Angelina Jolie is opening up about her family life since her divorce from actor Brad Pitt. In a new interview with Vogue, the actress revealed that being a mother “saved” from going down a “much darker” path in life.
“I was 26 when I became a mother,” Jolie said in the interview published on Wednesday, September 27th. “My entire life changed. Having children saved me—and taught me to be in this world differently. 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. Of course I’m the mother, and hopefully that safe place for them and that stability. But I’m also the one that they laugh at—and I see them taking over so many different aspects of our family.”
She went on to allude to her 2016 divorce from Pitt after 12 years together. The former couple share six children: 22-year-old Maddox, 19-year-old Pax, 18-year-old Shiloh, and 15-year-old twins Vivienne and Knox. Jolie continued, “After I went through something where I was hurt, I had a therapist ask if I would try wearing a flowing garment. Sounds silly, but I assumed that pants and boots projected a ‘tougher’ look, a stronger me. But was I strong enough to be soft? At the time, no. I felt vulnerable. Now I wonder if I don’t know what my style is because I’m still understanding who I am at 48. I guess I’m in transition as a person. I feel a bit down these days. I don’t feel like I’ve been myself for a decade, in a way, which I don’t want to get into.” She added that she started doing less film work “seven years ago, only taking jobs that didn’t require long shoots. We had a lot of healing to do. We’re still finding our footing.”
This article was originally published on iHeart Radio and reproduced with permission.