Angelina Jolie Says 'Things Became Difficult' With Brad Pitt, Reveals Bell's Palsy Diagnosis

Angelina Jolie says that her family is still in a state of healing.

The 42-year-old actress filed for divorce from Brad Pitt last fall, and in the September issue of Vanity Fair, she opens up about what led to their shocking split. Jolie says while in post-production for her film, First They Killed My Father, in the summer of 2016, "things got bad" between her and Pitt. "I didn’t want to use that word," she clarifies to VF writer Evgenia Peretz. "Things became 'difficult.'"

Jolie -- who is wearing Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello on the VF cover -- further insists that, despite some reports that Pitt, as Vanity Fair puts it, was "craving a more stable, normal life for the whole family," that was not why their marriage didn't work out. "[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," she says adamantly. "They’re six very strong-minded, thoughtful, worldly individuals. I’m very proud of them.”

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She adds, “They’ve been very brave. They were very brave.”

When asked if Pitt's bombshell interview with GQ Style surprised her, Jolie simply replies, "No."

“We care for each other and care about our family," she says of her current relationship with her estranged husband. "We are both working towards the same goal."

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As for how she's coping around her children, Jolie admits, "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."

The Oscar winner also opens up for the first time about her Bell’s palsy diagnosis, which is a weakness in the muscles on one half of the face. "Sometimes women in families put themselves last, until it manifests itself in their own health," Jolie says, telling VF that it was acupuncture that helped her have full recovery from the condition.

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The mother of six says that she's now noticing the aging process more in the form of gray hairs and dry skin. “I can’t tell if it’s menopause or if it’s just been the year I’ve had," she quips. "I actually feel more of a woman because I feel like I’m being smart about my choices, and I’m putting my family first, and I’m in charge of my life and my health. I think that’s what makes a woman complete.”

For more on how Pitt is doing post-split, check out what the 53-year-old actor told GQ Style:

Brad Pitt Tells All: The Biggest Revelations From First Post-Split Interview

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