Angelina Jolie shared that her upcoming film Couture holds a deeply personal meaning, as it echoes memories of her late mother and her own experiences with cancer.
Jolie offered a rare glimpse into her personal life while promoting Couture. Speaking with People on June 16, the Hollywood star revealed that the new project is far more than just a film—it carries profound significance for her through its themes of loss and resilience.
Directed by Alice Winocour, the film stars Jolie as Maxine, an American director working in Europe who receives a sudden breast cancer diagnosis. The character must navigate the health crisis while rediscovering meaning in life through her relationships with those around her..
The storyline mirrors the actress’s real-life experiences. Her mother, Marcheline Bertrand, passed away in 2007 after a long battle with ovarian and breast cancer. Meanwhile, Jolie previously made global headlines when she revealed she carries the BRCA1 gene mutation, which significantly increases her risk of breast cancer.
According to People, the Oscar winner praised Couture as “a beautifully written piece about women from many different countries.”
What resonated so deeply with Jolie was not just the narrative of illness, but how the characters find strength through connection and compassion. “The film shows that everyone is dealing with very human struggles. If we can navigate our challenges by leaning on one another and showing more empathy, life gets better, and we feel a little less alone,” she shared.
To coincide with the film’s promotion, the 51-year-old star hosted an intimate gathering at Atelier Jolie in New York City to honor cancer survivors. The event was attended by director Alice Winocour alongside several medical experts.
Jolie noted that she particularly appreciated the director’s nuanced and hopeful approach to the story. “The film isn’t about an ending for my character; it’s about a fierce desire to live until her very last breath. That really resonates with me at this stage in my life,” she said.
The actress also made a striking revelation, admitting she wouldn’t have been ready for the role had the film been made a few years ago. “I’m not sure I would have had the confidence to do this five years ago. I wasn’t ready to be open, to trust, to share, and to allow myself to be vulnerable again,” she confessed.
Angelina Jolie’s Regret
During her conversation with People, Jolie could not hide her emotion when speaking about her mother. The Hollywood star remarked that life sometimes derails people from their intended paths, leaving them feeling lost and isolated from the world.
“Life happens, and it throws us off track. We lose ourselves and feel lonely. I would give anything to have my mother alive and here with her grandchildren,” Jolie confided.
Last year, while attending the Toronto International Film Festival, Jolie similarly acknowledged that Couture stands as one of the most personal projects of her career. She admitted to feeling “very vulnerable” during production.
“This is a very personal film for me. It’s so close and intimate that it didn’t even feel like working on a traditional movie set anymore,” Jolie expressed. During filming, she even wore a necklace that belonged to her late mother as a way to keep her memory close.
Jolie added that she has grown to deeply cherish her relationships after weathering various life hardships. The actress believes that while emotional pain is inevitable, people can learn to move forward through shared experiences and mutual understanding.
Angelina Jolie Opens Up in Rare Interview About Post-Divorce Life with Brad Pitt: ‘My Fighting Spirit Is Back’
According to Angelina Jolie, her six children have been her greatest source of strength, helping her navigate the difficult aftermath of her high-profile divorce from Brad Pitt.
Nearly a decade after filing for divorce from Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie has offered a rare glimpse into her journey of self-discovery and the pivotal role her children played during one of the most challenging chapters of her life.
In an interview with Variety published on June 18, the actress revealed she is gradually reclaiming her signature energy and inner strength. “I think my fighting spirit is finally coming back,” Jolie shared.
The Hollywood star admitted there was a period when she felt she had lost her sense of drive. “I lost it for a while. There were times I felt a bit knocked down,” she said.
According to Angelina Jolie, her six children have been her greatest source of strength, helping her navigate the difficult aftermath of her high-profile divorce from Brad Pitt. The actress noted that her children have constantly encouraged her to step out into the world more, experience life, and discover new facets of herself.
“That spirit is coming back, largely thanks to my kids. They’re older now and they encourage me,” she shared.
Jolie added that her children want to see her travel the world and live more for herself, rather than solely focusing on family obligations. “They know me better than anyone, and they still love me. That means everything,” the actress confided.
The Maleficent star also revealed that prior to the divorce, she had intended to step away from acting to focus on directing and international humanitarian work. “I had almost stopped acting before the divorce. I thought I was going to transition into directing and international work,” she said.
However, following the fallout of her marriage, Jolie realized that acting remained the most practical career path, allowing her to care for her children while ensuring a stable stream of income.
After splitting from Pitt in September 2016, the actress primarily chose projects with shorter shooting schedules or locations close to home so she could remain fully present for her family.
The protracted legal battle between Jolie and Pitt finally drew to a close in late 2024, capping off more than eight years of arduous divorce proceedings.
In recent years, Pitt’s relationship with his children has frequently made international headlines. Several of the former couple’s children have chosen to drop “Pitt” from their surnames in their personal and professional lives, fueling widespread speculation about a rift between the A-list actor and his kids following the highly publicized divorce.
Sources close to the actor previously indicated that Pitt was deeply saddened by these decisions but remains hopeful about reconciling and mending his relationship with his children in the future.
Meanwhile, other insiders have pointed out that Jolie’s children are now adults and are entirely entitled to make their own choices.
“If they choose to distance themselves from their father, it stems from the trauma and experiences they have endured,” a source shared.
Jolie’s latest remarks continue to capture intense public interest, particularly given how rarely the actress speaks about her personal life after spending years entangled in contentious post-divorce disputes with Pitt.
Angelina Jolie’s rare comments about her divorce and how her children helped her heal: ‘I got taken down a little’
The actress reflected on losing her “fighting spirit,” the support of her six children, and life after her split from Brad Pitt.
Angelina Jolie is opening up about one of the most difficult chapters of her life and the family members who helped her emerge stronger on the other side.
In a candid new interview with Variety, the Oscar-winning actress reflected on life after her divorce from Brad Pitt, revealing that she feels like she has finally regained the “fighting spirit” she lost during years of personal upheaval.
“My fighting spirit is back,” Jolie said, admitting that there was a period when she felt as though she had lost a part of herself. “I kind of got taken down a little.”
While she did not mention Pitt directly, the comments come more than a year after the former couple finalized their divorce following a lengthy legal battle that lasted nearly a decade.
Jolie credited her six children, Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, Knox and Vivienne, for helping her reconnect with herself and embrace a new chapter.
Now that her children are older, the actress said they have become a source of encouragement, pushing her to travel more, explore the world and rediscover parts of her life that had been placed on hold.
“They know me more than anybody, and they still like me, which says a lot,” she said, in a remark that quickly sparked conversation among fans online.
The actress also reflected on how dramatically her career changed following her split. Before the divorce, Jolie said she had largely stepped away from acting to focus on directing and humanitarian work. Returning to the screen was initially a practical decision that allowed her to remain close to her children while supporting her family.
“I had quit acting,” she explained, noting that acting projects offered a way to earn a living without spending long periods away from home.
Beyond discussing her career and family, Jolie also shared deeply personal reflections about mortality and motherhood while promoting her upcoming film ‘Couture,’ in which she plays a woman navigating both illness and divorce.
Having lost her mother, Marcheline Bertrand, to ovarian cancer and carrying the BRCA1 gene mutation herself, Jolie admitted that thoughts about death have shaped her outlook on life for years.
“I raise my kids almost preparing them for my absence and not as much preparing to be a grandmother,” she said. “That’s what happens when you consider death as a reality.”
The actress said she has never lived with the expectation of a long life, a perspective that has influenced many of her decisions both as a mother and as a public figure.
Still, Jolie appears focused on moving forward. Speaking about the future, she revealed that she hopes to spend more time in Cambodia and travel extensively once her youngest children, twins Knox and Vivienne, are adults.
The interview marks one of Jolie’s most personal conversations in years, offering a rare glimpse into the challenges she faced behind the scenes and the resilience that has helped her move forward.
For now, the actress says she is embracing a renewed sense of freedom, purpose, and strength, thanks in large part to the six children who stood beside her through it all.
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