The California Supreme Court denied Brad Pitt’s recent petition in his ongoing custody battle with ex-wife Angelina Jolie.
The Oklahoma native, 57, filed a request in September to review the court’s ruling over disqualifying the private judge that he and the Eternals star, 46, chose to oversee their custody case. Us Weekly confirmed on Thursday, October 28, that the state Supreme Court denied the petition.
“Ms. Jolie is focused on her family and pleased that her children’s wellbeing will not be guided by unethical behavior,” Jolie’s attorney, Robert Olson, told Us in a statement. “She welcomes the California Supreme Court’s decision to refuse review of the unanimous Court of Appeal decision. As reinforced by California’s appellate courts, our judiciary prioritizes ethics and children’s best interests, and won’t tolerate judicial misconduct to reward the interests of a party. Ms. Jolie is glad for the family to now move forward cooperatively.”
A spokesperson for Pitt also responded to the denial. “The appeals court ruling was based on a technical procedural issue and the Supreme Court’s decision not to review that procedural issue 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,” the statement read. “We will continue to do everything that’s legally necessary based on the detailed findings of the independent experts.”
Pitt’s petition came months after Judge John Ouderkirk was disqualified from the case for failing to sufficiently disclose business relationships with the Ocean’s Twelve actor’s legal team.
Pitt and the Maleficent star married in 2014. Jolie filed for divorce two years later, in September 2016. While the divorce was finalized in 2019, custody decisions of the pair’s five minor children remained ongoing.
The Once Upon a Time in Hollywood star — who shares Maddox, 20, Pax, 17, Zahara, 16, Shiloh, 15, and twins Vivienne and Knox, both 13, with Jolie — was previously awarded joint custody of their kids in May.
According to the court documents obtained by Us at the time, a judge ruled in Pitt’s favor to share custody.
“[Jolie’s] testimony lacked credibility in many important areas, and the existing custody order between the parties must be modified, per Mr. Pitt’s request, in the best interests of the children,” the docs stated.
Shortly after the Fight Club star’s legal victory, a source exclusively revealed that Jolie was not enthused with the decision, noting she was “bitterly disappointed.”
“Angelina’s testimony lacked credibility,” an insider told Us in June. “The decision was based on extensive testimonies from people who spent time with the kids and by highly respected professionals.”
Amid the ongoing legal battle, the Salt actress has been busy promoting her upcoming Marvel film, taking several of her children with her to its international red carpet premieres.
For the October 18 event, the California native posed on the carpet with Maddox, Zahara, Shiloh, Knox and Vivienne. As Jolie stunned in a strapless gown, her children rewore some of their mom’s most iconic looks.
“My kids are all mixed with vintage, and in my old Oscars dress. We did all vintage and upcycled my old stuff,” she explained to Entertainment Tonight at the time.
