Angelina Jolie has been friends with Marianne Pearl for more than a decade now. Shortly after Angelina and Brad Pitt got together, they announced that Jolie would play Marianne in the film adaptation of her memoir, A Mighty Heart. Brad produced the film and while Angelina didn’t end up getting an Oscar nomination for the role, she was critically praised, etc. Angelina did a lot of research with Pearl, and they became good friends. I kind of wonder if Pearl is Team Jolie in the Great Brangelina Split, because Pearl interviewed Jolie for the latest issue of Elle France. I’m not 100% sure why Pearl interviewed Jolie, but I suspect it was a combination of things, like Jolie’s promotion of her Guerlain contract, plus Jolie’s First They Killed My Father. Here are some (translated) quotes from the interview:
On her late mother, Marcheline Bertrand: “She would have thrived as a grandmother. I know how much she would have contributed to their lives and I am sad they will miss out on that. I would give anything for her to be with me at this time. I’ve needed her. I talk to her often in my mind and try to think what she might say and how she might guide me.”
On motherhood: “It is the greatest gift and responsibility. It means doing everything that you can to live by your values and try to be an example to your children.”
On her humanitarian work & how it influences how she raises her kids: “I try to lead by example, being conscious of others and being responsible. And to help them have a broader view of the world. But really the only way I know to raise them is to really listen. It’s perhaps the most important thing any parent can do. They are resilient children but they are children, and as much as they need help to understand the hard truths in life they also need what we all need – protection and love.”
Marcheline did get to spend time with her a few of the older kids – Marcheline was still alive when Angelina adopted Maddox and Zahara, and Angelina gave birth to Shiloh about six months before Marcheline’s passing. But I know what Angelina is talking about – she just wishes she could still talk to her mom about all of the kids, about everything, and get Marcheline’s advice. Angelina’s probably been missing her mom especially through all of the divorce stuff. And I do think there’s a bigger gap between the example Angelina sets for her kids and the example Brad is setting. Just sayin’.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
She is an amazing woman! You can tell that she speaks from the bottom of her heart here.
It’s sad hearing her talk about her mother. I lost my grandmother to cancer five years ago and I miss her and need her for most difficult times. Angelina definitely needs her mother during this time in her life.
I’m forever an Angie fan.
Me too!!
A Great Lady and Mother! Angelina is the glue that keeps her family together. Angelina is a very Honest Woman.
I agree with everything, especially she’s an Honest Woman!
Like I said in the Brad post, how is it that Brad has only just realised that his kids need him at 53 and 12 years later? Maddox and Pax must have said exactly what they thought of him to their therapists or directly to him during family therapy, that’s why he sounded shocked in the GQ article saying that kids absorb and know what’s going on. Then he goes on to blame his own dad.
Well, at least they have their mother.
@Mildred Pierce Question why does he get a pass for bad behavior toward his family?
The investigation of Pitt didn’t turn up any kind of illegal or criminal behaviour.
How do you know? He’s still not allowed to spend alone time with his kids. He was just seen out and about with chris Cornells children so it’s not about privacy for him. A therapist /court won’t allow him to be with them, shame he’s now using some other kids that are going through a difficult time.
Lost my mother a few years ago, lost my father when I was really young. Think of them both daily. Honestly when people talk about so called souls mates, it’s not just about romantic love. When you lose your mother, especially at a younger age it feels like part of you is gone and Angie is right that person mothers want the best for you. Good mothers wanting to give you good advice without thinking of themselves. It leaves a very big hole .
Same. I never knew my mother, she passed away when I was a toddler and was raised by an evil racist grandmother after my grandfather passed away too. There’s an emptiness in me that cannot be filled with romantic love and I realise it’s because I miss a mother. It took me years to figure this out and it’s very hard to deal with. Thank god I have a career to focus on and didn’t fall for the first goodlooking loser who could ‘replace’ the family I never had. It would be too easy for me as lack of attention in childhood can lead to disastrous romantic relationships later on. Not having parents to rely on or speak to is one of the saddest things a person can experience.
Jolie is so lucky she had her mother’s guidance until adulthood, she seemed like a very open-minded and kind-hearted lady. For Jolie to come back from her drug use etc must be in great part to Marcheline’s patient care and love. For sure personality wise, Jolie is nothing like her father, those Bertrand genes overruled his.
I love her. That’s all I want to say. Everytime I read a post about her I’m struck by how non-judgmental, thoughtful, objective but kind she is. I want to be Angie when I grow up. lol
How do you judge Angie’s handling of her ex-husband due to the “plane incident”? The investigation didn’t find any criminal or faulty behaviour on Pitt’s part.
How do you know that they didn’t find “any faulty behavior” on his part? Yes, he doesn’t need to go to jail, but, it was never said that he didn’t do anything wrong! He, himself, months later and reluctantly said that he is basically an alcoholic and that all what happened was of his doing. And what did Angelina do, except filing for divorce for the “health of family” and taking care of six children for the past eight months while he goes through therapy and self reflection?
SaraR. Thank you for the Truth!
If they didn’t find any fault in his behavior then he wouldn’t be the situation he’s in now. He admitted his faults and yet his fans will continue to ignore he had issues. No child abuse but clearly other issues like alcoholism that affected his wife and children. Some of his fans even think Angelina him say those things in GQ and he lied for her. Denial!
Thanks @SarahR That’s basically my take. I don’t understand why Brad fans are so hell bent on vilifying Angie. We don’t know exactly what happened but my guess is that Angie felt she was doing what was best for her children.
Pitt is father to their children. But he never abused them. That is what the investigation revealed.
Nevertheless Angie didn’t go for a quiet divorce but she turned all canons available on her husband who had a problem. Alcoholism is an illness not a crime. She dragged him through the press like he were some kind of detestable piece of … .
She could have handled her divorce with a lot more sensitivity and behind closed doors. But she did wash her family’s dirty laundry in public.
As a result some of their children are wary of their father. Brilliant handling, isn’t it?
Who would deal with their spouse in the same way in the same situation? Alcoholic spouse. No abuse. Dragging him publicly through the divorce. All your friends and extended family knows. Now, who is going to do that?
The kids aren’t wary of Pitt because Angelina ” didn’t go for a quiet divorce” if they are wary of him it’s because of the way he conducted himself in front of them. You have no idea what the investigation did not find- I don’t think anyone actually believes Pitt is abusive but something clearly happened on that plane that someone felt the need to call CPS and they felt the need to investigate and why almost 10 months later he still doesn’t seem to have shared custody of his kids.
Pitt fans ignoring this won’t change anything, the same way I an Angelina fan can totally accept that perhaps there was a more sensitive way to handle things. IMO she did the best in a difficult situation & her priority is not and should never be Pitt but rather her kids and I believe she got that right.
Oh please speaking of dragging anyone- did you miss the part where Pitt dragged Angelina- self regulating mechanism anyone etc etc? This need by Pitt fans to infantalize him is strange, he’s 53. Let him take responsibility for once in his life. He’ll become a better man & father for it. Yes the same way Angelina has to take responsibility for her actions, except I suspect she’s been the grown up in this relationship the entire time.
I think she’s very, very careful what she says. Like a sealed-up sarcophagus. I find her not that genuine and way too filtered, but that’s just me. Let some reality shine through, woman.
Interesting observation since she had a reputation for years of being an over-sharer. But at the same time, she was never one of those people that thought “keeping it real” gave her license to be an asshole and rude about people.
I think she got serious after her oversharing era and wanted to make sure she was taken seriously for her humanitarian pursuits. But there’s got to be a happy medium. Cate Blanchett is similar but a bit looser. I just find them very sealed up.
Love her emphasis on the importance of really, really-really listening to one’s children! It is so important for children to be seen for who they are.
Angelina will be in Africa with her children for World Refugee Day June 20.
I’m so envious of her zero eyebags through all of this terrible stress. I wear every trauma under my eyes <3
The photos in this post are extremely old, like from 2010.
i honestly think part of the reason for her filing for divorce(in my opinion)..Is that the kids were around & heard the arguement or what ever was said or done..& that had she not acted in that way(As to not support Brads behaviour)her kids..especially her daughters would’ve thought that behavior was acceptable & created a bad pattern for them down the line.Angie takes parenting seriously(as one should)and therefore her family maybe healthier for it.
That interview made me really sad for her. She sounds tired and lonely. It’s really hard to miss your Mom and my heart goes out to her ❤️
Pitt is now using Chris cornells kids for publicity. He was seen at universal studios – none of his own children were present. Very strange seeing that Angelina was there for shilloh’s birthday. Now how are his fans going to explain that one? Either he still can’t be alone with his kids or they didn’t want to be with him. Hmm
@YepIsaidit Question Could he not have taken a therapist along to supervised if he wanted to spend time with them at Universal?
Brad and Chris were friends for decades. He is considered family to the Cornells. I think it was a nice of Brad to take his kids for some fun.
Per the tabs Brad has overnight visits with his kids so I don’t think they’re scared to be alone with him.
If he had spent time with his own children prior his family would not be in this mess. It all about his image.