When Angelina Jolie recently paraded her kids on red carpets at various events around the world, it was in stark contrast with the children’s current relationship with their father Brad Pitt.
Indeed, the kids have not been seen in public with their father for more than three years, reports US magazine OK! – and the reason is very sad. It’s three years without dad in the glare of the spotlight that have seen him change remarkably.
WATCH: Angelina Jolie on how she survived split from Brad Pitt
While Brad was often seen with the children – Maddox, 18, Pax, 15, Zahara, 14, Shiloh and twins Knox and Vivienne, 11 – while he was still with their mother Angelina Jolie, public shows of family unity are no longer a feature of their relationship.
‘It has nothing to do with Brad not wanting to see them. It’s just that this is the hand he’s been dealt,’ a source told OK! magazine.
‘In a short span of time, Brad went from seeing his kids every day to going long periods without them, and it absolutely kills him.’
But while public shows of unity are a thing of the past, the truth is that Brad does see the kids. Unlike with their mother, it’s strictly in private.
According to the magazine, most access visits occur behind the lofty walls of the star’s California home.
Brad is a very different person to the man he was in the final months of his marriage to Angelina. He now strictly avoids alcohol and has been working on his spirituality as he tries to put the past behind him and be the best father possible.
‘It was the absolute worst time of his life, but he didn’t give up,’ the source says of Brad’s quest to be a better father following the traumatic divorce.
‘Brad stayed strong and positive and told himself he’s go through it one day at a time.’
Now he is bonding with the children by ‘having [them] over his house where he ‘teaches them things like carpentry and introduce them to books he loves.’
But his time with the kids is strictly organised around his ex-wife’s schedule, as she makes films and promotes them around the world.
‘Part of the problem is that Angie brings the kids with her wherever she goes, whether it’s shopping trip or a movie premiere,’ says the OK! source.
‘She even brought them to New Mexico this past summer to be with her while she filmed Those Who Wish Me Dead.
‘Brad can sometimes help but wonder if Angie’s deliberately keeping them from him.’
The good news is that the kids are loving the time they have with their dad. Daughter Shiloh especially likes being with her father.
‘Everyone except Maddox enjoys spending him with Brad, and wishes they could see him more,’ says the source.
‘Shiloh in particular is upset about not spending enough time with her dad.
‘She’s actually sent Brad several heartbreaking emails telling him how she misses him and begging him not to be sad. It’s absolutely crushing.’
Brad is said to be remaining positive about his future with the children and is looking forward to the future being brighter than the recent past.
‘The situation isn’t ideal, but Brad knows he needs to stay positive for the sake of kids,’ says the source. ‘They mean more to him than anything else in the world, and he’s determined to be the best dad he can be – no matter how often he seems them and what drama comes his way.’
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