Actor and director Angelina Jolie displayed deep pride in her children and strong family bonds despite controversy over severing ties with her ex-husband, actor Brad Pitt, and removing his surname.
Jolie recently spoke about her special bond with her children in an interview with L'Officiel USA.
Jolie said "the children know me very well and know every side of me," adding "our children are definitely independent individuals. That makes me very proud. As a parent, the most important thing is not to stand in their way."
She went on to say she believes "as parents we try many things, but at the same time we must try not to block the path of a person who has their own life and enormous potential. It is important to make sure we are supporting them."
Her remarks drew attention as Jolie and Pitt's children have been sequentially giving up Pitt's surname. Of the six children between the two (Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, Knox, Vivien), most recently youngest daughter VIVIEN has legally applied to remove Pitt's surname and change it to Jolie, demonstrating a complete break from Pitt.
Even amid the shocking situation of the children dropping their surname, Jolie expressed strong trust and affection for their process of finding their own lives. Speaking about Maddox and Pax, who participated as assistant directors on a film set, she expressed affection, saying "of course it's nice to be with the children, but I'm just a mother who wants to be with her family."
She also expressed anticipation for future activities regarding the 'empty nest' period that will come as all her children become adults, saying "I don't tend to enjoy vacations or shopping. I want to get out into the world more by doing fieldwork and traveling. I look forward to more consolidation and community, like riding a motorcycle again or taking planes."
Meanwhile, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt married in 2014 but separated after the 2016 inflight assault controversy. They have since continued legal battles over child custody and the French winery Château Miraval.
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