Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s bitter legal battle has torn their children away from the actor’s parents, who once “lived for their grandchildren” – but have had to accept a “heartbreaking” lack of contact over the past eight years.
Pitt, 60, has been estranged from his daughter Shiloh, 18, and twins Knox and Vivienne, 16, as well as his three adopted children Maddox, 23, Pax, 20, and Zahara, 19, since an explosive fight on their private jet in early 2016 Angelina, 49, is filing for divorce.
Now insiders have revealed that the children’s grandparents, William and Jane Pitt, have also suffered, with the devastated couple fearing they would ‘never again’ be able to spend time with their son’s children.
“Brad Pitt’s parents haven’t been able to see their beloved grandchildren for eight years amid the ongoing divorce and legal battle between Brad and Angelina,” an insider exclusively told DailyMail.com.
The doting grandparents had been a very prominent factor in the children’s lives before Brad’s marriage collapsed, with the duo often pictured enjoying quality time with them.
“Before the divorce, they were part of the kids’ lives and they all spent a lot of time together,” the source continued. “It’s just heartbreaking to see that this is no longer the case.
Brad Pitt’s (right) parents haven’t seen the children he shares with Angelina Jolie in eight years, sources have told DailyMail.com (pictured with Brad, Pax, Shiloh and Maddox in 2014)
Brad, 60, and Angelina’s bitter legal battle has torn their six children away from the actor’s parents, William and Jane, who once ‘lived for their grandchildren’ (pictured in 2012)
“It’s one thing for the children not to see their father, but for Jane and Bill to have no contact with their precious grandchildren is sad.
‘They are in their 80s and it is unbelievable to think that they would never be able to spend time with the children again.’
William, or Bill, 83, and Jane, 84, were last photographed in public with their grandchildren at the premiere of Angelina’s film Unbroken in 2014.
Brad took the kids and his parents to the Hollywood premiere in place of the actress, who had contracted a case of chickenpox.
Jane had nothing but praise for Angelina at the time, telling reporters, “We are so very proud of Angie. This means so much to our family and especially to our grandchildren. We love her dearly.’
Angelina had spoken fondly of Brad’s parents in the past for accepting her adopted children.
“When I first met them, I came in with two adopted children from other countries and I didn’t know how they would do,” she said. “But they are just as loving with them.”
In 2016 the The rogue actress had filed for divorce after just two years of marriage and family relations seemed to be broken.
Pitt shares daughter Shiloh, 18, and twins Knox and Vivienne, 16, as well as three adopted children Maddox, 23, Pax, 20, and Zahara, 19, with the actress, 49
“It’s one thing for the kids not to see their dad, but for Jane and Bill to not have any contact with their precious grandchildren is sad,” the source said (Brad, Angelina and his parents in 2008).
Angelina filed for divorce in 2016 after an explosive fight on their private jet
Three years later, in 2019, Brad and Angelina were declared legally single. However, the stars are still locked in an ongoing battle over their Chateau Miraval estate.
Brad’s relationship with his children has deteriorated so much that he has “virtually no contact” with the eldest three.
Zahara dropped ‘Pitt’ from her surname in November 2023, before Vivienne followed suit in June this year. Shiloh joined them in August when she paid for her own lawyer to officially dump Pitt.’
The decision stung Bill and Jane, who were forced to watch things unfold from their home in Missouri.
A separate source added that the estrangement is “tragic” for both parties.
“They are grandparents who live for their grandchildren but haven’t seen them in years,” they said. “That’s tragic for both parties.”
Bill and Jane, who were incredibly fond of Brad’s first wife, Jennifer Aniston, are also parents to Doug Pitt and Julie Neal, whose children are close to them.
Doug has Sydney, Landon and Regan with wife Lisa, while Julie is mother to Caleb, twin daughters Josie and Rylie, as well as adopted sons Caden and Cruz, whom she shares with husband Scott Neal.
The Pitt family pictured with Angelina and the children she shares with the Troy actor at a get-together several years before their split in 2016
The estrangement leaves Bill and Jane devastated, fearing they will ‘never again’ be able to spend time with Brad’s children.
The source notes, “Before the divorce, they were part of the kids’ lives and spent a lot of time with them. It’s just heartbreaking to see that this is no longer the case.”
The close-knit family regularly shares photos with their cousins and grandparents on Instagram, but hasn’t posted photos with Brad’s children since 2016.
Angelina’s own estranged father, Jon Voight, recently spoke about how he “doesn’t talk to his grandchildren as much as he would like,” and called on the former couple to make peace so their children can have stability.
Angelina is accused of deliberately trying to drive a wedge between Brad and their six children.
After the actress walked arm-in-arm with Knox at the Governors Awards on Monday, a source told DailyMail.com that Brad feels she has turned the brood against him.
“Of course it bothers him that Angelina turned them against him,” they said. “She did this when they were all young and they didn’t even get a chance to make a decision about him.
“He believes that in time his children will come back into his life.”
In May, former British SAS soldier Tony Webb, who worked for the family for more than 20 years from 2000, claimed his colleague told him he heard Angelina “encouraging the children not to spend time with Pitt during custody visits.”
Court filings filed in LA Superior Court detailing the explosive claims were made public as part of the ongoing ‘War of the Roses’, with the A-List couple locked in a bitter battle over her rights to their French vineyard and house to sell.
Brad’s relationship with his children has deteriorated to the point where he has ‘virtually no contact’ with the eldest three (Angelina pictured with Zahara and Shiloh)
The couple’s youngest children, twins Knox and Vivienne, have recently been attending industry events with their mother, with the latter dropping ‘Pitt’ from her surname
The Tomb Raider star sold her $62 million stake to Russian billionaire Yuri Shefler in 2021, which Brad said violated their agreement to offer the other the right of first refusal.
Angelina had recently filed motions to dismiss the claims Brad had made against her regarding an oral agreement regarding their 50-50 ownership of the vineyard.
She argued that the agreement was annulled after her ex asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement regarding their marriage – with both parties seemingly determined to throw everything at it.
But in a new twist in the long-running lawsuit, LA Supreme Court Judge Lia Martin dismissed the claims, putting Brad firmly back in the driver’s seat of the dispute.
Court papers filed last week show that the judge found basis in Brad’s claims that their original oral agreement was binding, and that Jolie may have violated it when she sold her shares.
With the rejection of the three files, the former power couple – who married in 2014 at the estate in Provence, southern France – will have to appear in court for the trial next year.
A source close to the actor told DailyMail.com at the time: ‘This is a simple business dispute, but unfortunately the other party has consistently introduced personal elements that have exposed the weaknesses in their case and made the proceedings more complicated and lengthy.’
The Maleficent star then has 30 days to appeal the judge’s decision.
Brad filed the $67 million lawsuit against Angelina in 2022, less than a year after the shares were sold, kicking off a lengthy court battle between the exes.