It seems that Hollywood has more skeletons inside its closet than one can think of. All of this started when Hollywood’s head honcho, Harvey Weinstein was arrested over a series of sexual assualts and rapes he committed over a period of thirty years. It was perhaps the first time when women decided to speak up for themselves and their ordeal. This culminated the beginning of the #Metoo movement.
This was the turning point in the history of American cinema, which for a long time stuck to the traditional and highly orthodox values. Something that the American state fully wanted to continuously impose on its masses. The #Metoo movement certainly has seen its ups and downs and it has been continuously appreciated for its boldness and criticized for its bias.
But one thing must be noticed that the impact that it has made on the minds of young and old alike has in many ways given a necessary space for such stories to emerge from the shadows of gloss and glamour. It seems only yesterday when Johnny Depp and Amber Heard’s legal battle was making headlines across the world. And finally justice was delivered to the worthy, while this exposed the major loopholes in the entire movement while it also made people notice that abuse can be perpetrated by anybody regardless of one’s gender.
But just as Hollywood is trying to sensitize and sanitize itself of its sins, something or the other just emerges from the shadows. Now take the example of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, once a power couple known across continents now are going to engage in a legal battle over abuse. If this isn’t enough then the entirety of the episode certainly would leave many in shock, According to court documents obtained by The New York Times, Pitt “grabbed Jolie by the head and shook her,” as well as poured alcohol on her and the children. No criminal charges were filed.
But objectively speaking, let’s not dilute the matter by taking sides yet. And at same time let us not call these allegations as libel or slander. In the documents obtained by the outlet, Jolie addressed the incident that allegedly occurred days before she decided to file for divorce. The papers filed state that Pitt accused Jolie “of being “too deferential” to their kids.”
The New York Timesfirst reported the court filing.
The filing says that on Sept. 14, 2016, Jolie, Pitt and their six children were traveling from the winery, Chateau Miraval, to Los Angeles.
“Pitt’s aggressive behavior started even before the family got to the airport, with Pitt having a confrontation with one of the children. After the flight took off, Jolie approached Pitt and asked him what was wrong,” the filing says. “Pitt accused her of being too deferential to the children and verbally attacked her.”
Later, it says, “He pulled her into the bathroom and began yelling at her. Pitt grabbed Jolie by the head and shook her, and then grabbed her shoulders and shook her again before pushing her into the bathroom wall.”
One of the children, who were between 8 and 15 years old at the time, verbally defended Jolie, the countersuit says, and Pitt lashed out.
“Pitt lunged at his own child and Jolie grabbed him from behind to stop him. To get Jolie off his back, Pitt threw himself backwards into the airplane’s seats injuring Jolie’s back and elbow,” the filing says. “The children rushed in and all bravely tried to protect each other. Before it was over, Pitt choked one of the children and struck another in the face.”
The document says he subsequently poured beer on Jolie and poured beer and red wine on the children.
Jolie’s gave an account of the flight to two FBI investigators in the days that followed. It appeared in a heavily redacted report later released by the agency.
It included a photo of a bruise on Jolie’s elbow and a “rug-burn type injury” on her hand. In it she said that she had seen Pitt have two to three drinks, but said he appeared articulate and not intoxicated.
Truth is when the case was disclosed the FBI which investigated Pitt, indirectly exonerated him by not pursuing the matter further. The statement continues on to say: “(Jolie’s) story continues to evolve each time she tells it with new, unsubstantiated claims. Brad has accepted responsibility for what he did but will not for things he didn’t do. These new allegations are completely untrue.
If the claims are unsubstantiated then certainly it must be condemned in the harshest terms. But if at all, it is true then the matter must be pursued further and given its due attention not only because it involves children but also it is about how these incidents shape the industry as we know today.
