Angelina Jolie Says ‘Being a Parent Is Everything,’ Not Her Career

Angelina Jolie would choose her family over fame in an instant.

The actress, 49, said motherhood is “everything” to her during an interview with The Sunday Times, published on December 1. While discussing her starring role in Pablo Larraín’s Maria Callas biopic, Maria, Jolie insisted that she’s lucky enough to not be as lonely as the world-renowned opera singer, who died at the age of 53 in 1977.

“I don’t feel that [loneliness] because I have family,” Jolie said. “Maria didn’t have a family, so her work was everything. My work is not everything. Being a parent is everything.”

Jolie shares six children — Maddox, 23, Pax, 20, Zahara, 19, Shiloh, 18, and twins Knox and Vivienne, 16 — with Brad Pitt, whom she split from in 2016. Amid allegations of abuse, at least two of the couple’s kids, Vivienne and Shiloh, have dropped Pitt’s surname.

Jolie said she is “grateful this film gave me a time to stop and learn and listen and appreciate,” mentioning that her sons Maddox and Pax — whom she adopted from Cambodia and Vietnam, respectively — worked on Maria as production assistants.

It allowed them to see their mom at work and also understand Callas’ dynamic with those around her. “They were able to consider the relationships in the film and the violence — things that sometimes you don’t have the opportunity to discuss with your sons, so I felt fortunate,” Jolie admitted.

She recently spoke about her love of parenthood in an interview with Good Morning America, in which she told host Michael Strahan that it’s her “happiness.”

“You can take everything else away from me. Nothing else matters,” she insisted.

Jolie also said none of her children want to follow in their parents’ footsteps when it comes to appearing on the big screen.

“None of my children want to be in front of the camera at this time. They’re quite private. Shiloh’s extremely private,” she said. “They weren’t born with privacy, right? So I hope they can have that as they grow.”

Jolie and Pitt, 60, known as “Brangelina,” captured the attention of many after sparking up a romance in 2005 amid his divorce from Jennifer Aniston. They raised their children together and supported each other’s careers for years before tying the knot in August 2014 at their Château Miraval estate — now a site of contention following their split.

A judge tentatively ruled on Monday, November 25, that Pitt must turn over documents and communications that Jolie claims will prove he covered up alleged domestic violence against her and their children.

“We are gratified that the court ruled in Angelina’s favor,” Jolie’s attorney Paul Murphy exclusively told Us Weekly in a statement on Tuesday, November 26. “After Mr. Pitt fought for years to hide this crucial evidence, he must now produce documents and communications concerning abuse, lies to authorities, and years of cover-up. His actions harmed Angelina and their children and are central to this case.”

“I want to again emphasize that Angelina never wanted any of this,” the statement continued. “She never pressed charges, she left all their properties, and she is the one who tried to sell him the business in the first place. To this day, Mr. Pitt has never been held accountable for his actions and has at all times controlled Miraval and the winery, yet he still demands more.”

The statement concluded: “She wants this to end, the children want this to end, and Mr. Pitt should focus on healing their family, not pursuing lawsuits. If he does not, Angelina will defend herself in court by presenting the evidence necessary to demonstrate that Pitt’s allegations are demonstrably false.”

 

In July, Jolie filed court documents claiming that the actor tried to force her to sign an $8.5 million NDA to cover up “years of abuse.” Her legal team asked that the court compel Pitt to disclose “private, third-party communications” he had about their family’s 2016 plane ride that resulted in Jolie filing for divorce and alleging child abuse.

Pitt was later cleared by the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services.

Jolie argued in the July docs that she “was not acting with malice and the intent to hurt Pitt in response to any custody ruling” when she sold her share of Château Miraval in 2021.

She claimed it was Pitt who “refused to buy her interest unless he received his newly expanded NDA,” she alleged in the filing, claiming that it was designed to “force her silence about his abuse and cover-up.”

Pitt’s career has continued to flourish despite the legal battle. He has not, however, had much contact with his children, who reside with Jolie.

“Sadly, Brad doesn’t have much of a relationship with his kids,” a source told Us. “He’s not ready to give up on them, but knowing they are dropping his name is upsetting.”

Added another source: “Brad’s putting on a brave face, but behind closed doors, he’s finding it extremely difficult to come to terms with [what’s happening].”