Us Weekly: Brad Pitt ‘loved’ Angelina Jolie and ‘he knows he made mistakes’

It was a small relief to read Vulture’s pushback on Brad Pitt in the past week. While F1 is one of Brad’s biggest films, Brad still hasn’t had to face any consequences for his violent acts against Angelina Jolie and their children in 2016. He terrorized his family and repeatedly assaulted Angelina in front of the children. He likely hurt one or more of the kids as they tried to defend their mom. The Jolie-Pitt kids have little to no relationship with Brad nine years later – Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh and Vivienne have all dropped “Pitt” from their names privately or publicly. Knox is the only one who might still use “Pitt” in his name. Because Brad is also suing Angelina over the sale of her half of Miraval, we also know that the 2016 plane incident was not the first time he abused her. That information came out last year, although it’s been largely ignored as everyone rushes to help out “poor Brad.” Speaking of, Us Weekly has been getting stuff from Pitt’s crisis management team for years, and this came out a few days ago:

Brad Pitt‘s got a new lease on life after admittedly overcoming “struggles.” The actor, who recently opened up on the “New Heights” podcast about facing obstacles with perseverance, is ready to put the past behind him as he’s learned from his mistakes when it comes to parenthood and marriage.

“The divorce is something that had been controlling his life for so many years,” an insider exclusively tells Us Weekly of his split from Angelina Jolie. “He loved her and he knows he made mistakes.”

“It was such a divisive, toxic situation,” the source adds of the drama that surrounded their divorce. The insider notes that the events leading up to the split and the aftermath “turned the kids against him as well” but that Pitt “doesn’t blame [Jolie] for everything.”

While under the public gaze, Pitt’s kids have seemingly made it clear where they stand. Shiloh legally filed to have Pitt dropped from her last name in August 2024, while Zahara and Vivienne appear to also only go by the last name Jolie. Pax and Maddox have also both been candid about distancing themselves from their dad. Pitt, who has been dating Ines de Ramon since 2022, also hopes to one day move forward with his children after legally ending this chapter with Jolie.

The actor’s “biggest regret is he can’t repair this,” the source says.

“The case is over but there are no winners,” the insider says. “To have that behind him is a relief. But on the other hand, it’s been hard for him because he doesn’t have a great relationship with his kids.”

The source says that Pitt’s sobriety journey has played a large part in the Oscar winner turning over a new leaf after years of strain with his children and ex-wife. “Ever since he stopped drinking, everything has changed,” the insider shares. However, Jolie “is still not in a place where she is going to forgive him or ever will.”

The insider maintains that Pitt is “relieved that this [divorce] is over, but the lasting impact is something he’s going to live with forever.”

[From Us Weekly]

“The divorce is something that had been controlling his life for so many years” – HE was the one holding up the divorce so he could extend his abuse and control over Angelina. He’s still trying to control her and punish her for leaving – the Miraval lawsuit (which he started) will likely go to trial next year, and I hope he gets his ass handed to him in court. “It’s been hard for him because he doesn’t have a great relationship with his kids…” He made his choices back in 2016, and he’s continued to make the same choices for nine years – he willingly jettisoned his relationships with his children by treating Angelina like sh-t and publicly maligning her for having the audacity to leave him. It wasn’t just about how he terrorized his family on one flight in 2016 – it was everything he did afterwards. “He loved her and he knows he made mistakes.” I still say that he simply could not believe that Angelina wouldn’t come back to him. That’s what this has always been about – how dare she leave, how dare she not forgive me.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.