After a 12-year romance, six children and a two-year marriage, two of Hollywoodâs biggest stars are splitting up. Angelina Jolie filed for divorce from Brad Pitt on Tuesday, citing irreconcilable differences.
The news was first reported by TMZ, which . Jolie is reportedly asking for physical custody of their six children.
Jolieâs attorney Robert Offer, said in a statement that his client is asking for privacy.
âThis decision was made for the health of the family,â Offer said. âShe will not be commenting, and asks that the family be given its privacy at this time.â
In a brief statement to People Magazine, Pitt said he was âsaddened by this, but what matters most now is the wellbeing of our kids.â He also asked for privacy for his children, âto give them the space they deserve during this challenging time.â
Jolie and Pitt began and ended their relationship in the public eye. Both were already established actors when they first met on the set of the 2005 action movie Mr. and Mrs. Smith, playing husband-and-wife assassins. Pitt was married to actress Jennifer Aniston at the time. They divorced in 2005. Jolie was previously married to actors Jonny Lee Miller and Billy Bob Thornton.
Jolie and Pitt have three adopted children and three biological children: Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, as well as Knox and Vivienne, who are twins.
After years as a couple, they were married at their estate in Provence, France in 2014.
In âBy the Sea,â the 2015 film directed by Jolie, the pair play a couple vacationing together while their marriage is crumbling.
Beyond filmmaking, the pair has each devoted time to charity work and humanitarian causes. Jolie is currently a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations.
Jolie has also spoken out on womenâs health issues after undergoing a double mastectomy, and later, having her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed in the hopes of reducing her risk of cancer.
Film expert and ŰÎŰ´ŤĂ˝ contributor Richard Crouse said, given Jolie and Pittâs star power, their divorce wonât be easy.
âThereâs a lot of money involved,â Crouse told ŰÎŰ´ŤĂ˝ Channel. âTheyâre both such public figures, theyâre two of the most famous people on the planet, so this isnât going to be easy.â
Crouse also said that there is a personal cost to their split. âThey have six kids together. Itâs easy just to write it off as another Hollywood divorce and another Hollywood marriage that didnât work out.
âItâs just a shame that there are six kids here that are going to be caught in the crossfire.â