Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie Update: Couple Agrees To Privatize Divorce Proceedings, Are 'Committed To Act On A United Front' [VIDEO]
It appears that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have finally come to an agreement regarding their divorce proceedings, as the pair have released their first joint statement since splitting in September to announce they are now making matters private for the sake of their children.
The decision came after Jolie agreed last week to Pitt's request to do so, and will ensure that the court documents from the case remain sealed to protect the privacy of their six children-Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, Knox and Vivienne.
"The parties and their counsel have signed agreements to preserve the privacy rights of their children and family by keeping all court documents confidential and engaging a private judge to make any necessary legal decisions and to facilitate the expeditious resolution of any remaining issues," a joint statement from the former couple reads. "The parents are committed to act as a united front to effectuate recovery and reunification."
The filing comes after Pitt, who has only been allowed supervised visits with the children since the divorce announcement due to the child abuse allegations he was later cleared of, initially asked for it and accused his estranged wife of not acting in the best interest of their kids by making things, like the current arrangement, public.
"[She] appears to be determined to ignore even agreed upon standards relating to the children's best interest, and... is attempting to clear the way to put in the public eye any allegations she can, without regard to the impact on the minor children," his filing said.
Jolie's own filing in response when she agreed lashed out at Pitt, accusing him of trying to privatize things not for the sake of the children, but to keep anything that would negatively affect his image from being leaked to the public.
"There is little doubt that [Brad] would prefer to keep the entire case private, particularly given the detailed investigations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Dept. Of Children and Family Services into allegations of abuse," her filing read.
The joint statement and agreement also notably comes right after Pitt made a surprise appearance at the Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, Calif. On Sunday night. The actor took to the stage to announce Best Picture Nominee Moonlight, which he executive-produced, and was met by a round of enthusiastic applause from his peers as he presented the award.
Pitt seemed to not acknowledge the support with the exception of a surprised smile as he presented the film.