Angelina Jolie has opened up about her personal journey and reflections on love while promoting her latest film, “Couture.” The actress, who is known for her powerful performances and humanitarian work, discussed her character Maxine Walker—a filmmaker navigating a romance in Paris amid a breast cancer diagnosis. This role has prompted Jolie to reassess her own life, particularly her experiences since her separation from Brad Pitt in 2016.
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In an interview with Yahoo Entertainment, Jolie revealed that her split from Pitt, which ended their nine-year marriage, has left her feeling disconnected from her romantic identity. “I haven’t dated or been with anyone since I divorced a decade ago, right?” she shared. As a mother to six children, her focus has largely centred on her family, often leading her to overlook her own needs.
Playing the character Maxine required Jolie to reconceptualise this aspect of her life. She explained that embracing love as a woman does not detract from her role as a mother. “It took me a second to say, ‘Look, she can also love her daughter and be dedicated to her daughter and also need this as a woman,'” she reflected. This insight has encouraged her to view her own potential for love as a necessary part of healing.
Jolie’s experience is profoundly influenced by her late mother, Marcheline Bertrand, who passed away from cancer in 2007. The emotional weight of losing her mother has been a guiding force in Jolie’s life decisions. In her role as Maxine, she found parallels with her own journey, stating, “Life has broken me a little… I have to live again. Be free again.”
The actress credited her three daughters—Zahara, Shiloh, and Vivienne—with helping her rediscover her own aspirations. Their encouragement has led her to reflect on what she wants for herself as well as for them. Jolie expressed, “They speak to me as young women, and I see what I want for them. I see what I don’t want them to lose and what I want them to hold on to.” This perspective serves as a reminder for her to embrace those values for herself.
As Jolie navigates her roles both as a mother and as an individual, she admitted her daughters wish for her to reclaim her identity beyond “just being Mum.” This realisation has sparked a desire within her to return to a broader sense of self. “There’s a different room for me to be that woman again, that’s not just a mom,” she added, clearly indicating her wish to forge a new chapter in her life.
Over the past decade, since her highly publicised divorce from Pitt, Jolie has placed an emphasis on raising her children—Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, Knox, and Vivienne—while selectively choosing acting projects. Pitt, too, has continued his film career and has reportedly been in a relationship with Ines de Ramon since 2022.
Despite their shared focus on co-parenting, the former couple remains entangled in a protracted legal dispute over their French winery, Château Miraval. Recent court rulings have been a source of contention, with Jolie’s legal team asserting that these decisions do not affect her case. They expressed hope for a resolution that would allow the family to focus on healing and moving forward.
As Jolie prepares to release “Couture,” she remains attuned to her own evolution, stating, “I’m thinking I have to live again. Be free again.” With her daughters’ support, she is on a path of self-discovery, ready to embrace life with a renewed perspective on love and identity.