FBI is ‘continuing to gather facts’ about alleged incident involving Brad Pitt and his children

As murky rumors continue to swirl around the sudden split of Hollywood A-listers Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, the FBI has confirmed that it is gathering information surrounding an alleged incident involving Pitt and his children aboard a private plane Sept. 14 — the day before the couple officially separated.

“The FBI is continuing to gather facts and will evaluate whether an investigation at the federal level will be pursued,” FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller told The Washington Post. She declined to comment on how the FBI was notified of the alleged incident — because it occurred on a plane, it falls under the FBI’s “special aircraft jurisdiction.”

But beyond this confirmation, the details about what — if anything — happened seem far from clear. In her divorce filing Monday, Jolie Pitt cited only “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for the split, and listed Sept. 15 as the date of the couple’s separation. Her attorney later said in a statement that her decision to divorce was made “for the health of the family.”

TMZ was first to report on the episode that allegedly occurred during a private flight last week — offering vivid details and citing anonymous sources. TMZ stated that the incident was reported anonymously to authorities by a witness who was either on the plane or at the airport where it landed in Minnesota.

But those allegations have not been confirmed by any official on the record. On Thursday, the Los Angeles Times cited an unnamed law enforcement source who claimed the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Families was investigating Pitt; but the department itself has consistently declined to confirm whether an investigation is underway, citing confidentiality protocols.

Jolie and Pitt attend the premiere of the movie “Salt” in Hollywood on July 19, 2010. (Mario Anzuoni/Reuters)

Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Police Department has forcefully denied claims that it was investigating any complaint against Pitt: “LAPD is not handling any reports or allegations into child abuse for Mr. Pitt,” spokeswoman Jenny Houser told the Los Angeles Times.