The Brad & Angelina Thread, With Updated Pics & Articles
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The ever-busy actress/mom/UN Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie, 31, is out promoting her new film, A Mighty Heart, and she talks with Reader's Digest about adopting Pax, 3 1/2, how she manages to balance her children (Maddox, Zahara, and Shiloh), work, and time alone with partner Brad Pitt.
Angelina on getting together with Brad: I met this amazing person, and we realized we had very similar views on how we wanted to live our lives. It's happened so quickly, with so many children. Yesterday, picking up the kids from school, Brad turned around in the car, and there were the three of them. He couldn't stop laughing. We love them and are having a great time.
Having Shiloh was actually planned: Before I met Brad, I always said I was happy never to have a child biologically. He told me he hadn't given up on that thought. Then, a few months after Z came home, I saw Brad with her and Mad, and I realized how much he loved them, and a biological child would not in any way be a threat. So I said, 'I want to try.'
Pax loves his newfound freedom: Pax is almost three and a half and has never made a real decision for himself because everybody does everything in a group in the orphanage. There were all these things he'd never had. The first time I gave him a bath, he was suddenly laughing, out of his mind. He took five baths in one day. We'd be talking and he'd take his clothes off and run into the bathroom.
How is Pax adjusting to his new life?: The first two days, he cried a lot. I hired a translator, and he would explain what was going on. The first night, I slept alone with him. I was expecting him to wake up and scream, but he woke and just stared at me. I handed him a stuffed animal, and we walked around the room pointing at things. By day three, he didn't want me to put him down. I think he got used to the reality that somebody loves you and that's what a mommy is.
Don't worry, each of the Jolie-Pitt kids have their own special time with mommy and daddy: We had a long talk with Mad about the fact that his brother is going to be scared and that Mommy is going to have to give him attention. Then we've tried to figure out a lot of private time for each of them. When everybody goes to bed, we give Mad time. When everybody is at school, we give Shiloh time. In between, Z and Pax each get special time. And on Sundays, we have a big family sleep, when the boys get in bed with us and we watch a movie. It started with Mad, then Pax, and now Z is desperate to move into the bed. We're talking about having to build a bigger bed!
Brad makes everyone feel safe: I think Pax, after seeing how much Zahara and Mad and Shi love Brad, understands that he's his daddy. Everybody seems to be safe in his arms. He makes everybody laugh. He helps everybody.
It is true that they adopted Pax so Maddox would have a brother who looked like him: Something changed for me with Shiloh. We had Mad and Z, and neither looked like Mommy or Daddy. Then suddenly somebody in the house looks like Mommy and Daddy. It became clear to us that it might be important to have somebody around who is similar to the other children so they have a connection. Mad's been very excited that his brother is from Asia.
Who's the disciplinarian in the family?: When it comes to the boys, it's Brad, and with the girls, it's me. It's not intentional, but Z can pretty much get anything she wants from her dad. Brad's like a strong father with the boys.
Continue reading for more highlights of Angelina's interview.
Angelina knows what kind of legacy she wants to leave as a mother: I don't do drugs. I don't intentionally ride a motorcycle without a helmet. I will always be careful. But I live a bold life, and I'm a happy mother because of that. I think the bigger question is, 'Am I living the life that I want my kids to see?' If something happened to me doing something I believed in, then I suppose that's the legacy I would leave as a mother.
On filming the movie, A Mighty Heart, while pregnant: When we worked on the script, I was six months pregnant. Mariane [Pearl] sat with me and held my hand and told me what was happening to her when she was six months pregnant. I thought, 'My God, I know what I'm feeling right now and I can't imagine handling that. It was so important for me to have my family and Brad with me at the time, and to understand it's that life -- Adam, Mariane's child -- that clearly pulled her through.
Amongst the chaos, how does Angelina and Brad spend quiet, alone time with each other?: Right now, that's our problem! We hang out. We try to talk over the swing set. We'll have a date night once everybody is settled. Pax still gets scared if I'm gone for more than a few hours. But we'll get them occupied with a movie and popcorn and try to run off and lock the door for a bit.
With all the gossip about them, does it ever get to them?: Our first question is what paper is it in. The New York Times? If not, do we really need to worry?
There's no conspiracy to why the couple doesn't feel the need to get married: We've both been married before. Our focus when we got together was family, and we are legally bound to our children. That really seems to be the most important thing.
Brad sees Angelina as many things, but nothing is better than seeing her be a mom: He encourages the right things. If I've had a full day and just really been a hands-on mom, he'll make a point to let me know that's something he's proud of. If I'm writing an Op-Ed, he's the first person to want to read the drafts. I could be dressed up in the sexiest outfit for a photo shoot, and by his behavior, he'll let me know that's nice, but it's nothing as sexy as when I'm home surrounded by the kids or reading books, educating myself. He slows me down to get it right, to relax into the strength of my family and the love.
Angelina on getting together with Brad: I met this amazing person, and we realized we had very similar views on how we wanted to live our lives. It's happened so quickly, with so many children. Yesterday, picking up the kids from school, Brad turned around in the car, and there were the three of them. He couldn't stop laughing. We love them and are having a great time.
Having Shiloh was actually planned: Before I met Brad, I always said I was happy never to have a child biologically. He told me he hadn't given up on that thought. Then, a few months after Z came home, I saw Brad with her and Mad, and I realized how much he loved them, and a biological child would not in any way be a threat. So I said, 'I want to try.'
Pax loves his newfound freedom: Pax is almost three and a half and has never made a real decision for himself because everybody does everything in a group in the orphanage. There were all these things he'd never had. The first time I gave him a bath, he was suddenly laughing, out of his mind. He took five baths in one day. We'd be talking and he'd take his clothes off and run into the bathroom.
How is Pax adjusting to his new life?: The first two days, he cried a lot. I hired a translator, and he would explain what was going on. The first night, I slept alone with him. I was expecting him to wake up and scream, but he woke and just stared at me. I handed him a stuffed animal, and we walked around the room pointing at things. By day three, he didn't want me to put him down. I think he got used to the reality that somebody loves you and that's what a mommy is.
Don't worry, each of the Jolie-Pitt kids have their own special time with mommy and daddy: We had a long talk with Mad about the fact that his brother is going to be scared and that Mommy is going to have to give him attention. Then we've tried to figure out a lot of private time for each of them. When everybody goes to bed, we give Mad time. When everybody is at school, we give Shiloh time. In between, Z and Pax each get special time. And on Sundays, we have a big family sleep, when the boys get in bed with us and we watch a movie. It started with Mad, then Pax, and now Z is desperate to move into the bed. We're talking about having to build a bigger bed!
Brad makes everyone feel safe: I think Pax, after seeing how much Zahara and Mad and Shi love Brad, understands that he's his daddy. Everybody seems to be safe in his arms. He makes everybody laugh. He helps everybody.
It is true that they adopted Pax so Maddox would have a brother who looked like him: Something changed for me with Shiloh. We had Mad and Z, and neither looked like Mommy or Daddy. Then suddenly somebody in the house looks like Mommy and Daddy. It became clear to us that it might be important to have somebody around who is similar to the other children so they have a connection. Mad's been very excited that his brother is from Asia.
Who's the disciplinarian in the family?: When it comes to the boys, it's Brad, and with the girls, it's me. It's not intentional, but Z can pretty much get anything she wants from her dad. Brad's like a strong father with the boys.
Continue reading for more highlights of Angelina's interview.
Angelina knows what kind of legacy she wants to leave as a mother: I don't do drugs. I don't intentionally ride a motorcycle without a helmet. I will always be careful. But I live a bold life, and I'm a happy mother because of that. I think the bigger question is, 'Am I living the life that I want my kids to see?' If something happened to me doing something I believed in, then I suppose that's the legacy I would leave as a mother.
On filming the movie, A Mighty Heart, while pregnant: When we worked on the script, I was six months pregnant. Mariane [Pearl] sat with me and held my hand and told me what was happening to her when she was six months pregnant. I thought, 'My God, I know what I'm feeling right now and I can't imagine handling that. It was so important for me to have my family and Brad with me at the time, and to understand it's that life -- Adam, Mariane's child -- that clearly pulled her through.
Amongst the chaos, how does Angelina and Brad spend quiet, alone time with each other?: Right now, that's our problem! We hang out. We try to talk over the swing set. We'll have a date night once everybody is settled. Pax still gets scared if I'm gone for more than a few hours. But we'll get them occupied with a movie and popcorn and try to run off and lock the door for a bit.
With all the gossip about them, does it ever get to them?: Our first question is what paper is it in. The New York Times? If not, do we really need to worry?
There's no conspiracy to why the couple doesn't feel the need to get married: We've both been married before. Our focus when we got together was family, and we are legally bound to our children. That really seems to be the most important thing.
Brad sees Angelina as many things, but nothing is better than seeing her be a mom: He encourages the right things. If I've had a full day and just really been a hands-on mom, he'll make a point to let me know that's something he's proud of. If I'm writing an Op-Ed, he's the first person to want to read the drafts. I could be dressed up in the sexiest outfit for a photo shoot, and by his behavior, he'll let me know that's nice, but it's nothing as sexy as when I'm home surrounded by the kids or reading books, educating myself. He slows me down to get it right, to relax into the strength of my family and the love.
From people.com (it's mainly the same interview):
Angelina Jolie has always said she wanted to adopt children from all over the world but she opened up to the idea of having a biological child after she met Brad Pitt, she says in a revealing new interview.
Jolie already had two kids, son Maddox, now 5, adopted from Cambodia, and daughter Zahara, 2, from Ethiopia, when she became pregnant with daughter Shiloh, who turns 1 on May 27. Asked in the June issue of Reader's Digest if the pregnancy was intentional, Jolie, 31, says: "It was.
"Before I met Brad, I always said I was happy never to have a child biologically. He told me he hadn't given up that thought. Then, a few months after Z came home, I saw Brad with her and Mad, and I realized how much he loved him, that a biological child would not in any way be a threat. So I said, 'I want to try.' "
Jolie, who stars in the new movie A Mighty Heart, also opens up about her relationship with Pitt, 44, why she decided to welcome a fourth child (son Pax, 3, whom she adopted from Vietnam in March) and more. Some highlights:
On how she went from single mom of one to part of a family of six in just three years: "I met this amazing person, and we realized we had very similar views on how we wanted to live our lives. It's happened quickly, with so many children. Yesterday, picking up the kids from school, Brad turned around in the car, and there were three of them. He couldn't stop laughing."
On deciding to adopt a toddler from Vietman: "As kids get older, it's harder for them to be adopted. ... Something changed for me with Shiloh. We had Mad and Z, and neither looked like Mommy or Daddy. Then suddenly somebody in the house looked like Mommy and Daddy. It became clear to us that it might be important to have somebody around who is similar to the other children so they have a connection. Mad's very excited that his brother is from Asia."
On her wanting more children: "Yeah, yeah. More biological, more adopted."
On finding quality time with Pitt: "Right now, that's our problem! We hang out. We try to talk over the swing set. We'll have a date night once everybody is settled. ... Especially now with Pax, he still gets scared if I'm gone more than a few hours. But we'll get them occupied with a movie and popcorn and try to run off and lock the door for a bit."
On what Pitt finds sexy about her: "I could be dressed up in the sexiest outfit for a photo shoot, and by his behavior, he'll let me know that's nice, but it's nothing as sexy as when I'm home surrounded by the kids or reading books, educating myself."
The June issue of Reader's Digest goes on sale May 22. To listen to Jolie talking about her life and family, click here.
Angelina Jolie has always said she wanted to adopt children from all over the world but she opened up to the idea of having a biological child after she met Brad Pitt, she says in a revealing new interview.
Jolie already had two kids, son Maddox, now 5, adopted from Cambodia, and daughter Zahara, 2, from Ethiopia, when she became pregnant with daughter Shiloh, who turns 1 on May 27. Asked in the June issue of Reader's Digest if the pregnancy was intentional, Jolie, 31, says: "It was.
"Before I met Brad, I always said I was happy never to have a child biologically. He told me he hadn't given up that thought. Then, a few months after Z came home, I saw Brad with her and Mad, and I realized how much he loved him, that a biological child would not in any way be a threat. So I said, 'I want to try.' "
Jolie, who stars in the new movie A Mighty Heart, also opens up about her relationship with Pitt, 44, why she decided to welcome a fourth child (son Pax, 3, whom she adopted from Vietnam in March) and more. Some highlights:
On how she went from single mom of one to part of a family of six in just three years: "I met this amazing person, and we realized we had very similar views on how we wanted to live our lives. It's happened quickly, with so many children. Yesterday, picking up the kids from school, Brad turned around in the car, and there were three of them. He couldn't stop laughing."
On deciding to adopt a toddler from Vietman: "As kids get older, it's harder for them to be adopted. ... Something changed for me with Shiloh. We had Mad and Z, and neither looked like Mommy or Daddy. Then suddenly somebody in the house looked like Mommy and Daddy. It became clear to us that it might be important to have somebody around who is similar to the other children so they have a connection. Mad's very excited that his brother is from Asia."
On her wanting more children: "Yeah, yeah. More biological, more adopted."
On finding quality time with Pitt: "Right now, that's our problem! We hang out. We try to talk over the swing set. We'll have a date night once everybody is settled. ... Especially now with Pax, he still gets scared if I'm gone more than a few hours. But we'll get them occupied with a movie and popcorn and try to run off and lock the door for a bit."
On what Pitt finds sexy about her: "I could be dressed up in the sexiest outfit for a photo shoot, and by his behavior, he'll let me know that's nice, but it's nothing as sexy as when I'm home surrounded by the kids or reading books, educating myself."
The June issue of Reader's Digest goes on sale May 22. To listen to Jolie talking about her life and family, click here.
I don't know why, but I just teared up when reading this. It's just so touching.
Thanks so much for posting this Karo.
You can listen to the interview with Angie here:
http://www.rd.com/content/listen-to-angelina-jolie-interview/
http://www.rd.com/content/listen-to-angelina-jolie-interview/
Brad Pitt takes his children 5-year-old Maddox and 2-year-old Zahara to school inside the United States Embassy on Thursday in Prague.
Partner Angelina Jolie is busy filming her upcoming action thriller Wanted with co-stars Morgan Freeman and James McAvoy.
Papa Pitt picks up 5-year-old Maddox and 2-year-old Zahara (not pictured) after school at the US Embassy on Thursday in Prague, Czech Republic.
Partner Angelina Jolie is busy filming her upcoming action thriller Wanted with co-stars Morgan Freeman and James McAvoy.
Papa Pitt picks up 5-year-old Maddox and 2-year-old Zahara (not pictured) after school at the US Embassy on Thursday in Prague, Czech Republic.
Attachments
Here is the whole interview with Angelina:
http://www.rd.com/content/angelina-jolie-on-being-a-mother-of-4
http://www.rd.com/content/angelina-jolie-on-being-a-mother-of-4
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