Ian Halperin says Brad Pitt is catching an undeserved bad rap in the divorce drama.
The author of Brangelina says the power couple’s marriage was anything but a star-studded fairy tale.
Ian Halperin claims the relationship, which began in 2004 on the set of Mr. & Mrs. Smith was far from the loving and harmonious image they projected.
Read: Marion Cotillard Denies Affair With Brad Pitt, Says She's Pregnant
“They wanted to be the next incarnation Elizabeth Taylor/Richard Burton [and] take it to epic proportions, but there was tension, turmoil and controversy from the get-go in their relationship,” he told Inside Edition.
“There [were] a lot of verbal altercations between them. Whenever they were under the same roof it got heated. They are both strong personalities. Angie, I have always said this, it is her way or the highway."
Halperin says his sources have told him that Jolie blindsided Pitt when she filed for divorce.
"They both knew it was over and they had a strategy to go through mediation to divvy up assets and joint custody and at the last minute Angie threw Brad under the bus,” he said.
Halperin says, in his opinion, Pitt is being unfairly depicted as the bad guy.
"She's explosive and everybody close to her knows it and Brad did everything he could. He even worked out a mediation process to make everybody happy,” he said.
Halperin takes issue with recent published reports that the kids are undisciplined and have been known to trash hotel rooms.
He said reports of the kids misbehaving are "completely false" and the reports have been "taken out of context." He added: "Sure, kids leave a mess," but he says the children are "well-behaved and well-educated."
Not long ago, there were six nannies for six kids, each getting one. And the nannies were hired to match the ethnicity of the children. Now, Jolie's brother, James, has been supervising day care for the brood, taking them on outings and is reported to be paid 10 percent of her salary.
Read: Angelina Jolie Was Reportedly Fed Up with Brad Pitt's Weed and Alcohol Use
The family lives in a compound large enough to accommodate everyone. The sprawling estate in the Hollywood Hills is 80,000 square feet and consists of five houses. There is the main house, a skate park, and an entire house is set aside for play.
As to reports that Pitt and Jolie don't sleep under the same roof, Halperin said it's true.
"They hadn't been together in months. Even when they traveled, they slept in separate hotel rooms,” he said.
Halperin says mediation is the best thing for the couple.
"The lawyers have to get them at the negotiating table and to work this out immediately, otherwise we are going to see the most bloody, ugliest divorce in the history of Hollywood and six innocent children are going to be caught in the middle of it," he said.
Watch: An Inside Look at Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's 12-Year Relationship
