Angelina Jolie has opened up about the challenges she faced during her marriage to Brad Pitt, describing them as causing her significant health issues.
Angelina and Brad were together for 12 years, during which they raised their six children. The world was surprised in 2016 when news broke that Jolie had filed for divorce. After many years of complex proceedings, their divorce was finalized in 2024.
Further insights were revealed through a heavily censored FBI report, which detailed an alleged incident in 2022 involving the couple. This report, which Entertainment Weekly accessed, portrays a distressing scene between Jolie and Pitt on a plane.
According to the information in the report, Pitt allegedly led Jolie to the back of the plane and reportedly grabbed her by the head and shoulders. He was shouting accusations about disrupting the family. This escalated with Pitt allegedly hitting the plane’s ceiling multiple times.
When Jolie opened the plane’s door during this confrontation, two of their children, whose identities were kept private in the report, were visibly upset and asked if she was alright. Pitt purportedly retorted that “No, mommy’s not OK. She’s ruining this family,” and allegedly doused Jolie with beer while she sat with the children under a blanket.
Moreover, the FBI document pointed out that a report was made to the Department of Children and Family Services Bureau of Child Protection, alleging a minor was assaulted.
Despite the redacted details, the report highlighted tension between Pitt and the children, including an alleged comment referring to one of the kids in a derogatory manner.
At the time of the divorce, Jolie’s representative stated to People magazine that she sought the marriage’s dissolution for the family’s wellbeing and emphasized the need for privacy.
In response to these allegations, a representative for Brad Pitt denied any physical abuse, asserting that he was involved in a confrontation but without escalating it to physical harm.
In another statement, Pitt’s legal team acknowledged his accountability for what he was responsible for, asserting his innocence regarding other accusations.
Jolie has mentioned further instances of alleged physical abuse by Pitt, arguing that the issues predated the incident on the plane.
During a 2023 conversation with The Wall Street Journal, Jolie spoke about how the stress of these experiences affected her health, leading to a diagnosis of Bell’s palsy in 2017.
The renowned actress expressed how her body strongly reacted to stress, citing that her blood sugar levels would fluctuate, and she developed Bell’s palsy just months before her divorce.
Bell’s palsy, as described by the Mayo Clinic, causes sudden weakness in the facial muscles, often resulting in paralysis on one side.
Though its exact cause isn’t fully understood, it is believed to be related to a swelling of the nerves controlling facial muscles, possibly due to a viral infection response.
