Brad Pitt ‘s legal team has hit out at Angelina Jolie’s latest divorce tactics as their bitter custody battle rages on.
The award winning actor and his legal team have called his ex-wife’s divorce filing a ‘Hail Mary’ – a reference in American football to deliberately delay a game.
On the 7th August, Angelina, 45, filed a request to remove judge John W. Ouderkirk – who had previously married the pair at a French estate in Miraval in 2014.
She claimed that their privately hired judge would be ‘biased’ in the divorce proceeding after he had failed to disclose ‘business relationships’ he had with Brad’s lawyers.
Brad’s team have accused Angelina of trying to delay proceedings (Image: TM and © 2005 by Regency Entertainment (USA), Inc. and Monarchy Enterprise/ 20th Century Fox)
According to legal documents obtained by PEOPLE, it seems that the Fight Club star is more concerned about the effect the delay will have on his children.
In the legal statement’s Pitt’s team accuse the actress of attempting a ‘transparently tactical gambit’ in a bid to delay matters further, stipulating that their own children will be ‘hurt most’ by the postponement.
Jolie’s latest legal stunt was described in the documents as “a veiled attempt by Jolie to delay the adjudication of long-pending custody issue in this case.”
Brad is worried about the effect it will have on his children if the divorce proceedings are delayed (Image: GC Images)
According to her filing she said: “[Ouderkirk] failed to make timely mandatory disclosures of ongoing business and professional relationships between himself.”
She also added that she was “never afforded the opportunity to even raise a concern or to object to the ever-increasing business relationships between Judge Ouderkirk and counsel — relationships that were providing a steady stream of income to Judge Ouderkirk and the potential for future work.
“These are precisely the type of repeat customer circumstances that create doubts about a privately-compensated private judge’s ability to remain impartial.”
In response to her claims that the judge would act impartially, Brad’s team said that Jolie was fully aware that Ouderkirk had accepted “additional new engagements” with Brad’s team and she had “never objected” until now.
Angelina’s lawyers hit back in statement suggesting that Brad’s claims were a “zealous attempt” (Image: TM and © 2005 by Regency Entertainment (USA), Inc. and Monarchy Enterprise/ 20th Century Fox)
The Tomb Raider star’s lawyer, Samantha Bley DeJean, was quick to follow up with a response statement to people which read: “It is unfortunate that Mr. Pitt’s team has sought to intervene ahead of Judge Ouderkirk’s response.”
“One can only conclude that this is an attempt to obstruct or influence Judge Ouderkirk’s answer. Any delay in these proceedings is due to their zealous attempt to create an unrecognized special exception for their client’s benefit.”
Although a judge ruled in 2019 that Angelina and Brad were officially ‘single,’ their divorce was still far from finalised.
Their bitter divorce battle is nearing almost four years, with a final resolution still pending and not looking any closer to be resolved.
The Hollywood couple first split in 2016 after 11 years together.
Angelina and Brad were married for two years and share six children, Maddox, 19, Pax, 16, Zahara, 15, Shiloh, 14, and twins Knox and Vivienne, 12.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
