Angelina Jolie says her children restored her fighting spirit after Brad Pitt divorce

Actress Angelina Jolie, who finalized her divorce from Brad Pitt in December 2024 after eight years of courtroom battles, told Variety that the prolonged legal fight had left her feeling "reduced to pieces" and without her usual fighting spirit. She said the support of her six children – Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, and twins Knox and Vivienne – helped her regain confidence and a desire to travel and work again.

Jolie noted that the children, now adults, have largely distanced themselves from their father, with several changing or dropping the Pitt surname. She also reflected on her personal health history, recalling a 2013 preventive double mastectomy after discovering a BRCA1 gene mutation that gave her a high risk of breast and ovarian cancer.

The interview highlights how the actress has refocused on her family and upcoming projects following the divorce settlement, which also involved a dispute over the Château Miraval wine estate in France.