Earlier this month, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s divorce case appeared to go off the rails when the Hollywood actress tried to get the judge presiding over it removed for allegedly being “biased” against her. Now, the judge is firing back to shut her down, saying that he can remain “impartial” in the case.

Jolie had asked that Judge John W. Ouderkirk be taken off the case, claiming that he had failed to disclose an existing relationship between himself and Pitt’s lawyers. He just responded to say that he is within his rights to continue working on the high-profile divorce, which has been ongoing since 2016.

“I will continue to consider accepting other cases as other additional cases may arise from time to time while the Jolie/Pitt case is still pending. Such other cases might involve party, lawyer‚ law firm and/or witnesses involved in the Jolie/Pitt matter,” Ouderkirk wrote in documents obtained by Entertainment Tonight.

Ouderkirk went on to say that he can and will remain impartial in this case, asking the court to give consideration to accompanying documents and evidence supporting that claim.

Jolie’s attorney, Samantha Bley DeJean, responded to this by saying that the Girl Interrupted star is only asking for a fair trial.

“All my client is asking for is a fair trial based on facts, with no special favors extended to either side,” DeJean said in a statement. “The only way litigants can trust the process is for everyone involved to ensure that there’s transparency and impartiality.”

Another source, however, wasn’t buying it.

“These are just stall tactics and efforts to change the referee late in the game because they are clearly concerned about the outcome,” the insider said. “This doesn’t seem to benefit anyone.”

In her request to have Ouderkirk taken off the case earlier this month, Jolie claimed that he “failed to make timely mandatory disclosures of ongoing business and professional relationships between himself” and Pitt’s attorneys.

Pitt’s legal team has fired back by arguing that Jolie was aware and “never objected” to Ouderkirk’s “continued involvement” until now. They accused the actress of making a “transparently tactical gambit” to delay proceedings and said ultimately it will hurt their children more than anyone.

“Unfortunately, the individuals hurt most by Jolie’s transparently tactical gambit are the parties’ own children, who continue to be deprived of a final resolution to these custody issues,” Pitt’s lawyers said.

This piece originally appeared in UpliftingToday.com and is used by permission.

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