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Brad Pitt Divorce: Actor Speaks Out Following Split From Angelina Jolie

“I am very saddened by this."

Brad Pitt has released a statement following the news that he and his wife, Angelina Jolie, are getting a divorce.

“I am very saddened by this, but what matters most now is the wellbeing of our kids,” the 52-year-old told People. “I kindly ask the press to give them the space they deserve during this challenging time.”

Pitt and Jolie have been together for 12 years, but have only been married for two. They have six children – Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, Vivienne and Knox – whose ages range from 15 to eight.

Actor Brad Pitt (centre), (left to right) Pax Thien Jolie-Pitt, Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt, Maddox Jolie-Pitt, Jane Pitt, and William Pitt attend the premiere of 'Unbroken' at TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX on December 15, 2014 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic)

According to TMZ, Jolie filed for divorce on Monday citing irreconcilable differences. The 41-year-old is now asking for physical custody of their kids and asking the judge to give Pitt visitation rights.

While Jolie has not commented on the split, her lawyer, Robert Offer, said in a statement: “This decision was made for the health of the family. She will not be commenting, and asks that the family be given its privacy at this time.”

A source told People that the couple had conflicts over parenting their children. “They always had disagreements when it came to disciplining the kids,” the insider said. “With all the kids, it did tend to get chaotic many times.”

Pitt is a strict parent and was known to “get frustrated sometimes and yell at the kids,” the source continued. Jolie, on the other hand, “had a more relaxed attitude” and “definitely never yells.”

The couple’s very different parenting approaches is what caused Jolie to file for divorce, TMZ reports.

This will be the third divorce for Jolie, who was previously married to Jonny Lee Miller and Billy Bob Thornton, and the second for Pitt, who was previously married to Jennifer Aniston.

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