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Brad Pitt is not taking the court’s ruling about Angelina Jolie gaining full custody of their children lying down! The “Once Upon A Time In Hollywood” and “Maleficent” actors’ divorce is still looking very messy, with Brad’s lawyers filing a motion with the court this week stating that Angie should *not* have been given full custody of their kids in the prior ruling. They even went so far as to call that decision “an administrative error” by the court. Yikes!
The famous exes don’t appear to be any closer to coming to an amicable custody agreement, despite signs earlier this year that the dispute would finally be coming to an end. If you recall, earlier this year Angelina was granted full custody of their five youngest children (20-year-old Maddox is considered to be an adult and is therefore not included in the custody battle). The 57-year-old superstar made it clear in court this week that he would be fighting the judge’s decision until the bitter end. This is getting insane.
The “Big Short” producer instantly challenged the court’s decision to give his 46-year-old ex-wife full custody, and is now asking the California Supreme Court to review his case. We feel so bad that their kids are getting caught in the middle.
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Brad’s lawyer Theodore J. Boutrous Jr has insisted that Angelina was unfairly given full custody of the five minor children (Pax, 17, Zahara, 16, Shiloh, 15, and twins Knox and Vivienne, 13) when Judge John Ouderkirk was disqualified from overseeing the custody battle back in July. At the time, the Oscar-winning-actress insisted that the judge should be removed from the case, suggesting that he would be unable to remain impartial due to working with Brad Pitt in the past.
Boutrous is challenging the dismissal, adding that the ruling is not only unfair to his client, but is also “bad for children and bad for California’s overburdened judicial system.”
“We are seeking review in the California Supreme Court because the temporary judge, who had been appointed and repeatedly renewed by both sides, was improperly disqualified after providing a detailed, fact-based custodial decision, following a lengthy legal process with multiple witnesses and experts,” Brad Pitt’s lawyer reportedly told Hollywood Life. “The lower court’s ruling will reward parties who are losing child custody cases, and condone their gamesmanship, by allowing them to wait and see about the likely direction of the case before seeking the disqualification of the judge.” Meow! The attorney continued:
Condoning the use of this type of strategic ‘lie in wait’ disqualification challenge will cause irreparable harm to both the children and families involved in this case, and other families in other cases, by unnecessarily prolonging the resolution of these disputes in an already overburdened court system. Allowing this kind of crafty litigation strategy will deprive parents of irreplaceable time with their children as judges are disqualified for minor reasons in the midst of their cases. The lower court’s ruling is bad for children and bad for California’s overburdened judicial system.
Angelina’s lawyer, Robert A. Olson, responded to Brad Pitt’s latest statement, telling USA Today that the appeals court “unanimously refused to tolerate the ethical violations of the private judge who had heard custody matters, and correctly vacated that judge’s orders.”
The petition, according to Olson, “displays how they are clinging to this private judge who exhibited bias and refused statutorily required evidence.”
Olson also said that Angelina Jolie “hopes Mr. Pitt will instead join with her in focusing on the children’s needs, voices, and healing."
We don’t know what will happen next, but if Brad Pitt and his legal team get their way, the custody battle could potentially start from the beginning.
Who knows, this could go on for so long, there may no longer be any need for a custody battle…
