Angelina Jolie calls divorce with Brad Pitt 'traumatic', demands $33,000 in legal fees

Angelina Jolie has opened up about the emotional toll of her divorce from Brad Pitt, shedding new light on the aftermath and their ongoing dispute over the Château Miraval estate in France. The revelations came in a recent declaration filed at the Los Angeles Superior Court, part of the former couple’s continuing legal battle over ownership.

According to Page Six, Jolie submitted the statement in response to Pitt’s demand that she hand over private communications related to Miraval, while also requesting that he cover $33,000 in legal fees she incurred responding to his motion.

Jolie explained that after filing for divorce, she handed over control of both their Los Angeles home and Miraval to Pitt in the hope of easing tensions. “The events leading to my need to separate from my ex-husband were emotionally difficult for me and our children. Upon filing for divorce, I left him control (and full residency) of our family homes in Los Angeles and at Miraval, without compensation, which I hoped would make him calmer in his dealings with me after a difficult and traumatic period,” she said.

The Oscar-winning actress also revealed the estate’s painful significance for her and her six children — Maddox (24), Pax (21), Zahara (20), Shiloh (19), and twins Knox and Vivienne (17). They “have never again set foot” at Miraval because of its connection to the divorce. Jolie said she “immediately began to look for a new house for me and our children, initially renting a home while looking for a more stable solution.”

The legal conflict escalated after Brad Pitt sued Jolie when she sold her stake in Miraval to the Stoli Group’s vision, claiming she did so without his consent. Jolie maintained she didn’t need his approval to sell, explaining that her savings were “tied up in Miraval,” and she needed access to the funds, as she hadn’t sought “alimony or any other financial support” from Pitt.

Reflecting on Miraval’s emotional weight, Jolie said the estate was more than just a property: “Miraval was one of the first major investments we made together, and it was a focal point of our family life. We were married there, I spent part of my pregnancy there, and I brought our twin children home there from the hospital. To have such a sudden break from my home and memories has been hard, and it was especially difficult for the children to have their lives so disrupted,” she said.

Jolie’s legal team added that she repeatedly asked Pitt to withdraw his motion, warning him about the financial burden. When he “refused to withdraw it,” she requested the court compel him to reimburse her for the “substantial attorneys’ fees she was forced to incur.” This dispute is part of a years-long legal saga that began after their separation on September 15, 2016. The couple married on August 14, 2014, and were declared legally single on April 12, 2019. In a related filing earlier this year, Pitt’s team claimed he sought the disputed messages because Stoli Group executive Alexei Oliynik allegedly refused deposition requests.