EXCLUSIVE: Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt Family Friend 'Surprised' the Children Were Discussed in 'Vanity Fair'
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Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's family friend is speaking out about the actress' Vanity Fair tell-all.
In the cover story, released earlier this week, Jolie touched on everything from her highly publicized split from Pitt last September to her Bell's palsy diagnosis to life as a single mom. At one point in the interview, she also talked about how her and Pitt's six children -- Maddox, 15, Pax, 13, Zahara, 12, Shiloh, 11, and 9-year-old twins Vivienne and Knox -- have been coping with the divorce.
"They've been very brave," the By the Sea star told the outlet. "They were very brave."
"In times they needed to be," she continued. "We're all just healing from the events that led to the filing. ... They're not healing from divorce. They're healing from some ... from life, from things in life."
According to the family friend, Jolie's candid conversation about the kids came as a shock, as Pitt's main priority has always been to protect the privacy of their children, refusing to speak of them publicly. Because of that, it was unexpected to see the children's lives at home exposed in the pages of Vanity Fair.
"It's surprising that Angelina would use the children to help herself in the story, especially after years where both were dedicated to protecting their privacy," the family friend told ET on Friday.
As for Pitt, the family friend tells ET that he continues to go to individual therapy and therapy with his children, whom he sees a few times per week.
"He's doing great, he's doing well," the friend said. "The kids are his family. He's continuing to adjust to a new normal."
When he's not with the children, the Allied star spends his free time hanging out with his guy friends, focusing on art and enjoying music, recently making a surprise cameo during Frank Ocean's set at FYF Fest in Los Angeles.
The family friend said he's also getting ready to start filming Ad Astra, a futuristic sci-fi epic directed by James Gray. Pitt reportedly portrays space engineer Roy McBride and stars alongside Tommy Lee Jones.
Back in May, Pitt also released a post-divorce tell-all, but did not discuss the kids in his GQ Style piece.
"Both parents care a lot about their kids and being supportive of their best interests," a source told ET following the release of Jolie's VF piece. "That's all that matters. Hopefully people can focus on that."
As for how the divorce proceedings are going, another source tells ET that there is no official update but "they are on the right track." Neither is currently dating anyone.
WATCH: Angelina Jolie Says 'Things Became Difficult' With Brad Pitt, Reveals Bell's Palsy Diagnosis
-- Reporting by Carolyn Greenspan and Rande Iaboni
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