California court denies Brad Pitt's request to review child custody case
The California Supreme Court has denied Brad Pitt's petition to review his ongoing child custody case with ex-wife Angelina Jolie.
The Once Upon a Time in Hollywood star's legal team filed a petition with the court in September in an attempt to overturn a previous decision that gave Jolie full custody of their five minor children, arguing that the 46-year-old should not have been granted that status due to an "administrative error" by Judge John W. Ouderkirk, a temporary judge they jointly selected who has since been disqualified.
According to People, the high court upheld the appellate court's disqualification decision in a ruling on Wednesday, simply stating: "Petition and stay denied."
Ouderkirk granted the star joint custody in May, but the judge was disqualified in July for not adequately disclosing business ties with Pitt’s attorneys, effectively voiding his ruling.
A representative for Pitt told People on Wednesday that the appeals court's previous decision "was based on a technical procedural issue and the Supreme Court's decision not to review that procedural issue does not change the extraordinary amount of factual evidence which led the trial judge - and the many experts who testified - to reach their clear conclusion about what is in the children's best interests... We will continue to do everything that's legally necessary based on the detailed findings of the independent experts."
Jolie's attorney added, "Ms. Jolie is focused on her family and pleased that her children's wellbeing will not be guided by unethical behaviour... As reinforced by California's appellate courts, our judiciary prioritises ethics and children's best interests, and won't tolerate judicial misconduct to reward the interests of a party. Ms. Jolie is glad for the family to now move forward cooperatively."
The Tomb Raider actress filed for divorce from Pitt in 2016, after two years of marriage and 10 years together. Ouderkirk confirmed their divorce in 2019.
Pitt and Jolie share six children; three adopted and three biological. Following 20-year-old Maddox, their five minor children are Pax, 17, Zahara, 16, Shiloh, 15, and twins Knox and Vivienne, 13.
