According to Us Weekly, Brad was desperate not to put the kids through the ordeal of testifying in court, but with Ange pushing for sole custody, he felt his only hope of gaining access to the kids was to bring James to the stand. And his revelations could mean Angelina will lose the children for good.
“James has details about how Angelina tried to sabotage Brad with sly tactics and a stream of lies,” adds the source/
James will also talk about how his sister attempted to undermine Brad’s access to their children – Maddox, 17, Pax, 14, Zahara, 13, Shiloh, 12, Vivienne and Knox, 10 – since their September 2016 break-up.
Earlier this year she was scolded by the LA County Superior Court and ordered to allow the children more access to Brad or risk losing them.
It’s a surprising turnaround for James, who’s always had a tight bond with his sister. After their infamous kiss at the 2000 Oscars, it was rumoured they had an incestuous relationship.
Although both Angelina and James laughed off the reports, he remained a constant fixture in his sister’s life.
While Brad and Ange were together he even lived with them and the kids, reportedly causing tension between the movie stars.
After Brad and Angelina’s break-up, James took on the role as main carer for his nieces and nephews, acting as head nanny for the clan. At the time, the Daily Mail reported that Knox and Vivienne had taken to calling him “Daddy”.
Yet in March 2017, James, 45, was dismissed after Angelina, 43, decided that looking after the children was too much of a strain on her brother. Insiders claimed she was concerned he was “drained” and “exhausted”.
And it now seems there could have been more to James’ dismissal than originally thought.
“James insists Angelina ‘ruined his life’ and says they went from being best friends to enemies overnight,” says the insider.
“He’s been devastated by this and has a major axe to grind.”
Since then, the actor and director has been in contact with Brad, 54, in a bid to help with the increasingly fraught custody battle.
“James has been compiling a dossier ever since Ange let him go and has been secretly speaking to Brad – feeding back any information he can and helping him in his custody battle for the kids,” adds the source.
Earlier this month, it was announced that retired judge John Ouderkirk – who handled all pre-trial motions in the case – will preside over the trial.
It’s likely it will take place behind closed doors, as the case has been handled privately since the start of 2017. While Brad has been pushing for a behind-the-scenes settlement so the children are saved the trauma of a court case, Ange has always insisted on going ahead – a move she might now be regretting.
“Angelina is even more paranoid and fearful about the trial as she has her own family turning against her,” adds the insider. “She’s now facing the stark reality that Brad could win this battle and she could lose everything.”
For the full story see this weeks issue of New Idea, on sale now.
