Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s son Maddox, 19, to ‘return to college in South Korea’

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s son Maddox is reportedly set to return to college in South Korea amid the couple’s contentious divorce and custody battle.

The 19-year-old is said to be studying biochemistry studies at Yonsei University in Seoul and is preparing to travel back to the institution for his second year.

It comes after Maddox reportedly testified against his father, 57, during the couple’s contentious divorce and custody battle – offering a ‘not very flattering’ opinion about the actor. 

Return: Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s son Maddox is reportedly set to return to college in South Korea amid the couple’s contentious divorce and custody battle (pictured in 2019)  

According to The Sun, the student started his biochemistry studies online due to the coronavirus pandemic but ‘face-to-face teaching’ is reportedly set to begin in April.

The publication claims that ‘labs, studio and field study courses’ will return to classrooms with the rest of the university’s classes being taught online.

People travelling to South Korea must provide a negative PCR test declaration with arrivals, ‘regardless of nationality and length of stay’, also required to undergo 14 days of quarantine and further testing for coronavirus.

MailOnline has contacted both Angelina and Brad’s representatives for comment.     

Reports: It comes after Maddox reportedly testified against his father, 57, during the couple's contentious divorce and custody battle - offering a 'not very flattering' opinion about the actor (pictured in 2019)

Reports: It comes after Maddox reportedly testified against his father, 57, during the couple’s contentious divorce and custody battle – offering a ‘not very flattering’ opinion about the actor (pictured in 2019)  

In August, Angelina revealed that her son Maddox had been taking his university classes online.

‘He had to stay back from Korea.  He’s going online, and so I think he starts at 6 p.m. at night,’ the actress told Extra. 

Angelina added at the time that she feels blessed to have all her children at home during the pandemic. 

Maddox returned to the US in March 2020 with a source telling Us Weekly at the time that the teen planned to focus on his Korean and Russian studies until school reopened. 

It was first reported in 2019 that the 19-year-old was planning on attending Yonsei University. 

'Heartbroken': It comes after Pitt was reportedly left 'heartbroken' after it was leaked that Angelina is prepared to 'provide proof' of domestic abuse in the couple's contentious custody battle (pictured in 2011)

‘Heartbroken’: It comes after Pitt was reportedly left ‘heartbroken’ after it was leaked that Angelina is prepared to ‘provide proof’ of domestic abuse in the couple’s contentious custody battle (pictured in 2011)  

A source told People at the time: ‘He got accepted to other universities but choose Yonsei. He has been studying Korean language. He has lessons multiple times a week to prepare.’     

Maddox and Angelina are believed to have first visited the university campus in November 2018 when his famous mother was on an official visit as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugee (UNHCR) Special Envoy.

It comes after Pitt was reportedly left ‘heartbroken’ after it was leaked that Angelina is prepared to ‘provide proof’ of domestic abuse in the couple’s contentious custody battle. 

An alleged altercation between Maddox and Pitt in 2016 was said to have been the final straw for Jolie, who is now willing to ‘provide proof and authority’ in support of her allegations, according to documents obtained by The Blast.    

A source told Page Six: ‘Brad is heartbroken that Angelina has gone that route. There’s a lot of emotion left after their marriage.

Her kids: The couple share Maddox, Zahara, 16, Pax, 17, Shiloh, 14, and twins Knox and Vivienne, 12, above in 2019 without Maddox

Her kids: The couple share Maddox, Zahara, 16, Pax, 17, Shiloh, 14, and twins Knox and Vivienne, 12, above in 2019 without Maddox

‘He has taken responsibility for his actions and owned up to his past issues, he’s stopped drinking.   

‘The marriage was very passionate and toxic at times and — like all couples — they had fights, but also shared many good times together. He has talked about his drink and drug problems during the time they were together.’

The Once Upon A Time… In Hollywood star has never been arrested or charged for any offense during the couple’s marriage, nor have any police reports been made. 

Soon after the couple filed for divorce in 2016, it was revealed that Brad was being investigated by the FBI and social services in LA amid reports he got ‘verbally abusive and physical with his children’ on a private jet, yet he was cleared.  

The former couple share Maddox, Zahara, 16, Pax, 17, Shiloh, 14, and twins Knox and Vivienne, 12, and are hashing out custody and financial arrangements in the trial, which will see their youngest children provide testimony if they give permission. 

Sources also told the publication that the kids have been interviewed by court-appointed therapists. 

It comes after it was reported that  Maddox has ‘already given testimony as [an] adult in the ongoing custody dispute and it wasn’t very flattering towards Brad’.

‘He doesn’t use Pitt as his last name on documents that aren’t legal and instead uses Jolie,’ the source told US Weekly

‘Maddox wants to legally change his last name to Jolie, which Angelina has said she doesn’t support.’  

A source told MailOnline: ‘She has made similar allegations in the past which were investigated by the authorities and not substantiated.’

Hashing out: As well as detailing her domestic abuse claims, the documents show that the court is seeking permission from the couple for Shiloh, Knox, and Vivienne to testify

Hashing out: As well as detailing her domestic abuse claims, the documents show that the court is seeking permission from the couple for Shiloh, Knox, and Vivienne to testify

The source added: ‘This is the latest sad and desperate attempt to advance a false narrative at any cost. 

‘These have been the same attacks repeated for the past 4 ½ years and anyone who is perceived to be standing in the way can expect to have their credibility challenged.’

MailOnline contacted representatives for the couple for comment at the time. 

After the 2016 incident, Brad was cleared of abuse allegations by the LA County Department Of Children And Family Services, as it was confirmed he had not committed child abuse when he got into a fight with Maddox aboard a private jet.

As well as detailing her domestic abuse claims, the documents show that the court is seeking permission from the couple for Shiloh, Knox, and Vivienne to testify.  

Witness: One witness will be domestic violence expert Alyce LaViolette, who controversially clashed with a prosecutor in a 2013 murder trial by describing killer Jodi Arias as the victim of abuse (pictured in 2009)

Witness: One witness will be domestic violence expert Alyce LaViolette, who controversially clashed with a prosecutor in a 2013 murder trial by describing killer Jodi Arias as the victim of abuse (pictured in 2009)

In October, the bitter divorce battle hit yet another bump in the road after the actress parted ways with one of her high-priced attorneys.

Priya Sopori, an LA-based former federal prosecutor who has been working with Jolie’s lead lawyer, Samantha DeJean, is out after filing a ‘Notice of Withdrawal of Attorney of Record’ with LA Superior Court, DailyMail.com has learned.

Sopori is a partner with California law firm Greenberg Glusker LLP. It is not known whether Jolie – who is fighting Pitt’s efforts to win 50/50 custody of their children – fired Sopori or if the attorney made the decision to quit.

But the change in her high profile team at this late stage signals Jolie’s resolve to get what she wants has only hardened.

A source close to Jolie told DailyMail.com: ‘Angelina has fought tooth and nail to get what she wants in this divorce, when it comes to her kids she won’t back down…’ 

It’s not the first time the Girl, Interrupted star has parted company with a lawyer she’s hired during the long-running five year divorce saga.

In 2018, superstar LA divorce attorney Laura Wasser – whose client list reads like a Who’s Who of Hollywood – stopped working for Jolie when the actress’s legal fight with Pitt reportedly became too ‘venomous and nasty.’

Wasser – who has represented Johnny Depp, Kim Kardashian, Ryan Reynolds, Stevie Wonder, Christina Aguilera, Ashton Kutcher and many other stars – has earned a reputation as a lawyer who tries to take the sting out of break-ups by promoting compromise between warring couples and shared custody of children.

So it was thought at the time that Jolie’s hard-nosed attitude toward Pitt was not a good fit with Wasser’s more gentle, conciliatory approach.

Family: Angelina pictured with their children (l-r): Knox, Vivienne, Pax, Shiloh, Zahara and Maddox in 2019

Family: Angelina pictured with their children (l-r): Knox, Vivienne, Pax, Shiloh, Zahara and Maddox in 2019

After Wasser, Jolie hired San Francisco-based DeJean who is now the only lawyer representing her in the long-running custody dispute with Pitt.

The former couple are dragging security experts from two continents, an entourage of personal assistants and bodyguards, a former Jolie co-star and an army of child psychologists and doctors to give evidence in an upcoming custody trial that’s expected to be held in private.

Lists of witnesses filed in a Los Angeles court and seen by DailyMail.com reveal 21 people who will be testifying in the movie stars’ legal fight over their children.

One witness will be domestic violence expert Alyce LaViolette, who controversially clashed with a prosecutor in a 2013 murder trial by describing killer Jodi Arias as the victim of abuse. 

Brad has also listed his ex-wife’s personal assistant Michael Ofstedahl and Jolie’s friend and Girl, Interrupted costar Jillian Armenante as witnesses – a sign that Pitt is willing to pull out all the stops to win joint custody. 

Pitt and Jolie famously fell in love on the set of Mr. & Mrs. Smith, while Pitt was still married to Jennifer Aniston. The couple married in France in 2014 after 10 years of dating, but split two years later in September 2016.

In the period that followed their initial separation in 2016, the pair duked it out over custody and financial arrangements, with Brad arguing he’d provided more than adequate funding but Angie demanding a greater share of his $300m fortune. 

A big factor in the couple’s battle is Jolie’s desire to move the children abroad. Pitt, is vehemently opposed to her moving them to a foreign country.

In 2019, Angelina admitted: ‘I would love to live abroad and will do so as soon as my children are 18. Right now, I’m having to base where their father chooses to live.’

In June 2019, Brad – who admitted being an alcoholic at the time of their split but is now recovered – secured a legal breakthrough when a judge ruled he would be permitted more time with the children. He is believed to see them every few days.

Then: In early April last year, the superstars came to an agreement that will see the children attend a more traditional schooling program in LA

Then: In early April last year, the superstars came to an agreement that will see the children attend a more traditional schooling program in LA

The kids are shuttled back and forth in blacked-out SUVs and limousines between their parents’ LA homes, which are around a mile from one another in the affluent suburb also inhabited by stars including Ryan Gosling, Eva Mendes and Zac Efron.

In early April last year, the superstars came to an agreement that will see the children attend a more traditional schooling program in LA, marking an end to their homeschooling regime. Jolie said she stands by her choice to leave Pitt.

‘It was the right decision,’ the actress told Vogue in June 2020.

‘I continue to focus on their (the kids’) healing. Some have taken advantage of my silence, and the children see lies about themselves in the media, but I remind them that they know their own truth and their own minds.’

The custody trial was due to start late last year but it was delayed after Angelina asked for the private judge to be replaced, claiming that he ‘failed to disclose’ that he was working other cases with one of Brad’s lawyers.