Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie custody battle: His spotlight and her failing 'smear campaign'

The divorce and corresponding child custody battle between Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie has been a focal point of Hollywood media ever since it was announced in September. Since then, however, the former couple has agreed to seal all court documents -- a move that has had its effects on each of the actors individually.

In a joint statement released by CNN, Brad and Angelina made it official that all documents would be sealed in order to respect the privacy of their six children. A private judge has also been requested to handle the case and thereby make any future decisions pertaining to the same. “The parents are commuted to act as a united front to effectuate recovery and reunification,” the statement said.

Between the divorce filing and the sealing of the documents, Brad relatively became a more private figure. However, E! News has reported that the 53-year-old actor was out and about on Saturday night. Brad attended the fourth annual charity ROCK4EB! event, which was held in Malibu, California. The publication went on to state that the actor seemed to be in high spirits at the event. “He was in a great mood,” a source told the publication. “He hung out with his peeps.”

Meanwhile, Life & Style has claimed that Angelina has not been doing well. “She has lost in the court of public opinion,” a source told the publication. “[She] will have to hand over the kids to [Brad] and stop playing games.” The source then went on to say that the actress’ “smear campaign” against her estranged husband has backfired, as the public has “seen him acting responsibly.”

When the divorce papers were first made public, Brad was investigated for an incident aboard a private plane with his children. At that point, the media speculated that Brad was being accused of physical abuse, but the FBI and the Los Angeles County Department for Children and Family Services cleared the actor of any child abuse allegations. Nevertheless, Angelina is still seeking for sole custody of their biological and adopted children, as she reportedly believes it will be best for the kids.

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