Allegations of abuse against Brad Pitt are "exaggerated and fabricated"

A source told DailyMail.com: "These claims are exaggerated and fabricated.

"It's unfortunate for the whole family that people are insisting on continuing this endless smear campaign against Brad that hurts everyone.

"They are a solid family with two caring parents and a normal share of verbal disagreements like major households.

"Hopefully people can move on and leave them all alone to work this out."

It has been claimed that Maddox, 15, stepped in when a row between Brad and his now-estranged wife Angelina Jolie became heated on board a private plane from France to Los Angeles earlier this month.

Maddox was adopted by Angelina from Cambodia when he was only a few months old in 2002 and Brad, who started dating Angelina a few years later, adopted him in 2006.

The couple also have children Pax, 12, Zahara, 11, Shiloh, 10, and twins Knox and Vivienne, eight together and all six children were onboard the flight when the row broke out.

However, Brad, 52, is said to be hopeful that the allegations will be dropped soon after cameras at Minnesota's International Falls Airport

- where the plane stopped to refuel - captured the argument.

A source told US Weekly: "Brad is seen yelling a lot during it, but nothing physical."

Explaining the incident, a member of staff said previously: "There was a disagreement with the eldest boy. I know it started on the way to the airport before the plane took off and escalated on the plane.

"It was a teenage thing, there is a lot of hormones going on. They were gone for over 10 days. You put eight people in a little tube like that and put them up in the air for 12 and a half hours, add this and that to it."

Brad is said to be taking the investigation "very seriously" and is "scared" he will lose his children over something that never happened.

Angelina, 41, filed for divorce earlier this week and requested joint legal, but sole physical, custody of their children.