Angelina Jolie speaks out about the end of her marriage with Brad Pitt

'Things got bad... I didn’t want to use that word… Things became 'difficult''

(Getty Images)

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s relationship has been one of Hollywood’s biggest talking points since 2004, the discussion surrounding the pair, their adoptions, and Jennifer Anniston having made headlines almost weekly.

When the pair announced their split last year — Jolie seeking sole custody of their six children: Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, Vivienne, and Knox — the press launched themselves headfirst into the ensuing debacle, both actors remaining publicly quiet.

Soon enough, though, Pitt gave a lengthy apology (alongside some bizarre photographs) during a GQ Style interview. Now, Jolie has finally given a wide-ranging interview, speaking to Vanity Fair about the children, divorce, and her upcoming film.

“Things got bad,” she told the publication, discussing the summer of 2016 when her Netflix film, First They Killed My Father, was in post-production. “I didn’t want to use that word… Things became ‘difficult.’ ”

Asked whether rumours that Pitt was struggling with the Hollywood lifestyle, instead wanting a ‘normal life’ for the children, Jolie reportedly became a little defensive.

“[Our lifestyle] was not in any way a negative,” she said. “That was not the problem. That is and will remain one of the wonderful opportunities we are able to give our children.

“They’re six very strong-minded, thoughtful, worldly individuals. I’m very proud of them. They’ve been very brave. They were very brave.

“We’re all just healing from the events that led to the filing… They’re not healing from divorce. They’re healing from some… from life, from things in life.”

Asked whether communication between the two had broken down, Jolie gave a similarly cryptic answer: “We care for each other and care about our family, and we are both working towards the same goal.

“I was very worried about my mother, growing up—a lot. I do not want my children to be worried about me. I think it’s very important to cry in the shower and not in front of them. They need to know that everything’s going to be all right even when you’re not sure it is.”

Earlier this year, Jolie gave a brief interview on the situation, saying: "We are focusing on the health of our family. And so we will be (healthier). We will be stronger when we come out of this, because that's what we're determined to do as a family.”

Jolie is currently promoting First They Killed My Father, a film about the Cambodian genocide.