Angelina Jolie admits that being a single mom has “saved” her from going to “much darker” places.
In a new interview with Vogue, the actress spoke about how focusing on parenting following her highly publicized split from Brad Pitt has kept her going over the years.
“I was 26 when I became a mother. My entire life changed. Having children saved me — and taught me to be in this world differently,” she told the outlet.
“I think, recently, I would’ve gone under in a much darker way had I not wanted to live for them. They’re better than me, because you want your children to be.”
Jolie and Pitt, who announced their divorce in 2016 after 12 years together, share six children: Maddox, 22, Pax, 19, Zahara, 18, Shiloh, 17, and twins Vivienne and Knox, 15.
The “Girl, Interrupted” star told Vogue that she hopes she’s a “safe place” for her children.
“But I’m also the one that they laugh at — and I see them taking over so many different aspects of our family,” she shared.
Jolie, who’s currently producing a Broadway musical, went on to say that she’s been feeling “a bit down these days.”
“I don’t feel like I’ve been myself for a decade, in a way, which I don’t want to get into,” she said.
Currently, she’s “transitioning as a person,” as she further explained, “We had a lot of healing to do. We’re still finding our footing.”
Jolie posed for the cover of the November 2023 edition of the magazine in a white strapless gown that was covered in pink spray paint, as she promoted her new fashion company, Atelier Jolie.
“I don’t want to be a big fashion designer, I want to build a house for other people to become that,” she said, while discussing her new brand. “I’m hoping to change many aspects of my life. And this is the forward-facing one.”
Jolie told Vogue that she hopes Atelier Jolie will inspire women to “feel safe enough” to be “soft,” which she has struggled with in the past.
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“Sometimes the way you dress says, ‘Don’t mess with me — I’ve got my armor on.’ But I want a woman to feel safe enough that she can be soft,” she said.
“After I went through something where I was hurt, I had a therapist ask if I would try wearing a flowing garment. Sounds silly, but I assumed that pants and boots projected a ‘tougher’ look, a stronger me.”
“Was I strong enough to be soft? At the time, no,” she continued. “I felt vulnerable. Now I wonder if… I don’t know what my style is because I’m still understanding who I am at 48.”
Other images in the magazine show the actress, who first started dating Pitt in 2005, wearing a yellow, silky dress with a dark cape, as well as a haltered black tank top with matching pants.
Jolie and Pitt first met on the set of “Mr. & Mrs. Smith,” while he was still married to Jennifer Aniston.
After he and Aniston split in 2005, Pitt and Jolie immediately started dating. And while it was rumored that the relationship started as an affair, the actor has vehemently denied he was unfaithful to the “Friends” star.
For a long time, Pitt and Jolie were Hollywood’s most famous couple. They even tied the knot in August 2014 after welcoming six children together. But in 2016, their relationship ended after they got into an alleged altercation while on a private flight with their kids.
Pitt was accused of “choking and striking” their son Maddox. However, no charges were ever brought against him. The actor has also denied the claims.
Since they broke up, Pitt and Jolie have been duking it out in court over custody of their kids, as well as a winery that they once owned together.
In May 2021, the actors were granted joint custody of their six kids, but just one month later, the judge’s decision was thrown out. To this day, the matter has remained unresolved.