In a statement to People magazine, Pitt said he was "saddened" by the decision. “I am very saddened by this, but what matters most now is the well-being of our kids," he said.

“I kindly ask the press to give them the space they deserve during this challenging time.”

The couple have been together since 2005. They married in 2014 and have six children: Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, and twins Knox and Vivienne.

They are together worth an estimated £308 million and are said to own a number of properties around the world including the sprawling Chateau Miraval in the south of France, an estate in Hollywood and a home in Santa Barbara worth an estimated $5 million (£3.8 million).