Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie has reportedly begun lobbying California Gov. Gavin Newsom to pass a law requiring domestic abuse training for judges.
Her interest in the passage of Piqui’s Law reportedly stems from her own courtroom experiences during her divorce from fellow Hollywood actor Brad Pitt.
“This is personal to her, and for good reason,” a source close to her told the New York Post. “Look at what she faced from a biased judge who was removed by the appellate court for his corrupt and secretive financial dealings with Brad Pitt’s team that violated judicial ethics in her family’s case, and who refused to review evidence of domestic abuse.”
Regarding the second allegation, the Post notes that Los Angeles Judge John W. Ouderkirk had, during her divorce proceedings, “refused to allow her kids to testify about domestic violence they experienced at the hands of their father.”
“It’s no surprise she has taken on this specific issue. Their whole family is a victim of system failure. She has been fighting privately for her family and publicly for other families for years,” the source close to her added.
Angelina Jolie files FOIA, wants to know why FBI never charged ex-hubby Brad Pitt for alleged attack: report https://t.co/8ezZ3yQZO6 pic.twitter.com/Y1jWpqfXB5
— BPR (@BIZPACReview) August 16, 2022
Sources close to Pitt have said the opposite, arguing that Jolie is using “her usual tactics” to “misrepresent the truth” and damage Ouderkirk’s reputation.
“Ouderkirk, a retired private judge who actually officiated the former couple’s nuptials, ruled in May 2021 that the couple would maintain 50/50 custody of their children,” according to the Post.
“The couple has six children— Maddox, 22, Pax, 19, Zahara, 18, Shiloh, 17, and twins Knox and Vivienne, who are 15. The actress said Ouderkirk denied her children the opportunity to testify even though California law allowed children 14 years old and older to do so,” the Post notes.
Jolie eventually challenged the judge’s custody decision by reportedly filing a petition to an appellate court demanding Ouderkirk be removed from the case. In July 2021, the appellate court agreed, citing Ouderkirk’s previously unknown business dealings with Pitt’s lawyers.
Pitt’s team has also pushed back on this claim.
“Judge Ouderkirk was not in business with anyone. Like other private judges, he was engaged by both Ms. Jolie’s and Mr. Pitts’s attorneys on other cases, which he disclosed,” they told the Post.
“It’s disappointing but not surprising that she would continue to manipulate the media and the public with [Donald] Trump-like distortions and to deliberately make misrepresentations without any regard for the damage it causes to innocent third-parties just trying to do their jobs,” they added.
Pitt’s team also slammed her for pushing Piqui’s Law.
“While the legislation she is supporting is potentially very viable, it has nothing to do with her custody case. It is inexplicable why she would use her advocacy for another defamatory effort to disregard all the objective facts in order to advance her own interest,” they said.
The law is reportedly named after a 5-year-old boy who was killed while being abused by his father.
“You will be aware that Piqui’s Law derives its name from a 5-year-old boy who suffered a tragic fate, killed by his father in April of 2017. Piqui’s mother, Ana Estevez, fought unsuccessfully within the California family court to secure protection for her child,” Jolie’s letter to Newsom reads, according to The Messenger.
“Over the past six years, Ana has collaborated with California legislators to ensure that authorities do not overlook or dismiss the signs of abuse, signs that tragically result in harm and death for numerous children in our country,” it continues.
The Post notes that the custody battle between Jolie and Pitt stemmed from a 2016 incident.
“[Pitt] allegedly flipped out during a Sept. 14, 2016 flight where Jolie claimed her then-husband, who had been drinking, took her to the restroom, ‘grabbed her by the head, shaking her,’ according to an FBI report obtained by Page Six. The report said Pitt also shook Jolie by the shoulders as they argued over one of their children,” according to the Post.
“She alleged that he punched the ceiling of the plane four times after telling her, ‘You’re f—ing up this family.’ When the kids asked, ‘Are you OK, Mommy?’ Pitt allegedly replied: ‘No, she’s not OK, she’s ruining this family, she’s crazy,'” the Post notes.
Then one of the children reportedly yelled, “It’s not her; it’s you, you pr–k!”
This prompted Pitt to allegedly rush toward the child, prompting Jolie to try to hold him back. In the process, she allegedly sustained wounds to her back and elbow.
Just six days after the fight, Jolie filed for divorce, and the rest is history.
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V. Saxena is a staff writer with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University. Saxena also contributes to BizPac Review.
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