There’s no denying that Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s separation in 2016 came as a shock. After years as Hollywood’s It-couple, the pair were a picture of modern romance that the ultimate blended family aspired to emulate.
Now, almost five years later, Angelina Jolie has opened up about how she and their six children—Maddox, 19, Pax, 17, Zahara, 16, Shiloh, 14, and 12-year-old twins Vivienne and Knox—are coping with their new normal.
Speaking to British Vogue, Jolie reflected on the trials and tribulations that she’s conquered in the last few years since the split, as well as the current global crisis. Speaking candidly about her inability to be a stay-at-home mother, the actress and UN High Commissioner for Refugees also revealed how she approaches raising her family, including her adopted children, Maddox, Pax and Zahara.
“Aw, well I feel like it’s a big deal if they accept me, you know? I mean, that’s the thing for a lot of mothers, and for a lot of parents regardless,” she admitted.
“But I think even more so if you have adopted children. They have to choose you, too. It’s not the parents’ family and they’re in it. It’s our family.”
Jolie continued to acknowledge that while she recognises her privilege throughout the COVID-10 pandemic, her family has also faced its own hurdles, saying:
“There are also these other markers of life: Pax going into his senior year, but not being able to enjoy all that it is to be a senior; Zahara finally getting her driving licence, but she’s taking the test with the driver wrapped in the full outfit with the masks. It’s not how you imagine these moments. But birthdays go on, and I think that for many people, it’s made us all feel very human together. There’s something beautiful about that.”
And while the world looks up to Jolie for her compassion and motherly prowess, the 45-year-old actress doesn’t see herself in the same light, particularly when it comes to being a stay-at-home mother.
“I feel like I’m lacking in all the skills to be a traditional stay-at-home mom. I’m managing through it because the children are quite resilient, and they’re helping me, but I’m not good at it at all.” The actress added, “Well, I love them. I feel like we’re such a team. It may sound clichéd, but you love and you try, and even if you burn the eggs, that doesn’t matter in the end. But also, you’ve met our kids. They’re pretty capable.”
When it came to any mention of Pitt himself, Jolie kept it short and sweet. While detailing how it felt to move into the home of Cecil B. DeMille, she revealed that her choice in real estate was to mend the relationship between her children and their father, saying:
“I wanted it to be close to their dad, who is only five minutes away. I felt a little pressure moving in. Like I had snuck into where DeMille and Chaplin would hang out. I love most that there is no entertainment room, but lots of pathways and places to walk and think. I feel very fortunate we have that at this time.”
However, when asked if she was at a happy place herself, Jolie was truly candid about how she is still healing as she settles into life post-split.
“The past few years have been pretty hard,” she said. “I’ve been focusing on healing our family. It’s slowly coming back, like the ice melting and the blood returning to my body. But I’m not there. I’m not there yet. But I hope to be. I’m planning on it.”
Having filed for a divorce from Brad Pitt in 2016, the pair continue to battle a bifurcated judgement, with the details of their divorce, including distribution of finances and child custody, still to be determined.
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