Surely it's every Dad's wish to spend Father's Day with their children? Good news for Brad Pitt, then. Despite being caught up in an ongoing custody battle over his six children with former wife, Angelina Jolie, they managed to put the family drama aside for 24 hours.
According to E! News, the 53-year-old actor spent several hours at his house in Los Angeles on Saturday morning with his children, Maddox, 15, Pax, 13, Zahara, 12, Shiloh, 11, and eight-year-old twins Vivienne and Knox.
The family moment comes almost seven months after the famous parents reportedly reached a temporary custody agreement, in which it stated the couple's children would remain in Jolie's custody while Pitt undergoes 'therapeutic visitation' with his children, and weekly therapy sessions.
Having spent time with his brood over the weekend, the children later return to Jolie's home, before making the making their way to LAX to visit Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where the Lara Croft: Tomb Raider star adopted her daughter Zahara in 2005.
Brad's early Father's Day celebrations come weeks after the Ocean's Eleven actor gave an in-depth interview to GQ Style, in which he opened up about his divorce and overcoming his addictions.
'The first urge is to cling on. And then you've got a cliché: "If you love someone, set them free". Now I know what it means, by feeling it. It means to love without ownership. It means expecting nothing in return,' he told the publication.
'I can't remember a day since I got out of college when I wasn't boozing or had a spliff, or something. Something. And you realize that a lot of it is, um—cigarettes, you know, pacifiers. And I'm running from feelings.
'I'm really, really happy to be done with all of that. I mean I stopped everything except boozing when I started my family. But even this last year, you know—things I wasn't dealing with. I was boozing too much. It's just become a problem,' he added.
While Brad has been working hard on himself, Angelina has been reflecting on motherhood and the pain of losing her mother in 2007.
'I know how much she would have contributed to their lives and I am sad they will miss out on that,' she told ELLE France. 'I would give anything for her to be with me at this time. I've needed her. I talk to her often in my mind and try to think what she might say and how she might guide me.'
This would be an incredibly difficult time for any family, let alone for one in the spotlight. Best of luck to Angelina and Brad.
Katie O'Malley is the Site Director on ELLE UK. On a daily basis you’ll find Katie managing all digital workflow, editing site, video and newsletter content, liaising with commercial and sales teams on new partnerships and deals (eg Nike, Tiffany & Co., Cartier etc), implementing new digital strategies and compiling in-depth data traffic, SEO and ecomm reports. In addition to appearing on the radio and on TV, as well as interviewing everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Rishi Sunak PM, Katie enjoys writing about lifestyle, culture, wellness, fitness, fashion, and more.
