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Fans were thrown for a loop when news broke on Sept. 20 that Angelina Jolie filed for divorce from Brad Pitt after 11 years of being together. Although the By the Sea actress has yet to personally speak out on the matter, her attorney, Robert Offer, said her decision to split was "for the health of the family." Brad released a statement of his own not long after, telling People, "I am very saddened by this, but what matters most now is the well-being of our kids." While it's still unclear what led to their shocking breakup, keep reading to get all caught up on everything that has unfolded since then.
Angelina files for divorce from Brad. The actress filed papers to end their marriage on Sept. 19, citing irreconcilable differences and requesting sole physical custody of their six children, Maddox, Pax, Shiloh, Zahara, and twins Vivienne and Knox. She also asked the judge to grant Brad visitation rights.
Angelina's attorney, Robert Offer, releases a statement on her behalf. After their divorce news grabbed headlines on Sept. 20, Angelina's attorney said her decision to divorce was made "for the health of the family," but did not answer any further questions.
Brad releases a statement. The actor spoke out about the split in a statement to People that same day, making it clear that he's putting their kids first. "I am very saddened by this, but what matters most now is the well-being of our kids. I kindly ask the press to give them the space they deserve during this challenging time," he said.
More details about their divorce surface. In an exclusive report from Us Weekly, a source close to the pair revealed that "they fought a lot over the years and disagreed about many things. . . . The fighting got worse and they disagreed a lot about parenting." The insider also noted that they would also "fight over their schedules and politics."
Angelina's manager, Geyer Kosinski, releases another statement on her behalf. Later that Tuesday, Angelina's manager told E! News, "Angelina will always do what's in the best interest of taking care of her family. She appreciates everyone's understanding of their need for privacy at this time."
Celebrities react to Brad and Angelina's shocking split. Once the news broke on Sept. 20, it didn't take very long for GIFs and memes to flood the internet. Stars also quickly chimed in, and Chrissy Teigen tweeted, "Brad and Angelina. How am I supposed to go to work today?" Meanwhile, their friend George Clooney found out about the breakup while attending the Leaders' Summit on Refugees at the United Nations. During an interview with CNN, a reporter asked him to comment on their split, to which he shockingly responded, "What happened? . . . I didn't know that. I feel very sorry then. That's a sad story and unfortunate for a family. It's an unfortunate story about a family. I feel very sorry to hear that." Adele also dedicated her NYC concert to the couple, telling the audience, "I need to address to elephant in the room . . . But it's the end of an era." More recently, Courteney Cox said the divorce is "not about" Jennifer Aniston, and Jen's husband, Justin Theroux, made a similar comment about her inclusion being "nonsense." Melissa Etheridge also chimed in, calling Angelina "nasty" and saying that the allegations of child abuse against Brad were "completely unfounded."
The New York Post releases a cover featuring a laughing Jennifer Aniston. On Sept. 21, people were furious when The New York Post released its Brad and Angelina split cover, showing a massive photo of Jennifer laughing hysterically. Not long after, Jennifer's pal, Chelsea Handler, spoke out about the breakup, saying, "Brad and Angelina always said they wouldn't get married until everyone could get married and I always said I wouldn't get married until they got divorced, so I'm officially accepting proposals. I'm ready." She then continued, "There are rumors that part of the problem was that Brad was allegedly drinking and smoking too much weed. I wonder why he would need to self-medicate? Maybe because he could have been spending the last 12 years at Lake Como hanging out with George Clooney and Matt Damon instead of being stuck in a house with 85 kids, speaking 15 different languages. Oh yeah, and because he married a f*cking lunatic, that's why."
Marion Cotillard breaks her silence on Brad and Angelina's split. On Sept. 21, Marion took to Instagram to announce her pregnancy with longtime partner Guillaume Canet and shut down rumors that she had an affair with Brad in a lengthy post. "This is going to be my first and only reaction to the whirlwind news that broke 24 hours ago and that I was swept up into," she wrote, adding, "Firstly, many years ago, I met the man of my life, father of our son and of the baby we are expecting. He is my love, my best friend, the only one that I need . . . And to all the media and the haters who are quick to pass judgment, I sincerely wish you a swift recovery. Finally, I do very much wish that Angelina and Brad, both of whom I deeply respect, will find peace in this very tumultuous moment."
Brad is investigated for child abuse. On Sept. 22, People magazine reported that the actor was under investigation for child abuse by the Los Angeles Police Department and LA County Department of Children and Family Services after someone anonymously reported that he got "verbally abusive" and "physical" with one of his six children. The incident allegedly occurred on Sept. 14 on his and Angelina's private plane, where the rest of the kids, as well as Angelina, were also present. The report also suggests that he had been drinking at the time of the incident. Not long after the news broke, the LAPD denied the report with the statement: "We have no criminal investigation that we are actively pursuing. To my knowledge, [Pitt talking to police] never happened. And right now, that is where our office is. We are not investigating any case, nor do we have any allegations against Mr. Pitt. We understand how rumors get spun up and hopefully we can put a few of them to rest. We have no investigation involving Mr. Pitt." People later clarified that the DCFS is still investigating Brad for child abuse, but the LAPD has not been involved. TMZ has also further reported that the child abuse allegations have been transferred to the FBI.
Brad gets a lawyer. On Sept. 22, The Hollywood Reporter reported that the actor enlisted help from Lance Spiegel, a family law attorney from Beverly Hills, for his upcoming divorce.
The FBI releases an official statement. On Sept. 22, the FBI responded to Brad's child abuse investigation in a statement to Us Weekly saying, "In response to your inquiry regarding allegations within the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States; specifically, an aircraft carrying Mr. Brad Pitt and his children, the FBI is continuing to gather facts and will evaluate whether an investigation at the federal level will be pursued."
Brad Pitt backs out of an event and releases another statement. On Sept. 27, Brad revealed he wouldn't be attending a previously planned screening of Terrence Malick's Voyage of Time. "I'm currently focused on my family situation and don't want to distract attention away from this extraordinary film," he said.
Brad offers to take a drug test. In an effort to prove he has nothing to hide, Brad agreed to a drug test, according to a report from Us Weekly on Sept. 28. A legal source confirmed that the test would not not be conducted against Brad's will, stating, "The DCFS [Department of Community & Family Services] wouldn't compel someone to provide the urine sample for the drug test; it would be voluntary."
Angelina hires the real-life Olivia Pope for her divorce. On Sept. 29, People confirmed that the actress hired famous crisis manager Judy Smith, who inspired Kerry Washington's character in Scandal, to help with her divorce. "Judy has been asked to consult with those working with Angelina on divorce negotiations," a source told the magazine. "Judy and her firm have a long history of handling issues that have unfortunately garnered too much attention in the public eye, and she knows how to push towards resolutions that are swift and discreet."
Brad and Angelina reach a temporary custody agreement. On Sept. 30, it was revealed that the former couple reached a temporary custody agreement, which will be in effect for three weeks before the LA County Department of Children and Family Services will draw up another arrangement or turn the jurisdiction over to the court. The agreement states that Angelina will get full physical custody of their children and Brad will have visitation rights, although hist first visit will be monitored by a therapist, who will determine if he is allowed to then have unsupervised time with the kids. Angelina and Brad also have to attend individual counseling as well as family counseling with the kids, and Brad has to take random drug and alcohol tests.
Brad won't be prosecuted for alleged plane incident with Angelina and Maddox. On Oct. 8, it was reported that the FBI never opened an investigation against Brad because there was "no case," though TMZ says the FBI is still working on gathering all the facts from the incident.
Brad sees his kids for the first time since announcing the split. E! News confirmed that Brad was able to visit some of his children on Oct. 8, with a therapist present to monitor his behavior. It's not clear which of the kids were present and which weren't, but a second source also told E! that the therapist would be present for all of Brad's visits through Oct. 20 and that the actor happily volunteered to complete drug and alcohol testing (even though it was not required).
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