Angelina Jolie accuses Brad Pitt of trying to “bleed her dry” after shock physical abuse claims

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt may no longer have to see each other every day, but they remain very much a present in each other’s lives, if only via the ongoing legal disputes that have plagued them post-marriage.

If you’re a fan of either one of the A-listers, you’ll surely be up to speed with their back and forth court battle over the sale of the French winery they purchased together a few years back.

Earlier this month documents submitted to the Los Angeles Superior Court contained some bombshell claims made by Tomb Raider star Jolie, including that Pitt had been physically abusive towards her in the years prior to the infamous airplane incident that immediately preceded their divorce.

In 2022 Pitt sued Jolie and her former company Nouvel for selling her half of the winery – it’s been claimed by Pitt that the two of them had agreed not to sell their shares without gaining the other’s approval first. The actor said that his ex-wife had consequently “jeopardize[d] the reputation of the business that Pitt so carefully built”.

Jolie then struck back, alleging in court documents that Pitt had become abusive during a plane ride from France to California in 2016. The Tomb Raider star accused Pitt of “grabbing” her “by the head” before also becoming physically abusive towards two of their children.

Newer reports, detailing fresh papers from Jolie’s legal team submitted to Los Angeles Superior Court on April 4, implied that the physical abuse from Brad began earlier than previously believed.

CNN obtained a copy of the motion, which reads: “While Pitt’s history of physical abuse of Jolie started well before the family’s September 2016 plane trip from France to Los Angeles, this flight marked the first time he turned his physical abuse on the children as well. Jolie then immediately left him.”

Pitt has maintained his innocence, it must be said, and he now has another allegation to fend off, with Jolie this week having accused her former husband of trying to “bleed her dry”.

In newly filed court documents published by the Daily Mail, Jolie claims: “It is extremely painful for Jolie to have to defend herself from Pitt’s lawsuit – itself another example of Pitt’s unrelenting efforts to control and financially drain her – especially because Pitt’s false allegations as to the reasons the Miraval deal cratered can only proven by doing exactly what Jolie never wanted to do: Provide to the trier of fact the reason the Miraval deal failed, which was Pitt’s demand for an NDA to cover up his history of physical and emotional abuse of Jolie and their family.”

As per reports, an in-the-know source added: “Angie says Brad is bleeding her dry – but it looks like she wants to bleed him dry.

“Far from being out to ruin his ex, it looks like Brad has bent over backwards to support Angie and help her out financially in spite of her appearing to be so vindictive.”

Following Jolie’s April 4 filing alleging abuse, PEOPLE quoted a source close to Pitt as having said: “This is a pattern of behavior – whenever there is a decision that goes against the other side they consistently choose to introduce misleading, inaccurate and/or irrelevant information as a distraction.

“There was a lengthy custody trial that involved the entire history of their relationship and a judge who heard all the evidence still granted him 50/50 custody.”