Domestic Violence In Hollywood? Insights from Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s Court Filings

Trigger Warning
On March 27, 2022, the slap heard across the nation sent ripples through Hollywood.

During the 94th Academy Awards, actor Will Smith walked onstage and slapped comedian Chris Rock across the face during Rock’s presentation for Best Documentary Feature. It didn’t take long for many actors and actresses to tweet their feelings about Smith after this incident, with many saying that he is "done in Hollywood" and voicing how disappointed they were in his reaction to Rock.

What prompted this attack was Rock making what he thought to be a harmless joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, relating to her bald head. Some time prior, Jada had stated that she shaved her head due to her alopecia worsening. However, Smith’s reaction led many to speculate that there was more to the story than just alopecia. Fast forward to more recent events, images surfaced of Smith holding Jada by his side as she appeared to be weakened, possibly suffering from a health concern that the couple has managed to keep private.

Either way, it was a night to remember, and Smith was ridiculed by many of his peers for defending his wife. While he has gone on to star in movies since, "slapgate" is something that has permanently tainted his career. Meanwhile, there’s Brad Pitt. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie wed on August 23, 2014, in an intimate ceremony in the French village of Correns.

The pair share six children together—Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, Knox, and Vivienne. However, on September 20, 2016, Jolie filed for divorce after a decade together and two years of marriage. What’s interesting is that despite a detailed report on why Jolie filed for divorce, Pitt has, well, suffered no consequences in his career. His peers? Silent. Not one tweet, not one interview criticizing him, despite the report detailing an incident where he allegedly attacked both Jolie and their children.

LET’S GET INTO IT:
There’s a lengthy and detailed FBI report that describes how Pitt's abusive behavior began even before the family arrived at an airport. Once they boarded the plane, he was allegedly both physically and emotionally abusive to Jolie and their children, who were between the ages of 8 and 15 at the time. This was the first report to include allegations of his abuse toward the children, whereas previous accounts primarily focused on abuse directed at Jolie.

Once the flight took off, Jolie approached Pitt to ask him what was wrong. He accused her of being differential toward the children, implying that she treated them differently from one another in terms of attention, affection, or discipline. Pitt has not publicly clarified or provided details about this claim, which could carry sensitive implications given that the couple shares both biological and adopted children of diverse racial backgrounds. If his anger stemmed from perceived mistreatment of the adopted children, it could have significant repercussions, both personally and publicly.

According to the report, Pitt then verbally attacked Jolie and demanded that she join him in the back of the plane after she walked away from him. When they entered the bathroom, he allegedly pulled her inside, yelled at her, grabbed her by the head and shoulders, and shook her before pushing her against the bathroom wall. He reportedly punched the ceiling of the plane multiple times, prompting Jolie to leave the bathroom.

As she exited, one of the children asked, “Are you okay, Mommy?” Pitt allegedly responded by shouting, “No, Mommy is not okay!” before heavily insulting Jolie. When one of the children verbally defended her, Pitt reportedly lunged at the child. Jolie intervened, grabbing him from behind, but to free himself, Pitt threw his body backward into the airplane seats, injuring her back and elbow in the process.

The children reportedly rushed to protect one another, with some bravely defending Jolie. However, before the altercation ended, Pitt allegedly choked one child and struck another in the face. The children pleaded for him to stop; many were frightened, some were crying, and all were left with no choice but to sit silently under their blankets. Terrified, they avoided moving around the cabin, with some even refraining from using the restroom.

Pitt would appear periodically from the bathroom to swear at everyone. At one point, he poured beer on Jolie, and at another, he poured red wine on the children. After several hours, he finally fell asleep. Upon landing, Jolie arranged for separate transportation. She cautioned the children that no matter what their father did, they should never intervene.

When Jolie woke Pitt to inform him that she and the children would be going to a hotel, he reportedly berated her, pushed her down, and yelled that no one was getting off the plane. He prevented the family from deplaning for 20 minutes. When he finally relented and allowed them to leave, Pitt allegedly abused one of the children outside the plane door and grabbed and shook Jolie by the head and shoulders. One of the children begged him not to hurt her. Pitt let Jolie go but continued yelling slurs at her, finishing with, “F*** you!”

Jolie and the children eventually made it to a hotel, and five days later, Jolie filed for divorce. This series of events was corroborated by a third-party witness, prompting the FBI to launch an investigation. Despite these serious allegations and headlines reporting that Pitt choked one of his children on a plane, the public response was muted, and Pitt faced no significant consequences for his career.

By contrast, Jonathan Majors, after being accused of physically assaulting his ex-girlfriend Grace Jabbari, lost the high-profile role of Kang in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Similarly, Chris Brown remains blackballed in the entertainment industry, R. Kelly is behind bars, and figures like Dr. Dre have faced declined interview opportunities due to his history of abuse allegations. The disparity is glaring. Even after Pitt and Jolie’s daughter, Shiloh, publicly announced that she would be dropping “Pitt” from her surname, the actor continues to face no repercussions in Hollywood.

by Venus Sanders