Angelina Jolie reveals why she sold twins Vivienne and Knox's first photos: 'It was the better option'
SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA: Actress Angelina Jolie recently revealed why she chose to sell the images of her twins, Knox and Vivienne, now 16, to People and Hello! magazines in 2008.
The 'Maria' actress, 49—who shares Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, Maddox, and twins Vivienne and Knox with her ex-husband Brad Pitt—further opened up about her children's exposure to the spotlight and whether they wish to pursue careers in Hollywood.
Angelina Jolie sold twins Knox and Vivienne's baby pictures for their 'safety'
During a panel at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival on Wednesday, February 5, the 'Maria' actress was questioned about the time she sold pictures of her newborn twins, Knox and Vivienne, to PEOPLE and Hello! magazine for charitable purposes.
"It's a strange thing to have to do or to do, but it was kind of the better option. It was that somebody was coming for it and it was a safety concern as well," Jolie explained.
"It was just better to control it in a safe place, in a safe way. And do something good with it, obviously, if you can. That’s much better," she added.
The funds that Jolie and her ex-husband Pitt, 61, received were then donated to their charity, The Jolie-Pitt Foundation, per the New York Post.
Jolie and Pitt began dating following their roles in the 2005 action comedy 'Mr & Mrs Smith.' Following their roles in the 2005 action comedy "Mr & Mrs Smith," Jolie and Pitt began dating. They got married in 2014, but they split up in 2016.
The 'Maleficent' actress filed for divorce from Pitt following a fight on a plane while the children were present.
The ex-partners ended their protracted divorce dispute eight years later. Their daughter Shiloh eventually gave up the last name Pitt in 2024. She filed a formal request to remove her famous father's last name after turning 18.
Vivienne was also identified as "Vivienne Jolie" on the Playbill for the Broadway version of 'The Outsiders,' which she co-produced with her mother in 2024.
Angelina Jolie spills on whether her children will follow in her footsteps
The 'Eternals' actress also revealed whether she anticipated her children would follow in her footsteps but she declined to indicate that any of them had an "affinity" for movies.
"No. I don’t know, that’s not my doing. I always wanted them to be around film because I wanted them to know as a part of — it’s such a wonderful family, to be creative, to be an artist, to be … They’re not interested," Jolie admitted.
She added, "They really don’t like any of the celebrity part of it, especially Shiloh hates it. I think in a very healthy way they don’t … It’s not a normal thing. It’s a silly thing really."
However, Jolie added that it did not suggest that her children had not made their own connections to the craft of filmmaking.
Jolie went on, "Yes, they’ve been on set with me. And some of them dance, some of them paint, some of them love theater, but none of them are dying to be on screen."
