Brad Pitt speaks about his divorce from Angelina Jolie.

Just hours after the news that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie were divorcing after being together for 12 years Brad Pitt has released an official statement.

The Oscar-winning actress filed for divorce from Pitt overnight citing “irreconcilable differences”, court documents showed.

Jolie sought full physical custody of their six children with visitation rights only for Pitt but did not seek spousal support. She cited their separation date as September 15.

The couple were together for 12 years. Via Getty.

Brad Pitt, who is now going through his second divorce, released a statement not long after the news broke saying his focus is on the "well-being of our kids."

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

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

Jolie’s lawyers also released a statement on the divorce.

"This decision was made for the health of the family. She will not be commenting at this time, and asks that the family be given their privacy during this difficult time."

Court documents have revealed the actress has filed for sole physical custody of their children with reports that Jolie is concerned that Pitt is "unfit to parent" their six children Maddox Jolie-Pitt, 15, Pax Jolie-Pitt, 12, Zahara Jolie-Pitt, 11, Shiloh Jolie-Pitt, 10, and twins Knox Jolie-Pitt and Vivienne Jolie-Pitt, 8.

Brad Pitt has released a statement. Via Getty.

The rumours are flying as to what has caused the breakup with People claiming it was due to tensions over Brad’s “parenting”

According to People there were many arguments during their marriage over "disciplining" their six children, a “source” told the magazine "Brad has always been stricter."

"He has wanted the kids to have more structure. Brad will get frustrated sometimes and yell at the kids. Angelina always had a more relaxed attitude when it came to the kids. She definitely never yells."

Listen: Mamamia Out Loud dissects the breakup. Post continues below.

The “source” describes the house as “chaos, with Pitt focused on "having rules.”

Peter Walzer, a California attorney who represented actress Katie Holmes in her divorce from superstar Tom Cruise, told Reuters that it was unusual that Jolie sought sole physical custody and it was equivalent to saying Pitt was not competent to be a parent.

“It’s an insult,” Walzer said.

But Page Six claims the divorce is due to an alleged affair that Pitt had while filming the movie “Allied".

According to Page Six Pitt and his co-star , 40, were “cozying up”.

The celebrity site claims that Jolie hired a private investigator to follow her husband and found out he was “partying like a single guy on a mission.”

“The atmosphere [off-set] was full of hard drugs and Russian hookers, and Angie was told Brad got caught up in it,’’ the source said.

“He’s in the throes of some insane midlife crisis, and Angie is fed up.”

Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard on the set of Allied. Via Getty.

This alleged affair has been denied by another source with it being reported Cotillard is still with her long-term partner, French actor and director Guillaume Canet.

“They are still very much together. They have been a couple since 2007 and have one child but have never married,’’ the source said of Cotillard and Canet.

Whatever the reasons it seems likely that the battle over the children has only just begun with Jolie’s manager, Geyer Kosinski saying “Angelina will always do what’s in the best interest to protect her children.

Jolie’s estranged father, actor Jon Voight, told Inside Edition he was concerned about the divorce filing. "It’s very sad," he said. "Something very serious must have happened for Angelina to make a decision like this.”

Scroll through for more photos of the glamorous couple.