Angelina Jolie recently made a public appearance in Rwanda, near the capital Kigali, following a period where two of her children, Maddox and Zahara, legally dropped their father Brad Pitt's surname. Jolie visited the Imboni cooperative farm, which she described on Instagram as a collective run by female laborers who survived the 1994 genocide.
Jolie's caption highlighted the farm's work, noting that her friend Giles Duley's Legacy of War Foundation assists the cooperative by purchasing arable land and returning it to survivors of conflict to foster climate-smart farming. This appearance marks a moment of public engagement for Jolie shortly after news emerged that Maddox, 24, and Zahara, 21, filed legal petitions to change their surname from Jolie-Pitt to Jolie. These actions follow a pattern set by their sister Shiloh, who legally dropped the surname last year, and twins Knox and Vivienne, who have informally adopted the name Jolie.
Jolie, who adopted Zahara from Ethiopia, has a long-standing connection to the African continent. Her visits and past humanitarian work have sometimes drawn public scrutiny. Her relationship with Pitt, which began around 2005, led to their marriage in 2014 and subsequent divorce filing in September 2016. The divorce initiated a protracted legal dispute concerning property and child custody.
During their divorce proceedings, Jolie accused Pitt of abuse, allegations he has consistently denied. The FBI investigated claims of an altercation on a private plane involving Pitt and Maddox in 2016, but no charges were filed. Jolie reportedly filed and later withdrew a Freedom of Information Act request related to FBI documents concerning the 2016 plane incident.
Separately, Pax, another of Jolie and Pitt's adopted children, was involved in a dirt bike accident in July 2024. Sources indicated Jolie was present with Pax in the hospital, while Pitt expressed concern but was unable to reach his son. This incident occurred years after Pax publicly criticized Pitt on social media.
The legal conflicts between Jolie and Pitt extend to their joint ownership of the Chateau Miraval winery in the South of France. The dispute arose when Jolie sold her share of the winery in 2021, a move Pitt contested, asserting she violated a contractual agreement requiring his consent. Jolie has referenced past abuse allegations in connection with the winery dispute, urging Pitt to settle the lawsuit for the family's healing.