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10 months after her divorce Angelina Jolie tells her side of the story

Cape Town – It’s been 10 months since one of Hollywood’s most loved couples separated and now, Angelina Jolie is telling her side of the story.

In an in-depth interview with Vanity Fair, Angelina has opened up about everything pertaining to her split with Brad, life after divorce and developing Bell's palsy.

In May, Brad bared his soul to GQ magazine, sharing his story of how the last year of his life has changed. Angelina is doing the same.

Here are 7 things Angelina highlighted in her interview:

1. When things got bad

Not wanting to talk about the actual breakup, for the sake of her children, Angelina does admit “things got bad,” or rather “things became difficult” in the summer of 2016. And while tabloids reported the busy lifestyle became too much for Brad, Angie disagrees, saying: “[Our lifestyle] was not in any way negative, that was not the problem. That is and will remain one of the wonderful opportunities we are able to give our children.”

Avoiding talking about the split Angelina cautiously tells VF’s Evgenia Peretz the kids have been very brave in the times they needed to be. 

“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.”

2. Angie’s current relationship with Brad

When asked if she and Brad are now on good terms, Angie reveals that they are working towards the same goal and that is taking care of their kids. “We care for each other and care about our family, and we are both working towards the same goal.”

And while she may put up a strong front, Angie admits that it is all for the kids. She said: “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.”

3. Developing Bell’s palsy

Angie also opened up about recent health issues. The At First They Killed My Father director told VF that she had developed Bell’s palsy last year but the use of acupuncture led to a full recovery.

4. Building a new life

Apart from promoting her upcoming Netflix film, At First They Killed My Father, Angelina has no interest or time to concentrate on anything else but her family, “I’m just wanting to make the proper breakfast and keep the house. That’s my passion. At the request of my kids, I’m taking cooking classes.”

5. Reconnecting with her father

Jolie has also reconnected with her father, whom she was estranged from since she was young. The 42-year-old admits that it has come at a great time as the kids need a grandfather.

She said: “He’s been very good at understanding they needed their grandfather at this time... He knows kind of the rule—don’t make them play with you. Just be a cool grandpa who’s creative, and hang out and tell stories and read a book in the library.”

6. Her rock in all of this

Jolie says her closest friend has been Loung Ung, whose 2000 memoir First They Killed My Father is the basis for Angie’s latest film. The women met in 2002 when Jolie was on her first mission for the United Nations' refugee outreach.

“She’s that girlfriend who rolled up her sleeves, got on a plane, and helped me on Christmas morning. She’s been my closest friend. I cried on her shoulder.”

Jolie's adaptation of Ung's memoir about the Khmer Rouge genocide that claimed her parents and siblings will premiere on Netflix later this year.

7. The new normal

While Angelina has been working tirelessly to make sure her kids are happy and make a good transition from a two parent household to a one parent household she is still who she is and will continue to be who she wants to be.

“I never woke up and thought, I really want to live a bold life... I’ve been trying for nine months to be really good at just being a homemaker and picking up dog poop and cleaning dishes and reading bedtime stories. And I’m getting better at all three. But now I need to get my boots on and go hang, take a trip.”

And the best part about it is that her kids are totally on board. Joking with her 9-year-old son Knox she told him to “pretend to be normal,” to which he happily replied, “Who wants to be normal? We’re not normal. Let’s never be normal.”

READ THE FULL INTERVIEW HERE

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