Angelina Jolie Suffered From Partial Facial Paralysis 6 Months Before Divorce With Brad Pitt

Angelina Jolie recently delved into a challenging phase of her life—the divorce from actor Brad Pitt. The Academy Award-winning actress, who is set to portray singer Maria Callas in an upcoming film, expressed reservations about the role, citing signs of stress affecting her body. Angelina Jolie shared that she had faced similar physical complications during her divorce. “My body reacts very strongly to stress. My blood sugar goes up and down,” she explained, shedding light on the impact of stress on her well-being.

Speaking to The Wall Street Journal Magazine, she also disclosed that six months before her divorce, she had experienced Bell’s palsy. Bell’s palsy, according to The Johns Hopkins University, is an unexplained episode of facial muscle weakness or paralysis. This condition results from damage to the facial nerve.

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt legally separated in 2016. The aftermath of Brad and Angelina’s divorce saw the couple engage in a prolonged legal dispute, particularly concerning the custody of their six children: Maddox, 22, Pax, 20, Zahara, 18, Shiloh, 17, and twins Knox Leon and Vivienne Marcheline, 15. While talking to the magazine, Jolie emphasised the need for healing for herself and her children without going into the specifics of the divorce.

Since 2016, Jolie has reportedly devoted herself to her children, film projects, and philanthropy. She recently launched her fashion brand, Atelier Jolie. She also revealed that she has not been dating and has a very limited social life in Los Angeles. She told the magazine that the only people she spends time with are her children. “They are the closest people to me and my life, and they’re my close friends. We are seven very different people, which is our strength,” she added.

Jolie revealed that apart from her family, her closest friends are refugees, with a significant number having experienced war and conflict. “Maybe four out of six of the women that I am close to are from war and conflict,” Jolie said.

Reflecting on her life in Hollywood, Jolie expressed a wish to break free from the perceived shallowness of the industry. She highlighted the impact of her divorce, limiting her ability to live and travel freely. Describing Hollywood as an unhealthy environment, she told the WSJ Magazine that she yearns for authenticity. “I grew up in quite a shallow place. Of all the places in the world, Hollywood is not a healthy place. So you seek authenticity,” Jolie said.