Transcript of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt reach divorce deal after eight years | BBC News

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have reached a divorce settlement eight years after they separated. A lawyer for Jolie confirmed that the pair had managed to, quote, come to a deal. No immediate comment from Pitt's attorney when they were approached for comment. A Hollywood couple got married in 2014 and have six children. We can speak now to Chris Melcher, Hollywood celebrity divorce lawyer. Thanks for coming on the program.

Thanks for having me.

Before we get to the latest update here, can you just us in as the background here and bring us up to date?

Well, this is a long-running dispute. I mean, much longer than any divorce typically we see. But they initially had fights over custody, and then it revolved around this Miraval winery that they owned together. It's a beautiful estate, and they built this business. And after they separated, she sold her half to somebody else. And without any consent or or knowledge by Brad, and that left him now trying to run this winery with an involuntary partner. And that was the focus of their fight over the last few years.

And you mentioned the length of time there. What is the I suppose I can't ask for a usual amount of time in these circumstances, but is it significantly longer? Is it much longer than you would normally expect in these kinds of cases?

It absolutely is. In a lot of these high-profile cases, there's a lot of assistance that we have from managers and accountants, and we want to keep this quiet. This is damaging to their brand and their work. A lot of times in a case of this magnitude, we could settle it within six months, a year at the very most. Eight months is really a sign of something more going on. It's an inability to let go and a desire to really harm the other.

How much will be public and how much will be It's private here?

Well, this is the problem. The US courts are open, but the parties can choose how much to put in their paperwork. They could say that they've settled all issues in a very vague way, and so we wouldn't see the details. But really, the only way to settle this thing is to bring that third party involved, the one that Angelina sold her half of the winery to. If he isn't part of this deal, there is really no effective agreement.

Mr. Maltcher, thank you very much for coming on the program. Thank.