Angelina Jolie filed for divorce [1] from Brad Pitt [2] after 11 years of being together [3] back in September 2016. While Brad released a statement to People [4] almost immediately after the news broke, Angelina had her attorney, Robert Offer, release one on her behalf [5]. The two are currently focusing on their children, Maddox, Pax, Shiloh, Zahara, and twins Vivienne and Knox, and Brad is even going to therapy [6]. It's still unclear what lead to their split, but here is everything Angelina and Brad have said about their divorce.
Angelina on Brad
- "Things got bad. I didn't want to use that word . . . . Things became 'difficult [8].' . . . [Our lifestyle] was not in any way a negative. 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."
- "We are focusing on the health of our family. So we will be stronger when we come out of this, because that's what we're determined to do as a family . . . . We will always be a family [9]. Always."
- "I don't want to say very much about that, except to say it was a very difficult time [10]. We are a family and we will always be a family, and we will get through this time and hopefully be a stronger family for it."
- "Many, many people find themselves in this situation. My whole, my family . . . we've all being through a difficult time. My focus is my children, our children . . . and my focus is finding this way through. We are and forever will be a family. I am coping with finding a way through to make sure that this somehow makes us stronger and closer. It's been a difficult few months. Right now, I'm going through a moment when just everybody's in my room. Two dogs, two hamsters, and two children at the moment. It's wonderful. But, usually, I just wake up trying to figure out who's going to get [the] dog out, who's going to start the pancakes, and did anybody brush their teeth."
- "Sometimes maybe it appears I am pulling it all together. But really I am just trying to get through my days. I don't enjoy being single [11]. It's not something I wanted. There's nothing nice about it. It's just hard."
- "Emotionally it's been a very difficult year. And I have some other health issues. So, my health is something I have to monitor. I feel sometimes that my body has taken a hit, but I try to laugh as much as possible. We tend to get so stressed that our children feel our stress when they need to feel our joy. Even if you are going through chemo, you need to find the ability to love and laugh. It may sound like a postcard, but it's true."
Brad on Angelina
- "So little of [the rumors] are accurate . . . . I was really on my back and chained to a system when Child Services was called. After that, we've been able to work together to sort this out. We're both doing our best [12]. I heard one lawyer say, 'No one wins in court — it's just a matter of who gets hurt worse.' And it seems to be true. You spend a year just focused on building a case to prove your point and why you're right and why they're wrong, and it's just an investment in vitriolic hatred. I just refuse. And fortunately my partner in this agrees. It's just very, very jarring for the kids, to suddenly have their family ripped apart."
- "So, our focus is that everyone comes out stronger and better people — there is no other outcome."
- "The first urge is to cling on. And then you've got a cliché: 'If you love someone, set them free.' Now I know what it means, by feeling it. It means to love without ownership. It means expecting nothing in return. But it sounds good written. It sounds good when Sting sings it. It doesn't mean f*ck-all to me until you live it."
- "In the end, you find: I am those things I don't like. That is a part of me. I can't deny that. I have to accept that. And in fact, I have to embrace that. I need to face that and take care of that. Because by denying it, I deny myself. I am those mistakes. For me every misstep has been a step toward epiphany, understanding, some kind of joy. Yeah, the avoidance of pain is a real mistake. It's the real missing out on life. It's those very things that shape us, those very things that offer growth, that make the world a better place, oddly enough, ironically. That make us better. By the way, there's no love without loss. It's a package deal."
- "Kids are everything. Kids are your life [13]. They're taking all the focus, as they should anyway. I'm not suicidal or something. There's still much beauty in the world and a lot of love. And a lot of love to be given. It's all right. It's just life."
- "I've got no secrets. I've got nothing to hide. . . . We're human and I find the human condition very interesting. If we're not talking about it, then we're not getting better."
- "I am very saddened by this, but what matters most now is the well-being of our kids. I kindly ask the press to give them the space they deserve during this challenging time."