Angelina Jolie opens up about Bell’s Palsy and the impact it had on her split from Brad Pitt
After years of a highly publicized and bitter divorce, Angelina Jolie is opening up about the toll it took on her health ahead of the split. The Hollywood actress, 48, has been candid about the impact that Bell’s Palsy, a form of facial paralysis that is often caused by stress, had on her in the lead-up to the collapse of her marriage to Brad Pitt.
In a recent interview, Jolie explained how her body reacts very strongly to stress, causing her blood sugar to fluctuate. She went on to reveal that she had Bell’s Palsy six months before her divorce from Pitt, which was filed in September of 2016.
“We had to heal,” said Jolie. “There are things we needed to heal from.”
The split between Jolie and Pitt has been rife with accusations and public disputes. Jolie has devoted much of her time to raising their six children and has admitted that she “doesn’t really have a social life.” Of her children, Jolie says, “They are the closest people to me and my life, and they’re my close friends.”
In a recent interview with Harper’s Bazaar, Jolie opened up about her relationship with her children, saying, “We’re seven very different people, which is our strength.”
Jolie added that she has also found solace in her friendships with refugees, saying, “I realized my closest friends are refugees. Maybe four out of six of the women that I am close to are from war and conflict.”
Outside of her family, Jolie has expressed a desire to get out of the Hollywood bubble more often in the coming years.
“It’s part of what happened after my divorce. I lost the ability to live and travel as freely. I will move when I can,” she said. “I grew up in quite a shallow place. Of all the places in the world, Hollywood is not a healthy place. So you seek authenticity.”
The divorce between Jolie and Pitt took an explosive turn after she accused him of “choking” one of their children during an altercation on a private plane and then “striking” another.
After years of legal battles, Pitt’s representatives have consistently defended the actor, saying, “Brad has accepted responsibility for what he did but will not for things he didn’t do. He has been on the receiving end of every type of personal attack and misrepresentation.”
“Thankfully, the various public authorities she has tried to use against him over the past six years have made their own independent decisions,” the rep added. “Brad will continue to respond in court as he has consistently done.”
Jolie confessed that growing up around Hollywood, she was “never very impressed” with it, noting that she has lost much of her respect for the industry.
“This has clearly been an extremely messy divorce for everyone involved,” she said.
Jolie’s revelations have sparked a discussion about the toll that high-profile marriages and divorces can take on the physical and emotional health of those involved. Some have praised her for speaking out about her struggles, while others have expressed their wishes for the family to find peace and healing.
It remains to be seen what the future holds for Jolie and Pitt, as their legal battles continue and they work to co-parent their children. One thing seems to be clear, however—Jolie is determined to move forward with authenticity, while prioritizing the well-being of her family in the midst of the ongoing turmoil.
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