Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie skip family therapy ahead of custody battle as 'tensions' escalate

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's equation has taken a turn for the worse, just when it appeared that things were going well for the former couple.

According to a report in Us Weekly, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jollie have been brought at odds once again as they prepare for the custody battle concerning their five minor children- Pax Thien (16), Zahara Marley (15), Shiloh (14), and twins Knox Leon and Vivienne Marcheline (12). Their eldest child, son Maddox, has the free will to go to either parent at the age of 19, but it has been repeatedly reported that the teenager is not on good terms with his father.

"Tensions have escalated between Brad and Angelina, with family therapy no longer taking place," a source told the outlet ahead of their child custody trial which will begin in court next month.

The source said that the "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" actor wants equal time with his children as Jolie, but the actress has opposed his request. "Brad wants 50/50 joint physical and legal custody of the kids. Angelina has been unagreeable to those terms. (She) will only agree to talk about an agreement if the home base for the children isn't Los Angeles," the source revealed.

"The younger kids are in school in Los Angeles, which Angelina has always been opposed to," the insider explained, adding, "They are very smart and are eager to attend school in person (amid the COVID-19 pandemic)."

The report comes weeks after a legal feud between the couple when the Oscar-winning actress sought to remove the judge overseeing the proceedings of their divorce case which she filed in 2016. The 45-year-old argued that judge John W. Ouderkirk, who had also officiated the couple's wedding in 2014, should be disqualified as he failed to disclose his business relationship with one of Pitt's attorneys, Lance Stephen Spiegel.

In response, Pitt's legal team accused the actress of trying to delay the trial out of "bad faith and desperation." Meanwhile, the 56-year-old actor appeared to make a statement by taking his new girlfriend Nicole Poturalski to his and Jolie's French mansion Château Miraval, which was also the venue for their wedding.

The recent feuds come just months after the couple appeared to be on better terms, as the "Ad Astra" actor was photographed leaving his ex-wife's house after spending several hours with their kids on numerous occasions in June. At the time, a source had told Entertainment Tonight that Pitt and Jolie have managed to cordially co-parent after a lot of family therapy sessions.

"Brad and Angelina have come a very long way and they're finally in a place where they both want to work together to raise their kids. They have no plans to reconcile and any communication between them is regarding their children's needs and future," the source had said.

About the therapy sessions, the insider had said: "They definitely needed help figuring out all the child-custody issues and how Brad could be a dad again. Since the kids are older now, they are no longer dealing with separation issues from Angie."