Estranged spouses Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have both reached an agreement to settle their ongoing divorce in private and will work together in an attempt to unify their family. On Monday the couple released a joint statement saying they will keep all future information about their divorce confidential and will use a private judge moving forward.
"The parents are committed to act as a unified front to effectuate recovery and unification", the statement read. This is the first joint comment from the two Hollywood stars on their divorce since Angelina Jolie filed to dissolve their marriage last year in September. At the time, one of Jolie's attorneys stated that the divorce was filed for the "health of the family."
Brad Pitt was also investigated by authorities after he was accused of being abusive towards his 15-year old son Maddox in their private jet. However, Pitt was cleared of any wrongdoing after the investigation found no evidence of the "World War Z" star being abusive towards his child.
High-profile divorce cases such as the one involving the two stars often require the assistance of a private judge to keep any information about the procedures a secret from the public eye until a final settlement can be reached. One of the main issues of the ensuing divorce battle is the custody of the couple's six children.
Jolie initially sought sole physical custody of their children, with Pitt seeking to have joint custody. Joint custody is favored by California law in divorce cases, but final arrangements can often be agreed to by the parents and formalized through a written agreement.
In an earlier report posted by USA Today, Pitt's attempt to seal their divorce documents had been denied by a Los Angeles judge as the actor's filing did not meet the legal requirements at the time. Both stars have kept relatively low profiles since news of the divorce first broke out, but Pitt made a surprise appearance at the recent Golden Globe Awards show. Jolie, on the other hand, was spotted treating her kids to some ice cream in Crested Butte, Colorado last January 1, per US Weekly.
Pitt and Jolie first met while filming the 2005 movie "Mr. and Mrs. Smith". They were together for 12 years while being married for two. The divorce has gained international attention ever since Jolie filed for it last year.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
