Brad Pitt's visit to Europe last week may have formed part of the promotional trail for his new film Bullet Train, but there was another motive behind his trip. Since September 2016, the actor has been in a custody battle with his ex-wife Angelina Jolie – with whom he shares Maddox, 20, Pax, 18, Zahara, 17, Shiloh,16, and twins Knox and Vivienne, 14 – and, it just so happens, that Ange has been working in Rome on her own film, Without Blood.
Now heat has been told Brad’s visit to the city was a bid to appeal to her better nature and put an end to their custody war once and for all.
"He didn't have a lot of choice as far as the visitation process went," an insider tells heat.
"The judge cleared Angie to take this job abroad and take the kids with her, so Brad’s only options were to fly to Europe or not see them for quite a while. He also went there hoping she’d give him a break and sit down face-to-face, so they could work out a compromise. Angelina’s mulling it over, but even if she did agree to make life easier for Brad, it’s down to the kids. He wants to make things right, starting by patching things up with their mum."
Brad and Ange got together in 2005. They married in August 2014, but Angelina filed for divorce after just two years and they have been battling it out in a vicious custody dispute ever since. Recently Brad, 58, and Angelina, 47, have also been fighting over the French vineyard they bought together – with Brad suing her for selling her stake. But, our source says his main focus is being able to spend more time with his children.
“Brad arranged to leave LA ahead of the Bullet promo schedule to spend several days with the youngest four kids in Italy,” our source says. “They’ve enjoyed lunches and dinners together, taken hikes in the countryside and by the river in Rome and played football. It was a refreshing change of scene and all very laid-back – just what they all needed.”
The source adds, “He flew in on the day of Vivienne and Knox’s birthday, and he bought plenty of gifts, and he didn’t make any fuss at all when Angie informed him they were busy on the actual day. He waited his turn and didn’t kick off, and that meant a lot to her.
