Since the early 00s, Angelina Jolie‘s life has been the talk of the tabloids.

From the cheating allegations surrounding her early romance with Brad Pitt, to the violent rumors about the pair’s divorce, there aren’t many Hollywood actors who garner such public interest.

Though, the one thing she’s constantly praised for is the commitment she has to her six children – Maddox, 22, Pax, 19, Zahara, 18, Shiloh, 17, and twins Vivienne and Knox, 15.

This is something the Lara Croft: Tomb Raider actress opened up about during a recent interview with Vogue, where she detailed the traumatic breakdown of her relationship to Pitt, as well as how her children “saved” her from going down a different path in life.

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt divorce

Jolie, 48, and Pitt, 59, first filed for divorce in September 2016, and rumors began swirling about what exactly caused their abrupt split. The pair had been together since 2004, but didn’t officially wed until 2014.

Many sources reported that Jolie first filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences. Not only this, but the FBI and the Los Angeles Department of Children and Family Services then confirmed that Pitt was being investigated for alleged child abuse following an incident that occurred on the family’s private jet

The allegations later came to light in court documents, where it was claimed that an intoxicated Pitt had been physical with one of his children, as well as Jolie.

TMZ reported at the time that the exact details were “murky”, but that Maddox had stood up for Jolie during an argument with Pitt on the jet, and that the Inglourious Basterds actor lost his temper.


Pitt has since been cleared of the allegations, but the legal issues continue as the former spouses battle over the ownership of their winery in the south of France. Recent leaked emails have shown the reality of this intense dispute, and it seems utterly exhausting for all parties involved.

In May 2021, a judge granted the actors joint custody over their children, but in June the same year, this decision was thrown out – as of now, it remains unresolved.

Angelina Jolie dark confession

As Jolie modeled and promoted her upcoming New York fashion studio Atelier Jolie for the Vogue interview, she spoke to the outlet about her life as a single mother to six after announcing her divorce from Pitt in 2016.

“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 Vogue.

“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,” she admitted.

The actress-turned-humanitarian also confessed to Vogue that she hasn’t felt entirely herself for a long time, and has been feeling low lately. “I’m still understanding who I am at 48. I guess I’m in transition as a person. 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.

Ensuring not to delve too much into the topic, Jolie inferred that her family has been on a journey to heal from the trauma they experienced in recent years, revealing: “We had a lot of healing to do. We’re still finding our footing.”