Angelina Jolie Opens Up About the Surprising Way Her Children Are Changing Her Life

Angelina Jolie says her children are helping her rediscover parts of herself beyond motherhood. While reflecting on her latest film, the Oscar winner also made a candid admission about her relationship status nearly a decade after her split from Brad Pitt.

Angelina Jolie's newest film explores what happens when life suddenly forces someone to rethink who they are. As the Oscar winner promoted the deeply personal drama, she found herself asking many of those same questions — and her answers revealed a surprising new outlook on motherhood, love, and the future.

Along the way, Angelina shared a rare update on her relationship status. She explained why her children are encouraging her to embrace a side of herself that goes beyond simply being their mom.

A Film That Prompted Deep Reflection

As Parade reported, "Couture" was acquired for a U.S. theatrical release after premiering at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival. Set during the fast-paced world of Paris Fashion Week, the drama follows three women from different backgrounds whose lives become unexpectedly intertwined.

According to Deadline, Angelina stars as Maxine Walker, an American filmmaker who learns she has breast cancer while working in Paris and unexpectedly finds herself navigating both a health crisis and a love story. According to Movie Insider, the film opened in theaters nationwide on June 26, 2026.

Speaking with Yahoo Entertainment, Angelina explained that the story resonated with her long before cameras started rolling. "I think the shock, the push to move — there was something about it that just felt so realistic, even in reading it," she said.

The actress also praised director Alice Winocour's screenplay for capturing emotions that felt deeply authentic. "Nobody could write it had they not experienced it. Very subtle things, but very real."

Although "Couture” centers on a woman confronting a devastating diagnosis, Angelina said the story is ultimately about continuing to live fully rather than allowing illness to define someone's identity. "So often we see, when there's a project that's dealing with a woman's cancer, it's not often where her sexuality post-diagnosis is celebrated," she explained.

Her Children Changed the Way She Sees Herself

Discussing the film soon led Angelina to reflect on her own life. She admitted that the questions she asks herself today are very different from those she wrestled with years ago. "Oh, completely," she said before adding, "Completely, and maybe I've come around to being a little bit more the person I used to be."

Angelina explained that watching her daughters grow into young women has unexpectedly reminded her of qualities she hopes they never lose — and qualities she realized she had slowly set aside herself.

She shares six children with her former husband, Brad Pitt: sons Maddox, 24, Pax, 22, and Knox, 17, and daughters Zahara, 21, Shiloh, 20, and Vivienne, 17. Reflecting on those conversations, Angelina said:

"My desire for them to have all of the strength and openness and softness and faith and ferocity is reminding me. I think they kind of want me now to not just be 'Mom.' There's a different room for me to be that woman again, that's not just a mom."

Instead of worrying about getting older, Angelina said she's beginning to view this stage of life as a chance to reconnect with the person she used to be.

Angelina Shares a Rare Update on Her Relationship Status

While reflecting on one of the movie's central relationships, Angelina realized she'd also been confronting assumptions about her own future. She acknowledged that she had allowed motherhood to become the center of nearly every aspect of her life:

"To be candid, I haven't dated since I divorced a decade ago. So I kind of get in my head that that aspect of me is not centered in my life if I'm focusing on my children, my family."

Playing Maxine challenged that way of thinking. "It took me a second to kind of say, well, she can also love her daughter and be dedicated to her daughter and also need this as a woman and receive this as a woman."

Although Angelina has occasionally sparked dating speculation over the years, she has never publicly confirmed a relationship since separating from Pitt, making her latest comments particularly candid.

A New Chapter Begins

By the end of the conversation, Angelina suggested she isn't trying to reinvent herself so much as rediscover parts of herself that had quietly slipped into the background. She believes the next chapter of her life won't be defined by leaving motherhood behind, but by embracing every part of who she is alongside it.

"So yes, things are changing, but in a way I didn't expect. It doesn't feel like I'm 51 and starting to think of being older. I'm thinking I have to live again. Be free again," she said. Angelina then ended with perhaps her most revealing reflection of all. "In a way that maybe life has broken me a little bit."

Yet through "Couture," her children, and a renewed perspective on life, she suggested that healing isn't about becoming someone new. Instead, it's about finding the parts of yourself that were there all along.

Angelina's candid admission comes after years spent rebuilding her life following the end of her marriage to Brad. According to Good Morning America, Angelina filed for divorce in September 2016, and the former couple reached a settlement after an eight-year legal process.

Throughout those years, Angelina largely focused on raising her children and helping her family move forward. That dedication eventually shaped another part of her life — one she rarely discusses publicly.

Even as Angelina now says she hasn't dated since her divorce, public curiosity about her love life has never faded. In recent years, repeated appearances with British rapper and activist Akala fueled widespread romance rumors, despite neither of them confirming a relationship.

It appears that Angelina might be reentering the dating scene, as she was recently seen with British rapper and political activist Akala during her time in Italy.

The "Maleficent" star and Akala stirred dating rumors after they were seen leaving her hotel in Italy on August 28, 2024, during the Venice International Film Festival.

The surprising romance rumors have sparked a range of reactions, from surprise to curiosity, as fans respond to the unexpected pairing. One fan expressed excitement, saying, "I actually love the idea of Angelina Jolie and Akala being together 🥲🥺."

Another fan was amazed, commenting, "Today in the multiverse of madness, we discover that Akala is dating Angelina Jolie 😂." An online person echoed this disbelief, "Akala and Angelina Jolie was not what I expected in this 2024."

Some viewers were more skeptical, with one questioning, "Angelina Jolie and Akala dating?!?!" More users who couldn't wrap their heads around this rumor asked, "AKALA IS DATING ANGELINA JOLIE?!." Another expressed their disbelief, "Akala dating Angelina Jolie was not on my 2024 bingo card 🤣."

Just like Angelina Jolie, Akala is in the entertainment industry. He is a BAFTA and MOBO award-winning hip-hop artist with over 70,000 monthly listeners on Spotify.

His music blends a distinctive mix of rap, rock, and electro-punk, paired with powerful lyrical storytelling influenced by artists such as Saul Williams and Gil Scott-Heron. Besides music, Akala is a writer and social entrepreneur, who co-founded The HipHop Shakespeare Company.

Rumors of a romance between Akala and Angelina first began circulating in 2023 when Akala joined the actress and her daughters, Zahara, 19, and Shiloh, 18, at the 15th Calabash International Literary Festival in Jamaica.

Held in Treasure Beach, St. Elizabeth, the three-day event marked the festival's return after being canceled in 2020 and 2022 due to COVID-19. The previous festival had last taken place in 2018.

In December 2023, Angelina and Akala were seen together in Milan while she was filming the movie "Maria Callas." The pair were accompanied by Pierfrancesco Consalvo, his partner Anna Ferzetti, and Alba Rohrwacher.

Angelina and Akala appeared all smiles and completely at ease, engaging in lively conversation and looking comfortable in each other's company. Whether the pair's relationship is a blossoming romance or just a close friendship, their vibe and aura have certainly captured the public's attention.

Unlike Angelina, who has kept a low profile in her romantic life since her divorce from Brad, her ex-husband's dating life has been more public. His girlfriend, Ines de Ramon, has been turning heads with her effortlessly chic style and sleek, repeat outfits.

She recently caused a stir while running errands in Los Angeles. The 35-year-old jewelry executive wowed onlookers in a chic cropped black tank top that flaunted her toned abs, paired perfectly with mid-rise black jeans.

Ines, who kept her brown hair flowing freely, accessorized with a large black leather bag slung over one shoulder. She completed her effortlessly stylish look with pointy-toed black boots, matching black sunglasses, and a radiant smile. It seems Ines has a penchant for black and dark-colored outfits.

Just last May, she captured attention in Los Angeles with another stunning all-black outfit. She paired a black high-neck bodysuit with matching jeans, the same black leather bag, and sunglasses. She also carried a tumbler, adding a casual flair to her overall ensemble.

Ines's stylish outings have not gone unnoticed, drawing admiration from both fans and fashion enthusiasts alike.

Whether the speculation surrounding Akala was ever more than friendship remains unclear, especially in light of Angelina's candid admission that she hasn't dated since her divorce. But if her latest reflections are any indication, romance is no longer the defining story of this chapter in her life.

Instead, Angelina says she's focused on rediscovering herself — encouraged by her children, inspired by "Couture," and ready to embrace the future with a renewed sense of purpose.

After years of putting motherhood and healing first, the Oscar winner suggests that the next chapter isn't about becoming someone different at all. It's about finding her way back to the woman she always was.