Angelina Jolie is opening up like never before. In a candid interview with Variety, the Oscar winner reflected on a painful period and revealed that her six children were the driving force behind rediscovering her confidence and spark.
GettyThe actress shares six children, Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, and twins Knox and Vivienne, with former husband Brad Pitt. “I think my fighting spirit is finally back,” Jolie told Variety.
“I lost it for a bit. I got kind of taken down a little bit, and it’s coming back in large part thanks to my children, who are now older, and encouraging it.”
Her Children Encouraged Her to Embrace New Opportunities
GettyWhile Jolie did not directly discuss her tumultuous and highly publicized split with Pitt, her comments arrived years after a highly publicized divorce and lengthy legal battles that followed the couple’s 2016 split.
According to Jolie, her children have been pushing her to step outside her comfort zone and pursue opportunities she may have once avoided.
“My kids are almost all 18, so now they want to see me traveling the world, they want me to get out and do things,” she continued.
“They know me more than anybody, and they still like me, which says a lot. I think they’re very encouraging of me kind of getting back to aspects of myself that maybe I hadn’t felt as free to do.”
For Jolie, acting became a way to continue working while maintaining a stronger presence in her children’s lives.
Angelina Jolie Says She Nearly Left Acting Behind
GettyJolie also revealed that acting was not originally part of her long-term plan after her marriage ended.
The actress explained that she had intended to focus more heavily on directing and international humanitarian work. “I was focusing on directing, and I thought I’d be doing my international work,” she said.
Instead, practical considerations and family priorities influenced her decision to remain in front of the camera.
“But then suddenly the only way to be home more and for short periods of time being away or to make a good amount of money was to go back to acting. I was only taking things that were short or close by, or I could take [my children].”
Family Remains at the Center of Her Life
Jolie and Pitt began their relationship in 2005 and married in 2014. Two years later, Jolie filed for divorce, setting off a legal process that stretched for nearly eight years.
In the years since, several of the former couple’s children have publicly distanced themselves from Pitt’s surname. Shiloh was the first to legally remove “Pitt” from her name, while other siblings have also adopted versions of their names that do not include it.
GettyDespite the public attention surrounding the family, Jolie’s latest comments focused less on the past and more on the future.
Now 51, the actress says she feels a renewed sense of energy and purpose, something she largely attributes to the encouragement she receives from her children.
Angelina Jolie,
It’s ashame what you did to your children to get them involved with your divorce with Brad Pitt their father. Whatever happened between you and Brad should have stayed between you and him. You never should have gotten all 6 of your children to testify against Brad. Than God the judge ruled against the children testifying. And to punish Brads parents from not seeing b g the children was just evil Mc and shamefully. At one tome you were voted the most beautiful women in Hollywood. Well because your ugly on the inside full of revengefull in your heart and soul the ugliness is now on the outside. You’ll never be able to come back and be thar mega star you were way back then. Why not one of your children went and paid their respects to Brad’s moms death. Not one of them. Really what did his parents ever do to you , for the hate you also have for their grandparents. Shamefully. We all hope that some day when your children can think for themselves they will reconnect with their dad. Your days are over in Hollywood. Your old and you don’t have that following anymore. …PERIOD