As she rang in the New Year, Angelina Jolie was revealed to be feeling ‘exhausted’ but ‘relieved’ after having finally put her gruelling eight-year divorce battle with ex Brad Pitt to rest.

But after the actress and mother of five recently attempted to dismiss Brad’s legal dispute over their French winery, Chateau Miraval – a legal battle that has been rumbling on since 2021 – it was reported that a judge has now officially denied her request.

Now the former couple, whose 2016 split fast became one of the most toxic in celebrity history, are set to go head-to-head again, with a court date set for next year – a ruling that a source tells Closer has left Angelina incredibly ‘stressed’.

The insider says, ‘This lawsuit is a huge drain on her energy and bank balance. Even if he doesn’t win he’s forcing her to spend a fortune on lawyers and it’s a constant time suck. The stress of it is really wearing on her.

‘And if the worst happens and he does win, it’s going to completely decimate her financially, which will have a massive impact on the kids. They rely on her for everything, including their security details, which do not come cheap. It’s very clear to Angie that he’s doing this to try and punish her.’

Angelina, 50, and Brad, 61, share Maddox, 23, Pax, 21, Zahara, 20, Shiloh, 19 and twins Vivienne and Knox, who turn 17 on Saturday 12 July, together.

And while many may suspect that the $67 million is the ultimate revenge move for Brad – who sources previously told us blames Angelina for his lack of contact with his children – an insider now tells Closer that the Oscar-winner’s bid for ‘justice’ could backfire on him in the most heartbreaking way – by further driving his children away from him.

‘The kids are very clued into what is going on and the irony is, this is only making them despise him more,’ the source tells us.

‘Of course, the kids see the toll this is taking on their mum and it’s only logical they’re going to put the blame on Brad. They see this as an attack on their mum and on them, and they’re completely rallying around Angie.

‘Angelina is convinced a big reason for his rage now is the fact the kids have chosen her over him.’

Since filing for divorce in 2016, Angelina has been candid about how she has been forced to live a much more ‘caged’ life amidst their ongoing disputes over their children’s custody agreement, which stipulates that she must remain close to Brad in LA.

But with their twins’ birthday marking the one year countdown until they officially become adults next summer – thus gaining their full legal rights and responsibilities and can choose whether or not to see Brad themselves – Angelina appeared to deliver the ultimate ‘f**k’ you to her ex when, earlier this year, she revealed her plans to spend a lot more time in Cambodia, over 8000 miles from him.
Meanwhile, Brad’s adult children appear to have all independently cut ties with their famous dad.

The actor’s estrangement from his children follows an alleged altercation on the family’s plane just a day before Angelina filed for divorce.
While the accusations were kept largely under wraps at the time, they were explosively revealed during Brad and Angelina’s dispute over their French vineyard in 2022, when Angelina’s lawyer alleged that Brad ‘grabbed Jolie by the head and shook her’ before he ‘choked one of the children and struck another in the face’.

No charges were pressed, but last year it was reported that Maddox and Pax have ‘virtually no contact’ with Brad, with Zahara also introducing herself as ‘Zahara Marley Jolie’ during her college sorority introduction in 2023.
Shiloh, too, opted for the name ‘Shi Jolie’ when she made her debut as a choreographer at a fashion show in May.

Now, in a bombshell turn of events, the history of their sad family split could further be brought into the limelight, with Angelina’s lawyers previously claiming that Brad had attempted to stage a ‘cover-up’ to prevent more information from coming out.

Last month, a judge ruled that Angelina has to submit all of the NDAs she signed during her marriage to Brad as, in their latest legal feud, he attempts to reverse the sale of her share of their winery to Russian billionaire, Yuri Shefler, in 2021.

In August 2024, Angelina’s team alleged that the actress had sold her 50 per cent share of Chateau Miraval after, they claim, Brad refused to buy her stake until she signed a further $8.5 million NDA ‘designed to force her silence about his abuse and cover-up’.

But the source says, ‘Brad is adamant that it isn’t fair, he believes he’s just defending himself against an attack from Angie. The Chateau is so personal for him, he doesn’t want a partner – no matter who they are – it’s just not something he can back down on. It’s a symbol of everything he’s built – he can’t just give in on this.’

Whatever the outcome, the source says that Angelina is buckling up for yet another battle and, despite her fears of yet more expenses and the threat of having to pay back the money she gained from her winery shares, she knows her children are by her side.

The insider says, ‘The legal bills are staggering, it’s so incredibly stressful. It’s the last thing she needs right now with everything else she’s dealing with. She’s already so tired and stressed and this is just sucking out more of her energy.

‘But do not doubt that Angie will fight back. There’s no telling how it will resolve because she is just as determined to stand her ground as he is, and just as fierce.’

They continue, ‘She’s said she’ll fight this to the bitter end if she has to. But emotionally, there’s no denying it’s draining her – everyone can see that, especially her kids. They’ve watched her break down in tears over this, watched her pace the halls talking to her lawyers – it’s been very disruptive.

‘The longer this goes on, the bigger wedge it’s bound to drive between them and Brad, which is very sad.’