It’s been almost four years since Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt called it quits on their marriage – and Angie is opening up about her decision to divorce.
In a recent interview with Vogue India, Angie shared that her reason for separating from her then-husband was for the sake of their children.
“I separated for the wellbeing of my family. It was the right decision,” Angelina said.
“I continue to focus on their healing. Some have taken advantage of my silence, and the children see lies about themselves in the media, but I remind them that they know their own truth and their own minds. In fact, they are six very brave, very strong young people.”
She also talked about raising both her adopted and biological children – she and Brad share six children. Maddox, Zahara, Pax, are adopted and Shiloh and twins Vivienne and Knox are their biological children.
“What is important is to speak with openness about all of it and to share. ‘Adoption’ and ‘orphanage’ are positive words in our home,” she shares. “With my adopted children, I can’t speak of pregnancy, but I speak with much detail and love about the journey to find them and what it was like to look in their eyes for the first time.”
“All adopted children come with a beautiful mystery of a world that is meeting yours. When they are from another race and foreign land, that mystery, that gift, is so full,” she continued. “For them, they must never lose touch with where they came from. They have roots that you do not. Honor them. Learn from them. It’s the most amazing journey to share. They are not entering your world, you are entering each other’s worlds.”
“I am very blessed to have been allowed to be their mom. I am grateful every day,” Angelina added.
Angie and Brad were together for 12 years – they were married for two. Fans were shocked when the Maleficent star filed for divorce in September 2016. Both sides have largely kept mum about their split. However, this isn’t the first time she has talked about her split.
Back in October 2019, Angelina opened up about her feelings leading up to her divorce.
“I think it was at the end of my relationship with Brad and then when we separated,” she told the French publication Madame Figaro. “It was complicated, I didn’t recognize myself anymore, and I’d become, how do I say this, smaller, insignificant, even if I didn’t show it. I was profoundly, deeply sad, I was hurt. On the other hand, it was interesting to tap into this humility and sense of insignificance.”
Brad has also opened up about his journey to sobriety following their split.
“I had taken things as far as I could take it, so I removed my drinking privileges,” he told The New York Times in a September 2019 interview. He also revealed that he’d spent a year-and-a-half in Alcoholics Anonymous after he and Angie separated.
