A week after Brad Pitt hired popular Hollywood attorney Lance Spiegel to handle his divorce from his estranged wife Angelina Jolie, the actress on Monday added two more lawyers to her team. Pierce O’Donnell and Bert Fields would join Laura Wasser, also a celebrity divorce lawyer, on Jolie’s team.
Spiegel had represented Russell Simmons, Charlie Sheen, Heather Locklear and Eva Longoria in their divorces. Wasser’s past clients include Ryan Reynolds and Johnny Depp.
O’Donnell and Fields are entertainment lawyers. The “Maleficent” actress hired them to ensure she would get a settlement she wants after she filed for a divorce from Pitt in September, reported The Financial Express. O’Donnell, according to Daily Mail, was named one of the 100 Most Influential Lawyers in the U.S. by the National Law Journal.
Angelina Jolie's Move Is For Protecting Their Kids?
In securing their services, Jolie allegedly does not want Pitt punished for child abuse allegations. Rather, her focus is on protecting her children. Pitt allegedly hit 15-year-old Maddox on the face during a confrontation while aboard a private jet. The actor was said to be drunk during the flight. Yet other sources claimed that Pitt lunged at the teen, but Jolie stepped in.
She has full custody of their six children – made up of Maddox; Pax, 12; Zahara, 11; Shiloh, 10; and twins Knox and Viviene, 8 – as part of a temporary custody agreement with Pitt. For three weeks, the actress would have full physical custody of their children. On the other hand, Pitt has visitation rights during this temporary period, though he must be accompanied by a therapist.
Celebrity Divorces Common In Hollywood
The availability of celebrity divorce lawyers like Spiegel and Wasser is an indicator of how common divorce is in Hollywood. But an expert noted that being divorced in Hollywood hardly damages the careers of celebrities, reported Los Angeles Times.
“I’ve never really seen where the loss of a relationship was responsible for a dip in someone’s career,” said John Tarnoff, head on industry relations, Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College master of entertainment program. He said celebrities whose careers suffered after divorcing “did that to themselves quite apart from the split.”
