The coronavirus originated in China, as far as anyone knows. It quickly spread to surrounding Asian countries, because that’s the nature of this highly contagious virus. The first confirmed cases in South Korea happened in February, but the virus had already been on Korea’s radar for a full month, and they had already prepared testing protocols and they were prepared to order quarantines. While South Korea’s outbreak has been bad – 9000 confirmed cases – their testing, quarantine and isolation efforts have been a model for the rest of Asia, and they have successfully flattened the curve.
I was thinking about all of this in relation to Maddox Jolie-Pitt, who enrolled in a South Korean university last year. Angelina Jolie dropped him off at the university last fall, and by most accounts, Maddox was enjoying his freshman year. But with South Korea in a virtual lockdown, his classes were first suspended and then – like so many schools around the world – everything closed down. His uni is closed for the school year. And I guess Korea has flattened the curve to the point where they’re letting people travel again, so Maddox is apparently home in LA.
Angelina Jolie received an early homecoming from her oldest son! The actress’ son, Maddox, returned home early from his studies at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea after his semester was canceled due to the novel coronavirus, PEOPLE confirms.
The 18-year-old college student is using the downtime to focus on his Korean and Russian studies while he stays at home with his mother and five younger siblings: Pax, 16; Zahara, 15; Shiloh, 13; and twins Knox and Vivienne, 11.
Jolie is also aiming to help other kids in need. The Oscar-winner donated $1 million to No Kid Hungry, an organization distributing meals to children who relied on school lunches.
“As of this week, over a billion children are out of school worldwide because of closures linked to coronavirus,” Jolie said in a statement. “Many children depend on the care and nutrition they receive during school hours, including nearly 22 million children in America who rely on food support. No Kid Hungry is making resolute efforts to reach as many of those children as possible.”
To all of the parents out there who now have boomerang college kids at home: are you happy about it or annoyed? Personally, I hope there are more college kids going home to their parents rather than not taking any of this seriously and, like, using the quarantine to go party and have extended spring breaks. Maddox doesn’t seem like that type. I bet he’s happy to see his brothers and sisters and he’s listening to his mom about isolating.
Photos courtesy of WENN, Backgrid and Avalon Red.
I’m glad my kids are home safe.
Providing routine helps me, too.
Sure Angie must be very pleased to have him back
I was going to say the same thing. Kids can be fussy, bored, and restless cooped up at home for a long time. But Angie’s probably loving every minute of it. All her babies are with her.
“To all of the parents out there who now have boomerang college kids at home: are you happy about it or annoyed?”
Unless you absolutely don’t get along with your own child I’m seriously side eyeing anyone who’d be annoyed their baby is back home, and safe, during a pandemic.
My college son had to cut short his study abroad in Florence, we flew him home Feb. 26. We are in the Bay Area so we have shelter in place orders. My daughter is also home from her California university. I feel bad they had to cut their experiences short, but am thrilled they are home and healthy.
Shallow comment but all of those children are such lookers. All in different ways. Out of the 6, my guess Shiloh will be the hell raiser! You have to have one right? Glad he’s home safe and healthy.
i’m enjoying every minute of my college kids back at home. I bet Angie is too.
There are few cases like his. Some countries are allowing flying out, and most are receiving their own citizens.
In Maddox’ case, I bet he was not the only American student or teacher there.
In my country, a group of elders got stuck in Peru, after the organizer, also elderly, fell ill and passed away from the virus. In their case they’d have to quarantined and receive medical and embassy assistance before flying out with all the precautions.
My utmost respect for airline and airport workers, and of course those in the transport, food and health industry. Without them there would be beyond chaos.
Obviously I’m an outsider… BUT it seems like Brad is not that present on his kids lives!! Yes, Brad seems like a absent father!! It’s astonishing!! Thank God they have their mother; because it’s obvious that Angelina is a great and devote mother!!
PS: I still cannot believe that Ben Affleck seems like a better parent than Brad Pitt!! 😂😂
Agree, Ben appears to have a good bonding with his children, one can tell when they are together, they are so relax & happy with him. I don’t know if the Jolie Pitt’s kids are scared of their dad. He gives me the impression that he is not paternal at all but at the same time who am I to suggest?
Korean here. A few corrections and info. Korean government never have prohibited our people travel abroad (we just once denied entry from foreign countries. Wuhan and Hubei area around Feb). So he could have left anytime. We actually didn’t have virtual lockdown except Daegu, where 85-90% of confirmed cases were found due to irresponsible people who belong to a cult. Places that were closed were schools and places like local libraries. Shops, restaurants were never closed even in Daegu. People just go out much less than usual and places like churches are recommended to close, but not forced. Zero panic buying. Yonsei university is not closed for year. I guess he thinks he had better take a semester off. They are going to do teach on-campus from April 12th, like most universities. They may postpone it again (in Korea, spring semester begins in March and ends in early mid June usually) but it’s likely to open their campus at least in late April. Madox, if he had wanted, could have tested himself anytime, anywhere (as he must have paid for foreign student insurance) with about $140. If a doctor recommends the test or if he contacted any confirmed patient so our CDC would have tracked him and make him get tested, he can get it free, without waiting. We check temperature 3 times at our airpot when people leave this country. He must have lived in Seoul, capital city of Korea, whose population is 10 m and has about 372 confirmed cases for 2 months. We now have students and businessmen who have lived in US and Europe but decided to return home out of fear and many of them turned out have Covid -19. About 30% of yesterday’s confirmed cases were from all abroad.
Your country has a better handle on the pandemic that the U.S. and our stupid leaders in the White House. Very commendable.
Thanks you for kind words. I wish you guys stay safe and as prepared as possible. It’ll be a difficult time for all the world as pandemic is pandemic. Trump scares me truly this time.
Angelina is queen. Whatever happened in the past she definitely redeemed herself with more than any hollywood actor. And her support for different organizations never seem like a pr stunt or a sympathy project.
I hope she inspires others to do the same. Amd I hope others will talk about it so that those celebrities, those privileged millionaires, who possibly travel frequently and come back with the virus, can show how to share in times where social solidarity is a necessity.
It’s quite a stressful time. I’ve had a lot of difficulty dealing with all the change, uncertainty and impact it’s having on everyone around me. Normally I use humour to deal with stress but most people are in no mood to laugh when it comes to this.
One of my kids just came home early from their last semester of senior year (same college Madonna’s eldest daughter is a senior at as well). I’m so happy that they’re home (relatively) safe but devastated that it ended this way.
Great for them,my grandson is home from Tokyo but is quarantined for 2 weeks