UPDATE 9/22 12:40 p.m. ET: The L.A. County Department of Children and Family Services is unable to comment on whether or not the department is investigating Brad Pitt for alleged child abuse. “We’re prohibited by law from disclosing case specific information or even identifying any involvement with any client,” the DCFS Public Information Officer Neil Zanville told Us Weekly.
UPDATE: The Los Angeles Police Department confirmed to Us Weekly that Brad Pitt is not being investigated by the LAPD for child abuse, despite TMZ’s report that the police department was looking into an incident where the the actor allegedly became “verbally and abusive and physical.”
“LAPD is not handling any report or allegations into child abuse for Mr. Brad Pitt,” the LAPD told Us in a statement on Thursday, September 22.
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Brad Pitt is being investigated for child abuse following his split from Angelina Jolie, according to a new report from TMZ.
The site reported on Thursday, September 22, that the LAPD and L.A. County Department of Children and Family Services are looking into an incident where Pitt, 52, allegedly got “verbally abusive and physical” with the estranged couple’s children.
Sources alleged to TMZ that on Wednesday, September 14, Pitt screamed and got physical while drunk with his family on a private jet. When the plane landed, he reportedly caused a scene on the tarmac. TMZ says someone reported the alleged incident and Pitt and Jolie have been interviewed. DCFS also plans to interview their children. The investigation is ongoing.
Us Weekly confirmed on Tuesday that Jolie, 41, filed for divorce from Pitt after two years of marriage and more than a decade together. The pair met on the set of the 2005 action comedy Mr. & Mrs. Smith, quietly tied the knot in August 2014 and are parents of six children — Maddox, 15, Pax, 12, Zahara, 11, Shiloh, 10, and twins Knox and Vivienne, 8. In court documents, the Maleficent actress asked for sole physical custody. According to TMZ, Pitt plans to file for joint legal custody.
Earlier this week, a source told Us that “an incident took place and prompted [Angelina] to act and file.” The source didn’t provide details but said the situation “affected the entire family.”
“This decision was made for the health of the family,” Jolie’s rep said in a statement to Us on Tuesday. “She will not be commenting at this time, and asks that the family be given their privacy during this difficult time.”
As Us exclusively revealed, Pitt was blindsided by the filing. “Brad only found out about the divorce decision [the day before],” an insider told Us. “[Jolie] did try to make it work, but her kids come first, and she couldn’t let them see Mommy and Daddy like this. The fighting got worse, and they disagreed a lot about parenting and a lot of things.”
Amid the split news, rumors surfaced that Pitt had an affair with his Allied costar Marion Cotillard. (Sources told Us Cotillard had nothing to do with the breakup.) The French star denied the claims in an Instagram post on Wednesday and announced that she’s expecting her second child with her longtime boyfriend, actor Guillaume Canet.
Us Weekly has reached out to reps and the LAPD for comment.
