Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's 8-Year Divorce Battle Was "Horrendous" for Her

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt attend the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict at ExCel on June 13, 2014 in London, England — (Image credit: Getty Images)

On Monday, December 30, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt reached a settlement in their divorce, ending a years-long and highly-contentious process that reportedly took a toll on the actress.

"These last eight years have been such a horrendous time for her and her family," a source close to Jolie told People after news of the divorce settlement broke.

The source's description of the years-long ordeal as "horrendous" fits with the statement her divorce attorney, James Simon of Hersh Mannis, released Monday, in which he said the actress was "exhausted," but "relieved" that the settlement has finally been reached.

"More than eight years ago, Angelina filed for divorce from Mr. Pitt," the statement read. "She and the children left all of the properties they had shared with Mr. Pitt, and since that time she has focused on finding peace and healing for their family. This is just one part of a long ongoing process that started eight years ago. Frankly, Angelina is exhausted, but she is relieved this one part is over."

Jolie filed for divorce in 2016, following an incident on a private plane, during which the actress claimed Pitt was abusive toward their six children. The actor was investigated by the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services and eventually cleared and Jolie declined to press charges—a decision the People source also touched on.

"She could have pressed charges against him. She could have told the world what happened. She didn’t," the source added. "All she wanted was for Brad to get the help he needed and for their children to get the support they needed to heal."

Although all six of the couple's children were minors when Jolie filed for divorce (and custody disputes were reportedly a part of the settlement negotiations), now only two are still under 18—twins Knox and Vivienne, who are 16. The four older children—Maddox, 23, Pax, 21, Zahara, 19, and Shiloh, 18—are all legally adults and have "virtually no contact" with Pitt, a source told People earlier this year.

Even with the lingering issues in the family (and the former couple's continuing legal battle over a French winery they owned together), finalizing the settlement is a weight off Jolie's shoulders, according to the source, who added that "It gives her some relief" that "this part is finally over."

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Kayleigh Roberts is a freelance writer and editor with over 10 years of professional experience covering entertainment of all genres, from new movie and TV releases to nostalgia, and celebrity news. Her byline has appeared in Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, The Atlantic, Allure, Entertainment Weekly, MTV, Bustle, Refinery29, Girls’ Life Magazine, Just Jared, and Tiger Beat, among other publications. She's a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.