Recently unearthed FBI documents have detailed a dramatic incident that was said to have occurred between Angelina Jolie and her ex-husband, Brad Pitt, on a private jet.
Taking place in September 2016, the allegedly violent episode was the catalyst for the couple's divorce, which Jolie filed for just five days later.
Per FBI records obtained by Rolling Stone, Jolie told FBI investigators that, during a flight from Europe back to Los Angeles, Pitt had screamed at her, "grabbed her by her head," shook her, and "pushed her into the bathroom wall." She also told officials that Pitt repeatedly punched the plane ceiling.
The couple's children, who were aged between 8-15 at the time, were allegedly frightened by the incident. When one of the children apparently called Pitt a "p***k," Pitt bolted at him "like he was going to attack," the documents state.
At this point, Jolie "jumped up and grabbed Pitt round his neck with her arms, 'like in a choke hold,' [...] Pitt purportedly threw himself back, pushing Jolie into the seats behind them, causing injury to her back and elbow," per Rolling Stone.
Soon afterwards, People reported that the incident was investigated by Child Welfare officials, but Pitt was cleared of any wrongdoing. In addition, the FBI closed its investigation into the allegations against Pitt.
Pitt has always vehemently denied the allegations but admitted to GQ that his reliance on alcohol had "become a problem" around the time that they separated.
The incident is once again in the spotlight as further documents obtained by Entertainment Tonight have emerged that show Jolie was seeking to take the FBI to court for not pursuing charges against Pitt.
These court documents reveal that a woman, identified only as Jane Doe, was suing the FBI for information pertaining to an investigation of an incident that matched the details of the alleged fight Pitt and Jolie had on the private jet, Entertainment Tonight reported.
Per the documents, the woman at the center of the legal battle wished to remain anonymous due to her "public status."
The Jane Doe argues that the FBI "did not notify her" of their decision to close their investigation into claims of physical and verbal assault against her and her children.
As a result, the documents reveal, Jane Doe filed the lawsuit in an attempt to "better understand the FBI's investigation and obtain information necessary for her children to receive medical care and trauma counseling" after the dramatic mid-air scuffle.
Per the documents, Jane Doe believed the FBI provided her with "legally insufficient" responses to her requests.
At the time, these documents were significantly redacted and, as such, it was unclear as to who Jane Doe was. However, a recent investigation from Puck has confirmed that she is, in fact, Angelina Jolie.
While Jolie has not publicly spoken about the incident, she did allude to it in a 2021 interview with The Guardian, stating that she had been "scared for her safety" during her marriage to Pitt.
"I'm not the kind of person who makes decisions like the decisions I had to make lightly. It took a lot for me to be in a position where I felt I had to separate from the father of my children," she added.