Angelina Jolie II

[kali]

I think she could have multiple reasons for it. First, she's very politically active in the field of the rights of abused women, and she just straight up probably wants to know specifically why decisions were made not to pursue charges, both for herself and as part of the greater context of an issue she's clearly passionate about. She filed the FOIA under Jane Doe, and none of this leaked through People or TMZ, which are basically the celeb legal outlets of choice. This came down through political journalists, who are probably analyzing every FOIA against the FBI right now.

That said, I just...honestly don't care? If she did it for petty reasons, to make it hella awkward for him when he tries to get his kudos over his Weinstein doc, as retaliation for him not letting her get out of the winery business with him? goodforherlucillebluth.gif

I mean, he did it. It's the truth. Not even he is denying it. And so making the primary question of this "why would she want anyone to know he's abusive and terrible" feels like just one more way we tell women to just suffer quietly and not make things uncomfortable for anyone. Frankly, I think the truth being out there is probably less difficult for her kids than the years of gaslighting via media they've been subjected to.

[americanchai]

Maybe the kids are also sick of Brad being seen as the good guy taken over by a bad woman who then turns good again when released from her lair. Like being married to her and having all these kids made him drink and now he's all good! Chilling with his pals, having relationships with married ladies (open marriage!), continuing to be a successful actor/producer. Maybe he's not making that big of an effort to see them. Just letting the lawyers volley back and forth with Angie's. He's been super famous for a really long time and this would be hard work. That stuff gets done by other people. He can be passive while hiring other people to do the dirty work and every so often pipe up and go, "This is unfair!" She can too. I think this will continue until the last kid is 18. Then Angie will either have to marry somebody super-rich to pay her legal bills or live in one of the kids' garages, if they're still talking to her.

I'm trying to think of what the tell-all books will be called:

Maddox "Surviving Famous Parents: Why I'll Never Fly Private Again"

Zahara "It's Called the Electric Slide: Growing Up African with Two of the Whitest Most Famous People on the Planet"

Pax "Remember Me? How to Be Forgotten in the Most Famous Family in the World"

Shiloh "I Was 8 and I Had Short Hair and Wore Pants. So What? I'm a Trailblazer"

Knox/Vivienne "Yes We Look Like Our Dad"

[Deleted]

I do get the impression he's tried hard to see his kids/get custody on a more equal basis.
That said, I hardly think that qualifies him as father of the year or anything close.
Honestly I have a feeling they had a rocky relationship even way before the divorce. Probably the marriage was an attempt to smooth things out (contrary to their claims that it was to make the kids happy). I think AJ just doesn't like to be tied down. She is happy to devote herself to her kids, but not to a partner. And I think Brad had control issues and couldn't handle that, which makes sense that the straw that broke the camel's back was him attempting to take charge and control over her/the kids during that plane incident. Certainly his alcohol issues didn't help.
I'm not a fan of either, but Brad annoys me more than Angelina.

[lae]

I don’t really agree with the notion that she should keep quiet. I mean, maybe he’s shouldn’t have been abusive instead. He did it. Why should she have to never discuss it? I do get not airing dirty laundry because it impacts kids to some extent but she’s allowed to tell her story and she’s not even slamming him right now, just letting what happened be known. She definitely seems to bare the brunt of the public hating and he’s like Teflon so I can see where she would want to be transparent and the kids are already aware of the situation. Abuse thrives on silence.

[scarlet]

Jul 1, 2008 23:07:20 GMT -4 kali said:

I mean, he did it. It's the truth.

I've always been a sort of Brad apologist, but the way his PR has been gaslighting everyone with this ("Nothing to see here--why won't she let it go, let's just move on") is so fucking offensive it makes my blood boil.

[ahah]

Aug 19, 2022 7:32:19 GMT -4 kali said:

I think she could have multiple reasons for it. First, she's very politically active in the field of the rights of abused women, and she just straight up probably wants to know specifically why decisions were made not to pursue charges, both for herself and as part of the greater context of an issue she's clearly passionate about. She filed the FOIA under Jane Doe, and none of this leaked through People or TMZ, which are basically the celeb legal outlets of choice. This came down through political journalists, who are probably analyzing every FOIA against the FBI right now.

That said, I just...honestly don't care? If she did it for petty reasons, to make it hella awkward for him when he tries to get his kudos over his Weinstein doc, as retaliation for him not letting her get out of the winery business with him? goodforherlucillebluth.gif

I mean, he did it. It's the truth. Not even he is denying it. And so making the primary question of this "why would she want anyone to know he's abusive and terrible" feels like just one more way we tell women to just suffer quietly and not make things uncomfortable for anyone. Frankly, I think the truth being out there is probably less difficult for her kids than the years of gaslighting via media they've been subjected to.

Each of these possibilities, as I read them, focus on her. Nothing here focuses on how the kids are better cared for or better protected by the world knowing. That's my point. I think it's BS to give her accolades for being this fantastic mother who always puts her children first when if she'd take action like this, she's not putting them first.

Aug 19, 2022 10:08:35 GMT -4 lae said:

I don’t really agree with the notion that she should keep quiet. I mean, maybe he’s shouldn’t have been abusive instead. He did it. Why should she have to never discuss it? I do get not airing dirty laundry because it impacts kids to some extent but she’s allowed to tell her story and she’s not even slamming him right now, just letting what happened be known. She definitely seems to bare the brunt of the public hating and he’s like Teflon so I can see where she would want to be transparent and the kids are already aware of the situation. Abuse thrives on silence.

I'm not saying she is not allowed to discuss it. I don't see anyone else saying that either. There are lots of things that are allowed, but not wise. I think damage is being done to the kids to make it public. I don't think there's a rule that either Brad is bad or Angelina is bad, but both can't be. Her making choices that may be selfish and not good for her kids doens't mean Brad is a good guy.
Quite honestly - I think it's more common for two crappy people to be drawn to each other. So truth be told, they're probably both crappy self centered people who pay a lot for PR people who create great images for them.

[SApril]

How did Angelina make this public? I've only been reading that she requested the the files be sealed, but a judge denied it.

[hellsbells]

So, I like Brad Pitt as an actor. And he did the thing and I'm not crying for him that it's public now. If that was an angelina decision or a freedom of information thing... He did it. The consequence is losing his family and having the public know. Oh well.

I like Angelina less as an actress. And I have no problem with this information being released by her or anybody else. He did the thing. This is the natural consequence. Oh well.

I don't care too much about either person as a person. I don't wish either of them harm. I hope Pitt is sober. I hope Jolie is sober. I hope they have mental health support. Their children deserve parents who are accountable for their mistakes and take ownership in getting help.

People are complicated.

[kali]

Aug 19, 2022 12:52:20 GMT -4 ahah said:

Each of these possibilities, as I read them, focus on her. Nothing here focuses on how the kids are better cared for or better protected by the world knowing. That's my point. I think it's BS to give her accolades for being this fantastic mother who always puts her children first when if she'd take action like this, she's not putting them first.

As I said, I personally think having their mother villainized for years as their father accepted awards and made jokes about relating to the guy who killed his wife probably did them more damage than having the truth be known.

Ultimately, we can only guess at their feelings. But I'm definitely not going to say "well, one parent is abusive and the other parent doesn't care if you know their partner was abusive" and say they're both equals in awfulness. I think people are giving Angelina kudos as a parent not because she filed an FOIA on her own file anonymously, but because she does things like embarrass herself trying to do the electric slide for Zahara, or going to concerts with Shiloh, etc.

I'm not saying she is not allowed to discuss it. I don't see anyone else saying that either. There are lots of things that are allowed, but not wise. I think damage is being done to the kids to make it public. I don't think there's a rule that either Brad is bad or Angelina is bad, but both can't be. Her making choices that may be selfish and not good for her kids doens't mean Brad is a good guy.
Quite honestly - I think it's more common for two crappy people to be drawn to each other. So truth be told, they're probably both crappy self centered people who pay a lot for PR people who create great images for them.

I'm not saying she's an American hero. I'm just not here for saying that abuse and exposing abuse are equivalent and therefore "both sides suck". I think that kind of reasoning is why a lot of victims don't speak up.

[matti]

Aug 18, 2022 10:07:14 GMT -4 Ginger said:

Dec 30, 2015 21:40:13 GMT -4 cubanitafresca said:

Maybe it shouldn't mean that he doesn't get to have a relationship with his kids. But he may not get that choice because it's also possible that the kids themselves don't want to see them.

I can understand the older kids being that way, especially Maddox. I don't believe that the younger kids, who were only 8 at the time of the plane incident, would be hanging on to it permanently unless they were being strongly encouraged to do so. Little kids don't do that.

I can tell you that my kids who were 5 and 9 during the worst part of my ex husbands height of addiction, remember it all! Having an alcoholic as a parent is traumatic as hell. Both my kids have been in therapy since our divorce.

My kids watched their father break furniture, punch walls, scream and yell and hit me. They were terrified and still have nightmares about it. Most children of alcoholics do.

Check out any Al -Anon meeting - they are full of adult children of alcoholics. By adult children, I mean adults who grew up in with an alcoholic parent.

The studies on the effects children with alcoholic parent are heartbreaking. They never truly feel safe, they isolate, they are more likely to suffer from clinical depression and they simultaneously hate yet love the alcoholic parent. And as others have noted, there is no way that was an isolated incident.

Honestly, after reading those articles I couldn't sleep for 2 days. The things he said, the way he insulted Maddox (columbine kid) the pushing/ grabbing/ shoving and trying to prevent them from leaving ... textbook alcoholic behavior. I am not which child tried to intervene to help, which again is common with children of alcoholics. My 9 year old would stand in front of my ex and tell him to leave me alone.

It is all so sad.

Brad is Teflon for some reason. I have no idea why.