8 revelations from Angelina Jolie's interview about life after divorcing Brad Pitt
Key takeaways from Angelina Jolie's bombshell interview
In a rare tell-all interview, the 'Maleficent' star Angelina Jolie opened up about her life with her six children following her contentious divorce from superstar Brad Pitt. In an interview with Wall Street Journal, published on December 5, Jolie shared about her life including her early life, health struggle and her special bond with her children.
Angelina Jolie revealed she wouldn't choose to be an actress today
The Oscar-winning actress pondered on her life choice and boldly stated that she would probably not choose to be a thespian were she just starting her career today, at least not in films. Talking about stardom, Jolie said, “I never bought into it as significant or important,” before adding, “I wouldn’t be an actress today." She contended, "When I was starting out, there wasn’t as much of an expectation to be as public, to share so much.”
Growing up in Hollywood
Angelina Jolie, who is a scion of a reputed Hollywood family, is the daughter of famous Hollywood stars Jon Voight and Marcheline Bertrand. Speaking up about her upbringing in Hollywood, Jolie revealed she “was never impressed" with it [Hollywood]. The 'Mr. and Mrs. Smith' star, who ventured into modeling and acting from an early age, continued to add, “I grew up in a shallow place. Of all the places in the world, Hollywood is not a healthy place. So you seek authenticity.”
Angelina Jolie revealed her 'need to heal' following split from Brad Pitt
Jolie also recalled the ordeal of healing that she and her six children - Shiloh, Zahara, Maddox, Pax, Knox and Vivienne together - had to undergo. Talking about the six children she shares with Brad Pitt, the 48-year-old actress-filmmaker said, “We had to heal. There are things we needed to heal from,” before gushing about her relationship with her adult children, “They are the closest people to me and my life, and they’re my close friends. We’re seven very different people, which is our strength.”
Angelina Jolie admits 'not having a social life'
The 'Eternals' star revealed that she doesn’t “really have a social life,” saying that she has made some of her “closest friends” from the areas affected “from war and conflict," rather than industry friends. “I don’t really have…a social life,” she shared while adding, “I realized my closest friends are refugees. Maybe four out of six of the women that I am close to are from war and conflict.”
Angelina Jolie's 'wish-list' when it comes to finding collaborators
Jolie revealed in her intimate interview that following her divorce, she has not got involved in any new relationship. While she did not share her requirements for a romantic partner, the 'Original Sin' actress shared her requirements for her ideal "collaborator." Jolie said, “I think someone who’s bold, and maybe a little bit of madness,” before adding, “I think while it’s very important to be thoughtful and ethical and considerate, it is also very important to have a little madness, have a little wild.”
Angelina Jolie's relationship with her children
Jolie has always been a hands-on mother. Talking about her inclination towards spending time with her children, the 'Salt' actress shared, “I spend time with my kids,” before adding, “And just to be around them because they’re the best of me and I’ve learned something from all of them differently and I think they’re really interesting people. I feel stronger when I’m with them.”
Angelina Jolie's health struggle with Bell's Palsy ahead of her divorce
Jolie revealed that six months prior to her divorce with Pitt, she had “had Bell’s palsy” that led to unexplained “episode of facial muscle weakness or paralysis,” per Johns Hopkins Medicine. She shared, “My body reacts very strongly to stress,” before adding, “My blood sugar goes up and down. I suddenly had Bell’s palsy six months before my divorce.”
What's next for Angelina Jolie?
The founder of the clothing line Atelier Jolie, the prouducer and film-maker shared that she is now focusing on her New York-based company which focuses on "individuality" and "freedom." Talking about the new step in her career, she added, “I’ll probably lose money, maybe even for a while,” and continued, “If I can eventually put into practice some things that I think are improvements and I just break even, that’s a huge victory.”
