Angelina Jolie speaks about the global refugee crisis and reveals why she divorced Brad Pitt
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Angelina Jolie has revealed she split with Brad Pitt for the “wellbeing” of her family as she continues to “focus on their healing”.
The Hollywood actress said it was the “right decision” to end the marriage after little more than two years, and she praised their children for being “six very brave, very strong people”.
“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,” she told Vogue Global Network.
In the interview, the Maleficent star said she initially had doubts about adopting her eldest sons, Maddox and Pax, who are originally from Cambodia and Vietnam – pointing to the “complex history” shared by both nations. But Jolie said it was seeing a picture of a Vietnamese fighter held captive by US soldiers in a human rights book that helped finalise her decision.
The couple have six children together – three biological children and three adopted. They got married in August 2014 in the south of France, but by September 2016 Jolie had filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences.
Speaking ahead of World Refugee Day on Saturday, Jolie also addressed the importance of her children being able to be proud of their heritage.
She said they must “never lose touch of where they come from” and added that they must “honour” their backgrounds and “learn from them”.
“It’s the most amazing journey to share,” she said.
“They are not entering your world, you are entering each other’s worlds.”
On refugees she added “I see all people as equal. I see the abuse and suffering and I cannot stand by. Around the world, people are fleeing gas attacks, rape, female genital mutilation, beatings, persecution, murder. They do not flee to improve their lives. They flee because they cannot survive otherwise.
“What I really want is to see an end to what forces people out of their homelands. I want to see prevention when we can, protection when needed and accountability when crimes are committed.”
