Kevin Winter/Getty Images 
 
 While Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have been making the lovey-dovey rounds in support of her new film Salt (next stop, today at Comic-Con!), their attorneys have been working to kill—at least temporarily—another round of bogus breakup rumors. 
 
 This morning, while the power couple presumably snoozed away in L.A., their lawyers in London accepted an undisclosed settlement (earmarked for charity, of course), from the British tab News of the World for making "false and intrusive allegations." 
 
 Brangelina called in the dogs after the rag published a story back on Jan. 24 purporting the pair had met with a Los Angeles divorce lawyer to quietly divide their assets, hash out a custody deal and financially provide for their six children in advance of what the tab claimed was going to be a messy separation. 
 
 Fail. 
 
 While the newspaper hastily removed from the offending article from its website, it refused to acknowledge the information was untrue. In turn, the Brangelina's-divorcing rumor gained plenty of traction around the world, and no doubt caused the couple plenty of agita. 
 
 "When the News of the World failed to publicly retract the allegations and apologize for them—thereby leaving their readers in the dark as to the true position—the couple felt they had no alternative than to sue," their attorney, Keith Schilling, said in a statement. "Today's victory marks the end of the litigation brought by Brad and Angelina." 
 
 Unshockingly, aside from confirming the settlement, the News of the World didn't have much to say about their trip to the legal woodshed. 
 
 ________ 
 
 She kicked ass in court. Now check out our list of Angelina's Kick Ass Movies. ||||| Breaking News Emails Get breaking news alerts and special reports. The news and stories that matter, delivered weekday mornings. 
 
 / Updated By Andrew Blankstein and Diana Dasrath 
 
 LOS ANGELES — Brad Pitt fired back at estranged wife Angelina Jolie in a court filing on Wednesday, excoriating her for choosing to wage a public campaign against him while involving their children. 
 
 Jolie alleged in court papers filed Tuesday that Brad Pitt hadn't paid her any “meaningful” child support for the last year and a half amid their ongoing and public divorce proceedings. 
 
 Pitt hit back in his own legal broadside Wednesday that detailed how he purportedly lent Jolie some $8 million to help her purchase her current home, and paid more than $1.3 million in bills for the benefit of her and their children. 
 
 Jolie's filing is "unnecessary, omits material information and is a thinly-veiled effort to manipulate media coverage," Pitt's attorneys said in his filing. 
 
 Jolie's attorney, Samantha Bley DeJean, said in a statement to NBC News on Wednesday that Jolie's filing Tuesday was "both legally appropriate and factually accurate in all respects." 
 
 "What has been filed by Brad’s side today is a blatant attempt to obfuscate the truth and distract from the fact that he has not fully met his legal obligations to support the children," DeJean continued. 
 
 Furthermore, she said, Pitt was asked to help pay the expenses for a new home for Jolie and the children "but instead he loaned Angelina money, for which he is charging her interest on a payment plan. 
 
 "Angelina will of course honor that loan," DeJean said. "A loan is not; however, child support and to represent it as such is misleading and inaccurate. 
 
 The attorney said Jolie is asking Pitt to pay 50% of their children’s expenses. 
 
 "He has not," she said. "Angelina has had to shoulder the majority of those without his contribution for the past two years." 
 
 Jolie, the star of "Maleficent," painted a different picture in the two-page filing Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court, asking for a judge to schedule a new hearing in the case that includes a request to address the informal agreement the couple signed regarding child support. 
 
 "[Pitt] has a duty to pay child support. As of present, [Pitt] has paid no meaningful child support since separation," Jolie's attorney, Samantha Bley DeJean, wrote in a two-page brief filed in Los Angeles Superior Court and obtained by NBC News. The court filing did not define what is "meaningful" support. 
 
 Jolie, 43, filed for divorce from Pitt, 54, in September 2016, citing irreconcilable differences. The Oscar-winning actress and activist for refugees around the world has six children with her actor husband. They range in age from 9 to 16. 
 
 The breakup between the couple — once known by fans as "Brangelina" — has been very public, and at times, ugly. Around the time Jolie filed for divorce, Pitt was accused of being rough with one of his children on a private plane that was en route from Europe to Los Angeles. 
 
 Pitt's lawyers alleged in past filings that Jolie and her attorneys have compromised the children's privacy through court filings in a bid to undercut Pitt in the couple's custody battle. 
 
 In 2017, lawyers sought to seal records pertaining to the couple's six minor children in the ongoing divorce and child custody case. 
 
 The incident was reported to authorities but the FBI and Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services both cleared Pitt of any wrongdoing after reviews of evidence and interviews with those involved. ||||| Skip Ad Ad Loading... x Embed x Share USA TODAY confirms Angelina Jolie has filed for divorce from Brad Pitt. They have six kids together. 
 
 Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie in 'By the Sea.' (Photo: Universal Pictures, AP) 
 
 The planet is shocked — SHOCKED! — at the news Tuesday that Angelina Jolie filed for divorce from Brad Pitt; now comes the usual wave of gossipy speculation from the media and divorce-court peanut galleries about why. 
 
 Was she upset with his parenting policies? Were there concerns about drinking and drugs? Did one of them have — gasp! — an affair? (Not that this would be unusual in Hollywood.) 
 
 The impending divorce of a widely admired "golden" couple after 12 years together, and just two years of marriage, comes after more than a year of multiple Hollywood divorces, including the toxic split just last month of Johnny Depp and Amber Heard after 15 months of marriage. 
 
 But that messy business could pale in comparison to the divorce of Jolie and Pitt, both multimillionaire movie stars, both famous human-rights activists, owners of luxury properties in the USA and abroad, and the parents of six children. 
 
 Here's what we know and what questions remain: 
 
 What does Jolie's divorce filing say? 
 
 The document, filed in Los Angeles Monday, cites "irreconcilable differences," the usual boilerplate language in divorce proceedings, with no details about what the differences entailed. It says the two separated last Thursday, Sept. 15. It indicates she is not seeking spousal support. 
 
 She lists "miscellaneous jewelry and other personal effects," and earnings from and after the separation as "separate" property, and indicates community and quasi-community property are to be determined. 
 
 It lists their six kids (Maddox, 15, Pax, 12, Zahara, 11, Shiloh, 10, and twins Vivienne and Knox, 8). 
 
 What do Jolie and Pitt have to say? 
 
 Not much and what they did say was mostly boilerplate. 
 
 Her lawyer, Robert Offer, issued a statement Tuesday on her behalf, confirming Jolie, 41, filed for divorce, a decision "made for the health of the family. She will not be commenting at this time, and asks that the family be given their privacy during this difficult time." 
 
 Skip Ad Ad Loading... x Embed x Share ANGELINA JOLIE FILES FOR DIVORCE FROM BRAD PITT Pregnant Marion Cotillard shuts down Brangelina rumors | 0:51 The Oscar winner denied rumors that she caused Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's split. Marion Cotillard also said she is expecting her second child with her longtime partner, French actor/director Guillaume Canet. Time 1 of 9 Skip Ad Ad Loading... x Embed x Share ANGELINA JOLIE FILES FOR DIVORCE FROM BRAD PITT Taraji P. Henson 'praying' for Brangelina | 0:28 Speaking at the "Empire" season three premiere in Chicago, star Taraji P. Henson said she was praying for the happiness" of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. (Sept. 21) AP 2 of 9 Skip Ad Ad Loading... x Embed x Share ANGELINA JOLIE FILES FOR DIVORCE FROM BRAD PITT Emily is Blunt about Brangelina split | 0:35 At the London premiere of new thriller "The Girl on the Train," stars and director Tate Taylor react to Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's divorce. (Sept. 21) AP 3 of 9 Skip Ad Ad Loading... x Embed x Share ANGELINA JOLIE FILES FOR DIVORCE FROM BRAD PITT Brad Pitt asks press to leave his kids alone after word Angelina Jolie Pitt has filed for divorce | 1:01 Brad Pitt asks press to leave his kids alone after word Angelina Jolie Pitt has filed for divorce AP 4 of 9 Skip Ad Ad Loading... x Embed x Share ANGELINA JOLIE FILES FOR DIVORCE FROM BRAD PITT Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie timeline | 0:57 Here is a timeline of the relationship between Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. USA TODAY 5 of 9 Skip Ad Ad Loading... x Embed x Share ANGELINA JOLIE FILES FOR DIVORCE FROM BRAD PITT Fans mourn Brad and Angelina's split, cheer on Jennifer Aniston | 1:00 It's official, Brangelina is no more, fans took to Twitter to show their distress. USA TODAY 6 of 9 Skip Ad Ad Loading... x Embed x Share ANGELINA JOLIE FILES FOR DIVORCE FROM BRAD PITT Angelina Jolie divorcing Brad Pitt | 0:30 USA TODAY confirms Angelina Jolie has filed for divorce from Brad Pitt. They have six kids together. 7 of 9 Skip Ad Ad Loading... x Embed x Share ANGELINA JOLIE FILES FOR DIVORCE FROM BRAD PITT Angelina Jolie files for divorce from Brad Pitt | 0:22 Angelina Jolie has filed for divorce from Brad Pitt. USA TODAY 8 of 9 Skip Ad Ad Loading... x Embed x Share ANGELINA JOLIE FILES FOR DIVORCE FROM BRAD PITT Lawyer: Jolie has filed for divorce from Pitt | 0:26 Angelina Jolie Pitt has filed for divorce from Brad Pitt, bringing an end to one of the world's most star-studded, tabloid-generating romances. (Sept. 20) AP 9 of 9 Last VideoNext Video Pregnant Marion Cotillard shuts down Brangelina rumors 
 
 Taraji P. Henson 'praying' for Brangelina 
 
 Emily is Blunt about Brangelina split 
 
 Brad Pitt asks press to leave his kids alone after word Angelina Jolie Pitt has filed for divorce 
 
 Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie timeline 
 
 Fans mourn Brad and Angelina's split, cheer on Jennifer Aniston 
 
 Angelina Jolie divorcing Brad Pitt 
 
 Angelina Jolie files for divorce from Brad Pitt 
 
 Lawyer: Jolie has filed for divorce from Pitt 
 
 Later, Pitt, 52, issued a statement to People, saying, "I am very saddened by this, but what matters most now is the well-being of our kids. I kindly ask the press to give them the space they deserve during this challenging time." 
 
 
 
 What's the most surprising aspect of Jolie's filing? 
 
 She wants Pitt to have joint legal custody of the kids but she wants their sole physical custody. Divorce attorneys say that's rare, even in celebrity divorces. 
 
 "They've been co-parenting for so many years, it's unusual and surprising to see one parent asking for sole custody at this late stage," says celebrity-divorce lawyer Neena Tankha, a partner in the New York firm Warshaw Burstein. "It suggests there was some incident or series of incidents that made Angelina think to question his parenting. It's a very aggressive move for someone who has co-parented in the way this family has been accustomed." 
 
 It suggests that Jolie believes she is the better parent to the children and she doesn't want Pitt to have a say after the divorce, says divorce lawyer Joshua Forman, a partner in Chemtob Moss and Forman in New York. 
 
 "It's saying, I want to make all the decisions for the children, I want to do what I want when I want, jet around the world, live where I want ... without Pitt getting in the way," Forman says. "When one party asks for primary custody, (it means) they don't want interaction with the other party and they don't think the other party has good decision-making processes." 
 
 Is there a pre-nuptial agreement covering custody issues? 
 
 No one knows for sure if there is a pre-nup covering anything, including their extensive assets or their kids. (Divorce lawyers agree it would be imprudent for two multimillionaires with six kids not to have one.) But assuming there is and that it has language dealing with custody, it may not matter, says Lois Liberman, partner and leader of the Blank Rome matrimonial division in New York. 
 
 "It may say something about 'it is our intention,' but it’s not determinant, not in New York and not in California, I believe. The best interest of the children is what controls custody determinations," Liberman says. "Courts have found that it's in the best interests of the children to have as much access and input as possible to both parents." 
 
 For most non-celeb marriages, a pre-nup spelling out custody in event of a divorce due to bad behavior, such as adultery, would be unusual, she says. Not so for Hollywood marriages. But it still wouldn't be the bottom line in deciding custody, she says. 
 
 "Given the way they built their family (giving birth and adopting both before and after the marriage), it wouldn’t be weird for them to consider a custodial arrangement in event of a divorce," she says. "But being an adulterer does not mean you’re a bad parent, not in the eyes of courts now. It has to do with parental judgment." 
 
 On the other hand, if there are allegations of, say, drug use or anger issues, that could lead to the non-custodial parent having supervised parenting time, says Kelly Frawley, a divorce lawyer in Kasowitz Benson Torres & Friedman in New York. 
 
 "In situations like this where the children presumably have multiple nannies, supervision should not prevent an amicable resolution because such nannies can act as the supervisors, thereby limiting disruption to the children and embarrassment to the supervised party," Frawley says. 
 
 Why is this divorce seen as different, more shocking than other recent celebrity splits? 
 
 "It’s not different, it’s just that it's Brad and Angelina," shrugs Forman. "People love to read about golden people falling. They had this great affair, they're the best couple, this and that and the other thing, and people want to read about it." 
 
 "They have six children and that’s not typical for celebrity couples at all — in fact, I can't think of another celebrity couple with six children," says Tankha. 
 
 Plus, says Liberman, there's the "unorthodox way" they built their family and focused so much attention on their kids. "Clearly the children are on the forefront of their brains, their relationship is built on caring for their children and other children," she says. 
 
 But in the end, even a celebrity divorce is still a divorce, she says. 
 
 "It's not that different from other divorces, and the law provides some mechanisms to deal with these questions even if the couple have more zeroes after their names and prettier faces and a unique family." 
 
 So now what? 
 
 As in any divorce, the lawyers will commence dickering, mostly behind closed doors. As in any celeb divorce, the usual unnamed "sources" will commence leaking like sieves to favored media to benefit one side or the other. If everyone keeps their head, Jolie and Pitt will avoid the sort of media circus that surrounded the Depp/Heard divorce, with its dueling allegations of domestic abuse and mendacity. 
 
 But Hollywood life will go on: Jolie is set to star in Disney's Maleficent 2, though the film has yet to go into production. She's keeping up her directing chops, too, with three films since 2011. She just finished directing the Netflix film First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia, about the brutal Khmer Rouge regime of the 1970s in the country where son Maddox was born. 
 
 As a special envoy for the UN, Jolie is stepping up her do-gooder activism: This year she became a visiting professor at the London School of Economics, and has worked to shine a spotlight on the worldwide refugee crisis for years. On Sept. 8 she made a surprise appearance at a major UN summit, blasting the peacekeeping organization for incidents of sexual assault, saying cases of women and children being sexually exploited by those in charge of protecting them were "intolerable." 
 
 Meanwhile, Pitt will release two films this fall: War Machine and the highly-anticipated WWII spy drama Allied, with Marion Cotillard (out Nov. 23). A recent T Magazine profile of Pitt did not mention Jolie. 
 
 . 
 
 
 
 Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/2cBfKEZ
– Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have won a settlement from the News of the World after taking the British tabloid to court for publishing "false and intrusive allegations" that they were breaking up, E! reports. The paper reported the pair had met with a divorce lawyer in LA. The settlement, the amount of which wasn't disclosed, will go to charity. "When the News of the World failed to publicly retract the allegations and apologize for them—thereby leaving their readers in the dark as to the true position—the couple felt they had no alternative than to sue," the couple's lawyer said. To read more about Angelina, who wowed the geeks at Comic-Con in San Diego last night, click here.