Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s Divorce Was Likely Finalized Because of This Surprising Factor

Up until the news that Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt finalized their divorce on Dec. 30, you might’ve forgotten that they were still battling it out. After all, Jolie filed for divorce from her ex-husband of two years over 8 years ago on Sept. 19, 2016. So, of course, the day they finalized it all was a long time coming.

Following the news, Jolie’s lawyer James Simon gave People a glimpse into Jolie’s mindset after closing the chapter.

“More than eight years ago, Angelina filed for divorce from Mr. Pitt. 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,” Simon told the outlet. As a reminder, Jolie and Pitt, who started dating back in 2004, have six children together: Maddox, 23, Pax, 21, Zahara, 19, Shiloh, 18, and twins Knox and Vivienne, 16.

In the statement, Simon also shared the surprising reason the settlement was reached. “This is just one part of a long ongoing process that started eight years ago,” he said. “Frankly, Angelina is exhausted, but she is relieved this one part is over.”

In other words, it seems Jolie and the kids were tired of still having to relive and rehash the tumultuous marriage years after it all went down. After all, Jolie accused Pitt of domestic violence while on a private flight home to Los Angeles with their six kids in the papers.

As such, a source detailed that going through the process inherently dimmed the Oscar winner’s light. “She doesn’t speak ill of [Pitt] publicly or privately,” a source close to the actress said. “She’s been trying hard to be light after a dark time.”

Jolie has been open about her struggles throughout the process too. “I went very dark for reasons I’d rather not explain, but I didn’t have a lot of light and life within me,” she told Vanity Fair earlier this month. “Your light’s dim.”

As a result, her whole lifestyle and career changed. “I also just needed to be home more, so I couldn’t commit large periods of time to pieces,” she explained. “The choice of what to work on and when was not a creative choice, often, the last few years, but sometimes the practical choice.”

But while she and Pitt are still at odds over their shared winery, Château Miraval, it seems their settlement is a major step in letting everyone heal and move on.

Plus, Jolie is living one of her biggest professional years since their split with her movie, Maria. The Maria Callas biopic, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival earlier this year, is already receiving major award show buzz. At the 2025 Golden Globe Awards just a few days away, for instance, Jolie is nominated for Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama. If you ask us, finalizing the divorce was a way for Jolie to close a dark chapter and open up excitement for the potential victories lying ahead!

Before you go, click here for all the celebrity splits and divorces we never saw coming.