When kids find out their parents are getting divorced, they feel devastated. That is, until they realize that they're going to get two Christmases. Then they feel super happy about the separation. Woooo! Twice the presents! Thanks, Mom and Dad!
However, divorces can be rough on the parents, especially when it comes to getting custody of the children. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie met on the set of Mr. & Mrs. Smith, a movie about married assassins who are hired to kill each other by competing agencies. But how they're divorced and facing off in real life, for custody of their six children: Maddox (16), Pax (14), Zahara (13), Shiloh (11), and the twins, Vivian and Nox (both 9).
In 2016, Brad was accused of child abuse because of an alleged incident on an airplane. According to TMZ, "the details of precisely what happened" are "murky." An anonymous person alleged that Brad "lunged" at his eldest son Maddox, Angelina tried to block him, and he "connected in some fashion" with the boy. Whatever that means! Afterward, the FBI and the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services conducted an investigation and cleared Brad of all child abuse charges.
Now we're learning new details, thanks to court documents obtained by The Blast. The judge ruled that the six children "not having a relationship with their father is harmful to them." He added that "it is critical that each of them have a healthy and strong relationship with their father and mother." As a result, he ordered Angelina to call the children and their doctors and tell them "the court has determined that each of them are safe with their father."
According to the documents, the court addressed some issues regarding cell phones. Angelina must give Brad the kids' phone numbers, and let him call them whenever he wants. She is not allowed to read their text messages or give out a number to a phone that she secretly monitors. Furthermore, when the kids are staying with Brad, she is only allowed to call them one time per day at a time previously agreed upon by both parents. (Take that, Maleficent!)
The court goes to lay out specific days and amounts of time that Angelina must make the minor children available to Brad. Since Maddox is older, the court is letting him decide how much time he spends with Brad. The arrangement includes the time period the family will be in London, in addition to Los Angeles. (Angelina is currently in London shooting Maleficent 2.)
If Angelina doesn't follow this new court order, she's in danger of losing her kids: "If the minor children remain closed down to their father and depending on the circumstances surrounding this condition, it may result in a reduction of the time they spend with [Jolie] and may result in the Court ordering primary physical custody to [Pitt]."
Well, that was a ominous warning. Hopefully the family can work through their troubles. I mean, look at the bright side of the separation. Two Christmases!
