Ahead of the release of Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, Angelina Jolie made a rare confession about life after her divorce from ex-husband Brad Pitt.
WATCH: Angelina Jolie on how she survived split from Brad Pitt
The actress returned to her role as Maleficent in the Disney film after a four-year break from acting.
When asked about the transition back to acting, Angelina told People magazine that “It was a tough time.”
“I’d been coming off a few years of difficulty, and I was not feeling very strong. In fact, I was feeling pretty broken,” the 44-year-old said, before adding:
“It took me a moment to feel the strength of [Maleficent] again.”
According to the Daily Mail, Angelina’s divorce from Brad occurred during her four-year break from acting.
The Hollywood duo – who met on the set of Mr & Mrs. Smith and later starred in By The Sea together – were in a relationship for almost a decade.
Famously referred to as ‘Brangelina’ the former celebrity power-couple share six children together (Maddox, 16, Pax, 15, Zahara, 14, Shiloh, 12 and twins Knox and Vivienne, 10).
In 2016, Jolie filed for divorce after just two years of marriage, citing irreconcilable differences.
While the couple reached custody agreement over their children, they are still in the midst of sorting out their property and finances (name, which party will get their French winery, Miraval).
Angelina told Madame Figaro magazine that the divorce was “a complicated moment” and that she “didn’t recognise herself anymore.”
“I felt a deep and genuine sadness, I was hurt,” the Oscar-winner said, adding that she felt “smaller, almost insignificant, even if it wasn’t necessarily obvious.”
What’s more, Angelina told People magazine that she didn’t want to be in the Maleficent sequel – which will feature Michelle Pfeiffer and Elle Fanning.
The Tomb Raider actress also said that her daughter, Vivienne (who played the young Aurora) no longer wished to be in the film as well.
“I tried,” Jolie says. “Viv still can’t believe I made her a princess. None of my kids want to be actors. [They’re into] business, humanitarian affairs, things like that. Nobody was interested!”
On the red carpet of the Los Angeles premiere of Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, Angelina was joined by her children (bar Maddox, who recently started college in South Korea) as well as her brother, James Haven and her father, Jon Voight.
The movie star’s 80-year-old father told People magazine that his daughter was “very strong.”
“She has a certain persona that is hers alone, and she sits in it very comfortably,” he said.
When asked where she got her strength from, Angelina warmly admitted:
“My kids.”
