Angelina Jolie has opened up about her struggles as well as her renewed focus to take care of her children after her split with Brad Pitt in a new interview with the Daily Telegraph .
Sitting in a Beverly Hills hotel suite to promote Cambodian-set film First They Killed My Father , which she co-wrote, produced and directed, Jolie was all willing to entertain questions of a more personal nature, specifically how she has been holding up since her divorce from Brad Pitt last September.
“Sometimes maybe it appears I am pulling it all together,” she said. “But really I am just trying to get through my days.”
“I don’t enjoy being single,” she added. “It’s not something I wanted. There’s nothing nice about it. It’s just hard.”
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have six children — — Maddox, 16, Pax, 13, Zahara, 12, Shiloh, 11, and twins Knox and Vivienne, 9.
Angelina Jolie said her emotional struggles following her breakup and divorce from Brad Pitt were compounded by her health issues. Back in 2013, Angelina underwent a preventive double mastectomy. Two years later she had her ovaries removed. Last July, Jolie revealed that she was recently diagnosed with Bell’s Palsy, a rare neurological condition.
“Emotionally it’s been a very difficult year,” Angie said. “And I have some other health issues. So my health is something I have to monitor.”
“I feel sometimes that my body has taken a hit, but I try to laugh as much as possible. We tend to get so stressed that our children feel our stress when they need to feel our joy. Even if you are going through chemo, you need to find the ability to love and laugh. It may sound like a postcard, but it’s true.”
Angelina Jolie, 42, said that she’s planning to set aside her career temporarily so she can focus on spending more time with her children. Her first order of business on that particular end? Enroll in cooking classes.
“I am going to cooking classes,” the Maleficent actress said. “Cooking is one of those things you do when you are settled in your life and you can take the time. But somehow I am just very impatient and I am a little bit erratic.”
“But I am getting into it now,” she added. “I feel like, if I cook, the kids can all hang out. Although they often take over and tell me that they can do it better.”
Angelina Jolie gives painfully honest interview about split from Brad Pitt https://t.co/2nTDGXgbyf pic.twitter.com/mQqv0wF38c
— The Independent (@Independent) September 3, 2017
Angelina Jolie was recently joined by her six children for a photo op at the First They Killed My Father premiere held at the 2017 Telluride Film Festival on Saturday in Telluride, Colo.
Angelina Jolie was joined by all six of her children (plus her film’s actors) at her #Telluride premiere – see pics! https://t.co/M87F6UGUf3
— JustJared.com (@JustJared) September 3, 2017
The film, which was filmed in Cambodia, is based on Cambodian human rights advocate Loung Ung’s memoir, which chronicles her life as a young girl under the authoritarian rule of the Khmer Rouge.
As previously reported by Just Jared , Angelina Jolie’s two eldest kids Maddox and Pax , who were involved in the film’s production, went with their mom and cast members Sareum Srey Moch and Kimhak Mun on stage at the festival.
The film was a passion project for Jolie, whose eldest son, Maddox, was born in Cambodia. As an executive producer for the film, Maddox helped his mom Angie review multiple drafts.
The 42-year-old actress received a standing ovation after screening First They Killed My Father at the 2017 Telluride Film Festival on Saturday.
Do you think Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt can settle their differences for the sake of their children? Feel free to share your thoughts below.
[Featured Image by Jordan Pix/Getty Images]
