Angelina Jolie on Monday blasted a judge who she claims did not allow her children to testify in her divorce from Brad Pitt.
Jolie and Pitt have been involved in a lengthy court battle to determine who receives custody of their six kids -- Maddox, 19; Pax, 17; Zahara, 16; Shiloh, 14, and twins Vivienne and Knox, 12.
In a filing, Jolie claimed that Judge John Ouderkirk declined to hear evidence relevant to the children's safety and well-being before making a tentative ruling, according to the Associated Press.
"Judge Ouderkirk denied Ms. Jolie a fair trial, improperly excluding her evidence relevant to the children’s health, safety, and welfare, evidence critical to making her case," according to the filing in California’s 2nd District Court of Appeal.
Jolie filed for divorce from Pitt after an alleged "incident" on a plane. She never indicated what happened, but reports at the time stated that Pitt had allegedly attacked his oldest son, Maddox, on the flight. The "Fight Club" actor was never charged and there have never been any police reports filed indicating allegations of spousal abuse.
In the new filing, Jolie, who previously sought to have Ouderkirk disqualified from the case, said the judge refused to hear her children's input pertaining to their experiences, needs, or wishes as to their custody fate.
In response to the filing, Pitt's attorney stated that "Ouderkirk has conducted an extensive proceeding over the past six months in a thorough, fair manner and reached a tentative ruling and order after hearing from experts and percipient witnesses."
Jolie's testimony "lacked credibility in many important areas, and the existing custody order between the parties must be modified, per Mr. Pitt’s request, in the best interests of the children," Pitt's filing further states.
This comes amid reports that Pitt won joint custody of the children.
Speaking with Page Six, one source said it was a "tentative decision," while another noted that there was "a significant change made in the custody agreements based on an extremely detailed decision" made by tOuderkirk.
"Brad was just trying to have more time with his kids — and it has been clear that Angie has done everything possible to prevent this," the insider said.
Dozens of witnesses, experts, therapists, and others reportedly took the stands over the course of the trial.
Jolie's ongoing fight was not so much about joint custody as it was about "other issues of concern" which could not be revealed as the proceedings are "closed and sealed."
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Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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