Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt’s Divorce Has ‘Dragged on’ for This Reported Reason

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt‘s divorce has lasted almost a decade, but why? According to a new report, the 49-year-old actress and the 60-year-old actor’s legal issues have “dragged on” because of “all the bitterness” between them.

“All the bitterness is partly why the divorce has dragged on for so many years. Neither will let it go,” a source told PEOPLE on Friday, July 19, adding that the couple’s romance “turned nasty and it was not a good situation for anyone. … You’d think they would be over it and just settle.”

The insider added that Brad and Angelina’s “disagreements took over” in their marriage, while a separate source clarified to the publication that their “differences added up over time.”

“It’s really sad for the children, but also the parents,” the second insider told the outlet. “Divorce, especially one so high-profile, can be challenging for the whole family.”

Nevertheless, the parents — who share kids Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, Knox and Vivienne together — “both care about the children,” the second insider said.

The Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood actor and the Eternals actress started dating in 2004. After nearly 10 years together, the then-couple tied the knot at their French winery, the Chateau Miraval, in 2014. However, two years later, the pair split as Angie filed for divorce from Brad.

In 2019, the former spouses were declared legally single, but their legal battle has been dragging on since then. The two have been disputing their assets. But the most controversial topic about Angelina and Brad was the abuse she accused him of. According to court documents obtained by Hollywood Life in 2022, Angelina accused Brad of physically assaulting her on a plane in 2016. Additionally, Angelina claimed that Brad “choked one of his children and struck another” on that flight.

For his part, Brad has vehemently denied the abuse allegations. Neither he nor Angelina has publicly addressed the situation. However, most of their children have recently dropped their father’s name from their surnames, opting only to use “Jolie.”

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support.