allegations appear to have the more legal basis, primarily since the judge that ruled their divorce expressed his concern over her custody, according to CNBC.
A judge in Jolie and Pitt’s divorce case determined that their six children’s lack of “a relationship with their father is harmful to them,” adding that, “it is critical that each of them have a healthy and strong relationship with their father and mother.”
With no end in sight, Jolie and Pitt still have some issues to work out in their divorce. Since child custody is a serious legal matter, the court is bound to listen to Jolie’s cries for retroactive payment if Pitt isn’t paying child support.
However, if Pitt isn’t even seeing his children, there may be a reason why he hasn’t made those payments, and it could risk Jolie’s primary custody being placed under more scrutiny.
