Why Angelina Jolie's New Info Could Change Everything In Her Divorce

The Angelina Jolie/Brad Pitt drama is about to reach a crescendo. Once the most powerful couple in Hollywood, Jolie and Pitt and went down in flames in 2016 when the pair announced their divorce after two years of marriage and 12 years as a couple. Together, Pitt and Jolie share six children: Maddox, Pax, and Zahara, whom they adopted, and their three biological children, Shiloh, Vivienne, and Knox.

Unfortunately, their split wasn't amicable, and the kids were dragged into the drama. In 2016, rumors circulated that the final straw for Jolie came aboard a private jet when Pitt allegedly got into a physical altercation with Maddox. The FBI and the LA Department of Child Services investigated the claim, but no charges were ever brought against Pitt.

Immediately after filing for divorce, Pitt and Jolie began a long, drawn-out battle over how to split their assets and how to split custody of their kids. Jolie reportedly wanted more than 50/50 custody so that she could move abroad with the children, something of which Pitt was not in favor, per the Daily Mail. Nearly five years after filing for divorce, the embittered former lovers are finally due in court in 2021. Jolie has recently claimed that she has proof that Pitt was abusive towards their children in the past — and she's not afraid to use it.

Nicki Swift spoke to Peter Walzer of Walzer Melcher, an LA Celebrity Divorce attorney, about what we can expect from the trial and what Jolie's alleged proof means.

According to Peter Walzer, a divorce attorney based in LA, Angelina Jolie's claims that she has proof Brad Pitt abused their children might backfire in their upcoming custody battle. "The tactics Jolie is using are common in custody cases," he explained, adding that it was "unusual" that Jolie waited this long before bringing forward this information.

Pitt was cleared of all allegations of child abuse in 2016, so it remains unclear whether Jolie has new "proof" of the 2016 incident or evidence of some new form of domestic violence. Domestic violence a broad term, especially under California law, Walzer further explained. It can mean anything from "sexual assault" to "stalking, threatening, or hitting someone."

Jolie is not seeking protection from Pitt for herself, Walzer told Nicki Swift. Instead, she is hoping to obtain a Family Code 3044 presumption. That's legal speak for the presumption that Pitt has perpetrated domestic violence in the past. The presumption would give Jolie a leg up in the custody battle, especially because judges are often "reluctant" to dismiss allegations of domestic abuse. Walzer went on to explain why this latest tactic of Jolie's might not be such a wise move. "Jolie's delay in bringing this case (unless the allegations were from more recent actions) impugns her credibility."

Since Jolie and Pitt are due in court in the Spring of 2021, it's unlikely we'll know the nature of the allegations until then, leaving us to wonder how the judge will receive the new evidence.

If you or someone you know may be the victim of child abuse, please contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline 24/7 at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services at www.childhelphotline.org/.