After eight years of divorce proceedings, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt reached a settlement this past week. Details of their financial determinations and custody arrangements have not been disclosed. However, per reports, all parties involved are reportedly ready to move on. In the aftermath of the settlement, alleged details have been reported from insiders regarding how the long-lasting legal battle impacted Pitt and Jolie’s family. Now, it’s being claimed that Jolie’s kids wanted her to do one specific thing amid the divorce.
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt share six kids – Maddox (23), Pax (21), Zahara (19), Shiloh (18) and twins Knox and Vivienne (16). Based on prior reports, the Jolie-Pitt kids are significantly closer to their mother than they are to their father. Following the divorce news, a source spoke with People and claimed that during the divorce, the youngsters rallied behind their mom. Apparently, they wanted her to advocate for herself more. The insider shared these sentiments:
She’s been trying hard to be light after a dark time. The kids have grown up seeing that some people have so much power and privilege that their voices don’t matter. Their pain doesn’t count. They have wanted her to speak up for herself, to defend herself over these years but she reminds them to focus on changing laws over telling public stories.
These claims can’t be substantiated at this time, though they do somewhat fall in line with comments that the 49-year-old Oscar winner has made as of late. While promoting her latest film, Maria, Angelina Jolie spoke about having lost her voice and finding it again while playing the titular opera singer. She said as much during THR’s Actress Roundtable and her Actors on Actors segment for Variety.
It was in 2016 that the Good Shepherd actress filed for divorce from her husband, who she married in 2014 after they were together for over a decade. Both stars were declared legally single in 2019, and the proceedings took a turn in 2022 when Brad Pitt sued Angelina Jolie for allegedly selling her share of their once-co-owned Chateau Miraval without clearing it with him. Shortly after, Jolie countersued Pitt and accused him of physically and verbally abusing her and their children while they were on a plane in 2016. Jolie dropped that alleged domestic violence suit in late 2024.
While it’s recently been alleged that the Jolie-Pitt family experienced a “horrendous time” during the divorce, the brood’s matriarch seems to be looking towards a fresh start. It was reported months ago that the Tomb Raider veteran had turned over a “new leaf.” Not only that, but the actress also revealed that she plans to leave Hollywood, as all of her children are almost adults. All the while, she’s been receiving major buzz due to her performance in Maria, for which she received one of the 2025 Golden Globe nominations.
Ultimately, it’s hard for any of us to say exactly what played out in Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s households during the divorce. What seems clear now, though, is that the two stars have now settled their legal differences, allowing them and their kids an opportunity to move forward.
The drama film Maria is now available to stream with a Netflix subscription.