"After choosing to separate from your partner and children’s father, actor Brad Pitt, how have you sustained a healthy environment for your children?"
"I separated for the wellbeing of my family. It was the right decision. I continue to focus on their healing. Some have taken advantage of my silence, and the children see lies about themselves in the media, but I remind them that they know their own truth and their own minds."
- With "choosing to separate","I separated" she completely ignored the existence of the divorce case. In the past, they avoided saying "divorce" by referring to it as "the filing","the events that led to the filing." This time, she treated it like it does not exist at all. She is saying they had to separate to allow the children to heal but the divorce case is not part of their truth. It is not what it appears to be, it isn't real, and thus can and should be ignored.
Therefore there is no need to parse every item on the case's court listing or waste time clicking on the idiotic lies peddled by The Blast and TMZ. Read her words carefully and wait for them to break their silence.
- Addressing herself, she said, "your partner." Brad is her partner, not "ex" or former. He has always been her partner just as he has always been the children's father even when they had to live apart. Hence she phrased it "your partner and children’s father, actor Brad Pitt."
"I separated"
- She made the choice and decision on her own -- "I separated" not "we separated" -- because she was unable to speak to Brad while the DCFS investigation was ongoing and there was a protective order against him. While the efforts to heal the relationship between Brad and the children continues, she speaks of their separation in the past tense: "I separated" not "I am separated."
"After choosing to separate from your partner and children’s father, actor Brad Pitt, how have you sustained a healthy environment for your children?"
The question already states the reason for her decision. The choice she had to make after the DCFS started its investigation was either to separate/file and stay with the children or not separate/file and stay with Brad. If she chose not to separate and file, someone else would have to look after the children while they did not want to live with Brad. That meant she could not be with the children while they recovered and it would have been a far less healthy and reassuring environment for them. Separating and filing was not something she wanted but something she had to do in order to keep the children with her.
"for the wellbeing of my family. It was the right decision."
Filing the divorce petition was necessary under DCFS rules and to convince the DCFS she would protect the kids from Brad after they placed a restraining order against him prohibiting him from going near the children. His subsequent visits monitored by the children's trauma therapists also had to take place away from the children's home. Filing the petition proves to the DCFS that her loyalty was to the children, not to Brad, and therefore they could trust that the children would be safe with her. The petition subsequently became one of the safeguards the DCFS kept in place to make sure the children are allowed to heal. It gave the court oversight of the therapeutic process and ensured that it was followed.
"I continue to focus on their healing"
They had to work within the framework of the divorce case in their efforts to encourage the children to reconcile and restore their relationship with Brad. Those included the May 30 order and the judgement on status. Any significant progress in their efforts has to be validated by the court -- as it did when they progressed to the "next stage" with the judgement on child custody and visitation. Everything that materially affected Brad and the children needed court approval, including changes necessitated by the lockdown and school closings.
The safeguards were decided on by the DCFS and childcare professionals at the conclusion of an extended 8-week investigation. It reflects their concern and perception that with the severity of the children's estrangement from Brad, they could be rushed before they are truly ready because their parents are eager to have the family back together.
"Some have taken advantage of my silence, and the children see lies about themselves in the media, but I remind them that they know their own truth"
While they are abiding by the stringent safeguards they were encouraged to accept, she is signalling that they are eager to break their silence. Part of their effort to sustain a healthy environment for the children will include debunking the lies which bother the children who are now able to read them. The "some" who've taken advantage of their silence and concocted or propagated lies include lowlife pseudo fans.
Angelina said from the beginning that she felt she had to take action for the health of the family.
Vogue UK
Ahead of World Refugee Day—an international day designated by the United Nations (UN) to honour refugees around the globe on June 20—we spoke to Jolie about her work with UNHCR and how it has transformed her perception of motherhood.
UNHCR’s raison d’être is to save lives, protect rights and build a better future for refugees. What is it about these causes that speak to you personally?
“I see all people as equal. I see the abuse and suffering and I cannot stand by. Around the world, people are fleeing gas attacks, rape, female genital mutilation, beatings, persecution, murder. They do not flee to improve their lives. They flee because they cannot survive otherwise.
“What I really want is to see an end to what forces people out of their homelands. I want to see prevention when we can, protection when needed and accountability when crimes are committed.”
According to UNHCR, the world now has a population of nearly 80 million forcibly displaced people—the highest on record. In your years working with UNHCR, you’ve witnessed the dramatic increase first hand. What have been the main causes?
“I see a lack of will to protect and defend basic human rights, and a lack of diplomacy and accountability. A lot of people profit from the chaos of broken, dependent countries and it sickens me. We also see leaders spread fear for political gain, and nationalism rising—anger at ‘the other’.
“But on the other hand, I also see amazing generosity towards refugees in many countries and extraordinary strength and resilience from refugees themselves. And it is not a hopeless picture. Just five conflicts account for two-thirds of all cross-border displacement—Syria, Venezuela, Afghanistan, South Sudan and Myanmar. Change the dynamic there, and we change the picture for global displacement.”
Before the pandemic, you were doing a lot of work in Venezuela and Bangladesh. Can you tell us about some of the things you witnessed there and what the situation is now?
“I saw people at their most human, who’ve been through unimaginable violence or hardship, and who are just trying to take care of their families. Any of us would do the same in their situation. Like all of us, they want to be safe, they want to have a home, and they want to be free.
“The realities for refugees or displaced people are extremely hard. They are often victims of rape and sexual abuse. They are struggling with the same kinds of illnesses you find in any community during peacetime, but without access to the healthcare you or I would be able to rely on.
“And then, refugees often live in tents in camps that are extremely exposed to the elements. Last month, refugees in Bangladesh were hit by a cyclone.”
Are there any regions or groups of people you are especially concerned about right now?
“I’m really worried about people in Yemen. They’ve had five years of brutal conflict. They’ve suffered airstrikes, indiscriminate shelling, sexual violence and torture. Half their hospitals have been destroyed. People are on the verge of starvation. And now they’ve been hit by COVID-19.
“Yet the international community has provided less than half the funds needed to keep aid operations going until the end of this year. This means that by August, the money will run out, and programmes keeping people alive will have to close in the middle of a war and a pandemic.
“It is horrifying and it is symptomatic of the pattern globally: we are not able to help bring wars to an end or do enough to enable people to survive. UNHCR will stay and deliver what it can, but it will be very difficult to stretch the relief funds to meet the needs without support.”
How has the pandemic affected refugees either directly or indirectly?
“Sadly we are only at the beginning of the economic and social impact of the crisis, and what this will mean for displaced people when levels of humanitarian funding were already so low. It really is frightening to consider. It’s a time for solidarity and to understand that refugees are on the frontline of the struggle for survival and human rights.”
Do you feel a sense of dichotomy between life in Hollywood and working in the field with UNHCR or the Maddox Jolie-Pitt (MJP) Foundation in Cambodia?
“Many UNHCR colleagues, but really the refugees themselves have been my mentors. I remember one of my first field missions, in Sierra Leone, when at a certain point, after listening to people’s stories, I started to cry. There was an amazing grandmother there, looking after her orphaned grandkids, who pulled me up and told me not to cry but to help. That has always stayed with me.
“My life as an artist is about communication and art. Sometimes the focus is more on entertainment, but most recently, as a director, it has been very much about the global issues I focus on. First They Killed My Father is the film that marries those worlds. But at the heart, it is the story of difficult years in my son’s country. So my motherhood also influences my work. And no, I don’t see a division.”
You’ve built a home in Cambodia. Why do you feel such a strong affinity to the country?
“Cambodia was the country that made me aware of refugees. It made me engage in foreign affairs in a way I never had, and join UNHCR. Above all, it made me a mom. In 2001, I was in a school programme in Samlout playing blocks on the floor with a little kid and as clear as day I thought: ‘My son is here.’ A few months later I met baby Mad at an orphanage. I can’t explain it and am not one to believe in messages or superstition. But it was just real and clear.
“Samlout was the first and last stronghold of the Khmer Rouge. It was where I first went with UNHCR because it is near the Thai border, where people were struggling to return. It was littered with landmines. I chose to invest and live there to try to help improve one of the most challenging areas of the country. We found 48 landmines on my property. My home is on a compound I share with the HQ for my foundation. It is 100 per cent locally run, as it should be, and I work with a great team of people.”
You have three adopted children, Maddox, Pax and Zahara, and three children by birth, Shiloh, Vivienne and Knox. What are the most important things to consider when raising adopted and biological siblings?
“Each is a beautiful way of becoming family. What is important is to speak with openness about all of it and to share. ‘Adoption’ and ‘orphanage’ are positive words in our home. With my adopted children, I can’t speak of pregnancy, but I speak with much detail and love about the journey to find them and what it was like to look in their eyes for the first time.
“All adopted children come with a beautiful mystery of a world that is meeting yours. When they are from another race and foreign land, that mystery, that gift, is so full. For them, they must never lose touch with where they came from. They have roots that you do not. Honour them. Learn from them. It’s the most amazing journey to share. They are not entering your world, you are entering each other’s worlds.”
You adopted Maddox, as you say, from Cambodia and your son Pax from Vietnam—two countries once at war with each other. Was this a conscious decision?
“It’s true, I did think about that. I did originally think not to adopt from Vietnam because Mad was Cambodian and the two countries have a complex history. Then I was reading a book on human rights and found myself staring at an image of a Vietnamese fighter held captive by Americans. I thought of my own country and our involvement in Southeast Asia. I thought of focusing on a future where we were all family. Pax is the strength and centre of so much in our lives. I am very blessed to have been allowed to be their mom. I am grateful every day.”
After choosing to separate from your partner and children’s father, actor Brad Pitt, how have you sustained a healthy environment for your children?
“I separated for the wellbeing of my family. It was the right decision. I continue to focus on their healing. Some have taken advantage of my silence, and the children see lies about themselves in the media, but I remind them that they know their own truth and their own minds. In fact, they are six very brave, very strong young people.”
Can you discuss some of the projects you will be working on in the coming months?
“I’ll be working with UNHCR on the global crisis and keeping connected and raising awareness of the realities on the ground. And continuing to work with the BBC World Service, on a media literacy initiative for young people. I’m also collaborating with Amnesty International on a book project for children’s rights. I went into lockdown thinking it would be a good time to learn to cook. Never happened. I know my limits.”
To mark World Refugee Day, an international day designated by the United Nations to honor refugees around the globe, Angelina Jolie speaks exclusively with Vogue about her work with UNHCR and how it has transformed her perception of motherhood. https://t.co/B8v7Tnjuif— Vogue Magazine (@voguemagazine) June 22, 2020
