The Supreme Court in California won’t look at Brad Pitt‘s appeal of a ruling that disqualified a judge overseeing his custody battle with his ex Angelina Jolie.
The judge was disqualified in an appeals court because he didn’t disclose business dealings he had with Pitt’s lawyers. The judge was apparently favorable to Pitt in his custody battle with Jolie.
By deciding to not review the issue, the Supreme Court effectively amped up the battle, which was potentially nearing an end. The couple married in 2014 and filed for divorce in 2016. The divorce was finalized in 2019 but the custody issue was separated from the divorce issues.
Pitt’s lawyers said that Jolie asking to disqualify the judge was meant to prevent him from getting a better custody decision. A favorable decision for Pitt was about to take effect when the ruling came down.
Jolie’s attorney Robert Olsen said she was pleased with the way things turned out.
“Ms. Jolie is focused on her family and pleased that her children’s wellbeing will not be guided by unethical behavior,” he said. “She welcomes the California Supreme Court’s decision to refuse review of the unanimous Court of Appeal decision…. Ms. Jolie is glad for the family to now move forward cooperatively.”
Pitt’s lawyers said the decision was simply procedural and that it “does not change the extraordinary amount of factual evidence which led the trial judge — and the many experts who testified — to reach their clear conclusion about what is in the children’s best interests.”
Pitt and Jolie were one of Hollywood’s hottest couples and were nicknamed Brangelina by the press. They’ve been subject to endless scrutiny and the custody battle is no different. In fact, it looks like it’s going to get more intense following the Supreme Court’s decision.
The couple has six children – Maddox, 20, Pax, 17, Zahara, 16, Shiloh, 15, Vivienne, 13 and Knox, 13.