UPDATE 23/09/16 2pm: The FBI have confirmed to PEOPLE that they are looking into the child abuse allegations against Brad Pitt.
“The FBI is continuing to gather facts and will evaluate whether an investigation at the federal level will be pursued,” they said in a statement.
Amidst news of his divorce from Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt has been facing some very serious allegations of child abuse.
TMZ initially reported that the LA Police Department and LA County Department of Children and Family Services were investigating Brad Pitt concerning an alleged incident on a plane in which he was verbally and physically abusive to his children. Reports say that while he was drunk, “he allegedly went wild, screaming and getting physical with the kids.”
Sources told TMZ that the incident was apparently the reason for the divorce, however a source close to Pitt said that it wasn’t true.
RELATED: Brad Pitt To Fight For Joint Custody Of The Kids In Divorce With Angelina Jolie
“He takes the matter very seriously and says he did not commit any abuse of his children. It’s unfortunate that people involved are continuing to present him in the worst possible light.”
A source who apparently has knowledge about the situation on the plane told PEOPLE that Pitt didn’t strike anyone.
“[Pitt] was drunk, and there was an argument between him and Angelina,” says the source. “There was a parent-child argument which was not handled in the right way and escalated more than it should have.”
“He is emphatic that it did not reach the level of physical abuse, that no one was physically harmed. He did not hit his child in the face in any way. He did not do that; he is emphatic about that. He put his hands on him, yes, because the confrontation was spiralling out of control.”
Since initial reports, the LAPD has denied involvement in the case, saying that there has been no child abuse case filed.
“The child abuse unit with LAPD has no open investigation on Brad Pitt or Angelina Jolie.”
RELATED: Angelina Jolie And Brad Pitt To Divorce
The LA County Department of Children and Family Services has also said that they can’t legally confirm or deny who they are investigating.
TMZ has now claimed that the case against Brad Pitt has been referred to the FBI for investigation. Sources from LAPD have told them that the FBI is responsible for taking care of the case because the incident happened in the air.
As the situation stands, there is no official confirmation that the incident actually occurred, however it seems that there is an investigation currently taking place. More to come.
