Amid bitter divorce with Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie's kids advised her: 'They told her to...'

UPDATED: Jan 3, 2025 00:36 IST

Angelina Jolie's children wanted her to be more vocal in defending herself throughout her ongoing divorce battle with Brad Pitt, a source told People Magazine.

"She’s been trying hard to be light after a dark time," the source reveals. "The kids have grown up seeing that some people have so much power and privilege that their voices don’t matter. Their pain doesn’t count."

The source added that Jolie’s children have encouraged her to speak up for herself. However, she has chosen to focus on systemic change rather than public storytelling, telling them to concentrate on changing laws instead of sharing their personal struggles.

Jolie, 49, and Pitt, 61, have six children, including adopted ones. These are Maddox (23), Pax (21), Zahara (19), Shiloh (18), and twins Vivienne and Knox (16).

The couple met during the filming of "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" in 2005 while Pitt was still with Jennifer Aniston. They got married in 2014 before separating in 2016.

Jolie filed for divorce on September 19, 2016, following a flight incident in which Pitt allegedly became drunk and abusive toward her and the children. While the authorities conducted investigations, Pitt was not charged, and Jolie chose not to press charges.

The divorce has been drawn out for years, with both parties signing agreements in 2017 to preserve their family's privacy by keeping court documents confidential.

The custody battle between the former couple has been very contentious, with initial court documents indicating that Jolie could risk losing primary custody if she did not work on her children’s relationship with Pitt.

A judge later granted 50-50 custody to Pitt, though the ruling was invalidated later by an appeals court.

On December 30, 2024. Jolie and Pitt officially settled their divorce, signing the necessary papers to make the separation final.

But tensions still remain between the former couple.

A source close to Pitt described Jolie’s actions over the years as "one-sided attacks," which have "caused tremendous collateral damage" to those around the family.

Another source revealed in July 2024 that Pitt has "virtually no contact" with their adult children, though he still has visitation rights with the younger ones.

Some of their children have even opted to remove "Pitt" from their last names.

The distance from his children has reportedly caused Pitt significant pain. “He loves his children and misses them. It’s very sad,” a source previously told People.

Despite the challenges, both Jolie and Pitt remain focused on their children’s well-being. Jolie, in recent interviews, has described her kids as "especially shy, very private people," and expressed hope that they will one day have the privacy they deserve.

Moreover, both are still at odds over a separate lawsuit regarding a French winery they once owned together.

Jolie’s attorney in that case said "She wants this to end, the children want this to end, and Mr. Pitt should focus on healing their family, not pursuing lawsuits."