Angelina Jolie is embracing a new chapter in her life, and according to the actress, her six children deserve much of the credit.
Nearly a year after finally closing the book on her lengthy divorce battle with Brad Pitt, the Oscar winner is opening up about rediscovering her confidence, returning to passions she once set aside, and finding strength through her family.
Her candid comments arrive as the rift between Pitt and their children continues to make headlines, with several of them now publicly distancing themselves from their father’s surname.
After years of legal battles, personal struggles, and public scrutiny, Angelina Jolie says she is finally beginning to feel like herself again.
Speaking to Variety alongside “Couture” director Alice Winocour, the actress admitted there was a period when she lost some of the fire that once defined her.
“I think my fighting spirit is finally back. I lost it for a bit,” Angelina said. She explained that her children played a major role in helping her regain that confidence.
According to her, “I got kind of taken down a little bit and it’s coming back in large part thanks to my children, who are now older, and encouraging it.”
Now that most of her children are entering adulthood, Angelina said they are actively pushing her to step outside her comfort zone and embrace life more fully.
“My kids are almost all 18, so now they want to see me traveling the world, they want me to get out and do things,” the doting mom stated.
Then came the remark that immediately caught attention. In her words, “They know me more than anybody, and they still like me, which says a lot.”
Angelina Reveals Why She Returned To Acting
Long before her divorce from Brad Pitt became final, Angelina Jolie had already started pulling away from acting.
The “Maleficent” star explained that directing and humanitarian work had become her primary focus before her marriage ended in 2016.
“I had kind of quit acting before my divorce. I was focusing on directing, and I thought I’d be doing my international work,” she said.
However, the realities of raising six children changed those plans. Angelina revealed that the only way to balance being at home and being away for a short time while earning good money was to return to acting.
Instead of chasing major film roles, she said she intentionally selected projects that allowed her to remain close to her family.
“I was only taking things that were short or close by or I could take [my children],” the “Tomb Raider” star shared.
Now, with her children older and encouraging her independence, Angelina says she feels free to reconnect with parts of herself she had placed on hold.
Angelina Jolie Opens Up About Her Fear Of Time Running Out
While discussing her latest film “Couture,” Angelina shared deeply personal reflections about mortality and family.
The movie follows a filmmaker who learns she has breast cancer while attending Paris Fashion Week, a storyline that resonates strongly with the actress.
Recall that Angelina lost her mother to complications from breast and ovarian cancer in 2007 and later underwent a preventative double mastectomy after discovering she carries a genetic mutation linked to a significantly increased cancer risk.
Those experiences, she said, continue to shape how she views life. “I think having lost my mom young and never met my grandmother, I have never lived feeling like I’m going to have a long life,” Angelina confessed.
The Hollywood star admitted she often struggles to slow down and enjoy the present. “I may struggle from almost feeling like I can’t live in the moment because I feel like I have to push and rush because time’s running out,” Angelina explained.
She even acknowledged that those fears influence how she parents her children. According to her, while raising them, she prepares them for her absence.
Angelina Says Privacy Has Become More Important Than Ever
Another topic Angelina Jolie addressed was her desire to live life more privately. When asked if she still considers herself “punk” at 51, the actress offered a surprising response.
“I think I’m more punk now,” she said. For her, being rebellious no longer means seeking attention. Instead, it means resisting the pressure to constantly participate in public discourse.
She added that choosing privacy can sometimes be the most unconventional decision of all.
“So even sometimes my privacy or not completely being sucked into a lot of things or movements – sometimes the doing less, or being private, when the world is the way it is right now, that is an opposite,” the star noted.
Angelina’s interview arrives amid renewed attention surrounding her children’s relationship with Pitt.
Most recently, reports revealed that 17-year-old Knox graduated from Fusion Academy in Los Angeles under the name Knox Jolie rather than Knox Jolie-Pitt.
His decision follows similar moves made by several of his siblings. Zahara recently sought to legally change her name to Zahara Marley Jolie, while she had already stopped publicly using Pitt’s surname years earlier.
Vivienne dropped Pitt from a Playbill credit for “The Outsiders,” and Shiloh legally removed the name shortly after turning 18.
Maddox has also reportedly requested a legal name change to Maddox Chivan Jolie, citing “personal” reasons.
The growing distance between Pitt and his children traces back to the former couple’s highly contentious 2016 split.
Angelina filed for divorce following an alleged altercation aboard a private flight involving the family. Pitt has denied key accusations made against him, while his representatives have maintained that he has accepted responsibility for his actions.
