Angelina Jolie reveals she divorced Brad Pitt for the ‘wellbeing’ of her family

Angelina Jolie has revealed the reason she split from Brad Pitt in 2016, after little more than two years of marriage.

During an interview with Vogue magazine, the Lara Croft: Tomb Raider star said she separated from Pitt for the “wellbeing” of her family and praised their children as “six very brave, very strong people”.

“I separated for the wellbeing of my family. It was the right decision,” Jolie said.

“I continue to focus on their healing. Some have taken the advantage of my silence, and the children see lies about themselves in the media, but I remind them that they know their own truth and their own minds.”

Jolie first met Pitt in 2005 when they starred alongside each other in action comedy film Mr & Mrs Smith.

The couple married in August 2014 in the south of France, but by September 2016 Jolie had filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences.

Jolie and Pitt have six children together Maddox, 18, Pax, 16, Zahara, 15, Shiloh, 13, and 11-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne. The couple’s eldest three children are adopted.

In the interview, the Maleficent star opened up about the adoption process and admitted she initially had doubts about adopting her eldest sons, Maddox and Pax, who are originally from Cambodia and Vietnam.

Jolie cited the “complex history” shared by both nations, after they were embroiled in conflict with each other during the 1970s and 80s.

However, she explained that she decided to proceed after seeing a picture of a Vietnamese fighter held captive by US soldiers in a human rights book.

“I thought of my own country and our involvement in Southeast Asia,” Jolie said.

“I thought of focusing on a future where we were all family. I am very blessed to have been allowed to be their mum. I am grateful every day.”

Jolie also spoke about the challenges of raising children from biological and adoptive backgrounds and stressed the importance of speaking about it with “openness”.

“Adoption and orphanage are positive words in our home,” she explained.

“With my adopted children, I can’t speak of pregnancy, but I speak with much detail and love about the journey to find them and what it was like to look in their eyes for the first time.

“All adopted children come with a beautiful mystery of a world that is meeting yours.”

The Changeling actor also said she encourages her children to be proud of their heritage, adding that they must “never lose touch of where they come from” and “learn” from their backgrounds.

“It’s the most amazing journey to share,“ she said. ”They are not entering your world, you are entering each other’s worlds.”