Angelina Jolie reveals how her children saved her ‘fighting spirit’ after Brad Pitt split

4 min readMumbaiJun 19, 2026 02:15 PM IST

Angelina Jolie with her with her daughters Zahara and Shiloh.

(Photo: Shiloh, Instagram)

Once hailed as one of Hollywood’s most celebrated couples, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s split became one of the most closely watched separations. Over the years, Jolie has spoken candidly about the emotional toll the experience took on her. Now, while promoting her upcoming film Couture, the actor has reflected on how her children helped her navigate that difficult period and continue to inspire her today.

‘They want me to get out and do things’

Speaking to Variety, Angelina Jolie said, “I think my fighting spirit is finally back, I lost it for a bit. I got kind of taken down a little bit and it’s coming back in large part thanks to my children, who are now older, and encouraging it.” She went on to explain how her children have encouraged her to reconnect with parts of herself that had taken a backseat in recent years. “My kids are almost all 18, so now they want to see me traveling the world, they want me to get out and do things. They know me more than anybody, and they still like me, which says a lot. I think they’re very encouraging of me kind of getting back to aspects of myself that maybe I hadn’t felt as free to do.”

During the same conversation, Jolie revealed that she had stepped away from acting even before her marriage ended, believing her focus should remain on directing and humanitarian work. However, circumstances after the divorce led her back to the screen. “I had kind of quit acting before my divorce. I was focusing on directing, and I thought I’d be doing my international work. But then suddenly the only way to be home more and for short periods of time being away or to make a good amount of money, was to go back to acting. I was only taking things that were short or close by or I could take my children.”

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Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s children drop ‘Pitt’ surname

Angelina Jolie’s comments come amid reports that her and Brad Pitt’s son, Knox, has become the latest of their children to distance himself from his father’s surname. According to Page Six, the teenager, who turns 18 on July 12, was listed as “Knox Jolie” rather than “Knox Jolie Pitt” on his high school diploma after graduating from Fusion Academy in Los Angeles earlier this month.

The reported move follows similar decisions by several of his siblings. Earlier this year, Zahara filed a petition in California to remove “Pitt” from her surname. The 21-year-old had previously introduced herself as “Zahara Marley Jolie” during an Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. event at Spelman College in August 2024, signalling the change publicly.

Her brother Maddox also legally dropped “Pitt” from his name. The 24-year-old’s name change was finalised in May, and he now goes by Maddox Chivan Jolie, citing “personal” reasons in court filings. Meanwhile, Shiloh legally removed “Pitt” from her surname shortly after turning 18 in 2024. Her attorney, Peter Levine, told People that she had “made an independent and significant decision following painful events.”

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Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt began their relationship in 2005 and married in 2014. Two years later, Jolie filed for divorce, setting off a lengthy legal battle that included disputes over custody and other matters. Their divorce proceedings were eventually concluded in December 2024, nearly eight years after the split. The former couple share six children: Maddox, 24, Pax, 22, Zahara, 21, Shiloh, 20, and twins Knox and Vivienne, 17.