Brad Pitt has responded to claims that Angelina Jolie is seeking “formal child support” from him.
Earlier this week, Angelina’s attorneys claimed in leaked court documents that while the former couple had “informal arrangements” relating to child support after their split, Brad has not contributed in a “meaningful way”, and thus not held up his end of the agreement.
Her representative said in a statement: “The aim of Angelina’s routine court filing is to provide closure to the marriage in a way that clears a path toward the next stage of their lives and allows her and Brad to recommit as devoted co-parents to their children.”
In a court filing on Wednesday, Brad’s legal team rebutted claims he has not made a “meaningful” contribution to his family since the break-up, insisting he has paid more than $1.3m (£1m) in costs, as well as loaning $8m (£6.2 million) to his estranged wife to help her buy a house for her and their children.
They also suggest Angelina’s claims are a “thinly-veiled effort to manipulate media coverage”, as reported by BBC News.
In June this year, Angelina expressed her disdain when private court documents were leaked in the media, with the ensuing reports suggesting she could lose custody of her children if they’re not granted more time with their father.
She said at the time, via a spokesperson: “This misleading leak is not in the best interests of the children. From the start, Angelina has been focused only on their health and needs, which is why it was so important that this last court hearing be conducted privately.
“It’s deplorable that someone, for their own selfish reasons, leaked selective portions of the confidential and sealed court record to create an inaccurate and unfair picture of what is really happening.”
After a 12-year relationship, Brad and Angelina announced they were parting ways in 2016, two years after tying the knot in a private ceremony attended by their six children.
The two have since discussed the break-up separately, with Angelina revealing the stress led to her being diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, and Brad saying that he’d chosen to give up alcohol in the wake of the split.