Angelina Jolie has opened up about surviving life in lockdown with her boisterous brood, but sources believe some of her comments doubled as thinly veiled digs at ex-husband Brad Pitt.
WATCH: Justin Theroux found Brad Pitt love notes to Jen Aniston
In a new interview with US Harper’s Bazaar, Angelina, seemed to relish emphasising just how much Maddox, 18, Pax, 16, Zahara, 15, Shiloh, 14, and 11-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne have been relying on her during the global pandemic.
“Like most parents, I focus on staying calm so my children don’t feel anxiety from me on top of all they are worrying about,” the actress, 45, told the publication. “I put all my energy into them.”
She also appeared to hint at her nasty custody battle with Brad, 56, while discussing a children’s book she’s working on with Amnesty International.
“It’s about what to do when your rights are revoked or not granted at the outset,” she explained.
Hollywood insiders believe Angelina’s choice of words are particularly pointed, given how she relentlessly campaigned for primary custody of the couple’s children as soon as she served Brad with divorce papers in September 2016 following an altercation between the actor and Maddox on a private plane.
Her requests were denied by the court, however, as Brad fought her every step of the way.
It’s not the first time Angelina has subtly attacked Brad’s character during an interview. Recently, she admitted she still carries “invisible” scars from their bitter break-up.
“Sometimes you get hurt,” she said, “and you can’t be as free and open as your spirit desires.”
She has also confessed to crying in the shower, so that her kids don’t see her crumble.
The star has also made more direct jabs. In the immediate aftermath of the couple’s split in 2016, the actress’ team accused Brad of excessive boozing and drug abuse, and alleged he had a violent temper.
Two years later, Angelina slung more mud in Brad’s direction when she tried painting him as a deadbeat dad. In a court filing, she alleged that Brad hadn’t been paying “meaningful” child support.
Brad countered that he’d given his ex-wife an $11.5 million loan to help buy a new home, but Ange’s team sniped: “A loan is not, however, child support and to represent it as such is misleading and inaccurate.”
Brad is a constant topic of conversation for his other famous exes. And for the most part, they’ve been more complimentary than Angelina when it comes to sharing intimate details about the their relationships with the Hollywood hunk.
British singer Sinitta, 51, dated Brad on and off from 1986 to 1988. At the time, he hadn’t yet landed his breakout role in Thelma & Louise.
“[He was] hot. He was beautiful with the most amazing body,” she has gushed, adding that Brad was a more attentive lover than her other famous ex, Simon Cowell!
In 1989, Brad began a three-year romance with Juliette Lewis, then 17, after starring together in the TV movie Too Young to Die?.
“It was a wonderful, loving relationship with a fun, smart guy. Then it was over and he went on to become incredibly famous,” Juliette, now 47, has said.
Soon after, Brad began dating Gwyneth Paltrow and they became one of the most famous couples of the ’90s. Brad proposed in 1996, but she broke off the engagement after a year.
Gwyneth, 47, later reflected on the romance, saying: “I fell in love with him. He was gorgeous and so sweet. [But] I was such a kid. I was 22 when we met … I wasn’t ready, and he was too good for me.”
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