Angelina Jolie has stated that she has not dated anyone since her divorce from Brad Pitt, a process that concluded nearly ten years after their separation. Jolie shared this personal detail during a recent interview with Yahoo Entertainment while promoting her new film, "Couture."
In "Couture," Jolie portrays an American filmmaker who faces a breast cancer diagnosis while attending Paris Fashion Week. Her character, Maxine Walker, engages in a romantic relationship with a cinematographer. Jolie commented that portraying Maxine, a mother, highlighted the possibility of balancing romantic pursuits with parenting.
"To be candid, I haven’t dated since I divorced a decade ago," Jolie said. "So I kind of get in my head that that aspect of me is not centered in my life if I’m focusing on my children, my family."
Jolie, 51, and Pitt, 62, separated in September 2016, concluding a marriage of two years. Their divorce was finalized after an eight-year legal process. The former couple share six children: Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, and twins Vivienne and Knox. Jolie noted that as her children have grown older, they have encouraged her to broaden her focus beyond motherhood.
"I think in some way they’re bringing me back to my old self," Jolie stated. "My desire for them to have all of the strength and openness and softness and faith and ferocity is reminding me. I think they kind of want me now to not just be ‘Mom.’"
She added that she does not dwell on aging but is instead rediscovering herself. "I’m thinking I have to live again. Be free again," she said. "In a way that maybe life has broken me a little bit."
Earlier in the month, Jolie mentioned to Variety that her "fighting spirit" had returned after being absent for a period, attributing its resurgence significantly to her children. "My kids are almost all 18, so now they want to see me traveling the world," she added. "They know me more than anybody, and they still like me, which says a lot."
While Jolie maintains close relationships with her children, they have become estranged from Pitt. Three of their children—Maddox, Zahara, and Shiloh—have legally moved to drop "Pitt" from their surnames. The twins, Knox and Vivienne, who are still minors, have symbolically distanced themselves from their father. However, Pax reportedly maintains a relationship with Pitt's extended family, according to Page Six reporting this month.