Brad Pitt scores huge victory in legal battle with Angelina Jolie as he wins joint custody of their kids

Photo: REX/Shutterstock/Glenn Francis

Actor and film producer, Brad Pitt has been granted joint custody of his children with actress Angelina Jolie following a nearly 5-year legal battle.

Pitt, 57 had been fighting in the court to obtain equal rights to the six kids he shares with his ex-wife, Angelina Jolie who filed divorce in 2016.

“The most important and only reason this went so far is that he loves and adores his children, and (he) is very happy with the outcome,” one source said, according to Nydaily. “‘Relieved’ is an understatement.”

Most of the kids are minors: Maddox, 19, Pax, 17, Zahara, 16, Shiloh, 14 and twins Vivienne and Knox, 12. The ruling from Judge John Ouderkirk applies only to the minors, according to the report. It does not affect the couple’s oldest son, Maddox.

According to Page Six, the Judge made his thoughts clear on the ruling after months of testimony from witnesses and child services professionals who were interviewed for the kids

Judge found actress’ testimony ‘lacked credibility’.

Jolie, 45, will reportedly continue her legal fight after she said the judge’s ruling was more of a ‘tentative decision.’

‘Joint custody is not the issue that Angelina objects to, there were other issues of concern, but the court proceedings are closed and sealed,’ Daily Mail reported, citing a source.

‘There was a safety order surrounding the previous custody arrangements, that is public, and the kids schedule has been set under the jurisdiction of the division of family services for over three years,’ the media outlet said.

The actress said in court paperwork filed with California’s Second District Court of Appeal on Monday that she felt Ouderkirk “denied” her a “fair trial” and improperly excluded evidence “relevant to the children’s health, safety and welfare.”

Her lawyers argued the judge ‘has failed to adequately consider … input as to their experiences, needs, or wishes,’ which is in violation of a state legal code that allows minors 14 to 17 to testify.

But Pitt’s legal team fired back, saying that the presiding judge ‘has conducted an extensive proceeding over the past six months in a thorough, fair manner and reached a tentative ruling and order after hearing from experts and percipient witnesses.’

Oscar winner, Jolie filed for divorce in 2016 — citing the ‘the health of the family’ — in the wake of a conflict on a private flight from France to Los Angeles in which she accused Pitt of behaving abusively to son Maddox, who was 15 at the time, according to the report.

Brad faced no charges in connection with the incident amid probes from the FBI and social services, the report said.