Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s kids wanted her to be more outspoken in publicly defending herself during their divorce battle, according to a source.
“She’s been trying hard to be light after a dark time,” a source close to the Maria actress tells PEOPLE. “The kids have grown up seeing that some people have so much power and privilege that their voices don’t matter. Their pain doesn’t count.”
“They have wanted her to speak up for herself, to defend herself over these years but she reminds them to focus on changing laws over telling public stories,” adds the source.
Jolie, 49, and Pitt, 61, met as costars on 2005’s Mr. and Mrs. Smith then got married in 2014. They share six children: Maddox, 23, Pax, 21, Zahara, 19, Shiloh, 18, and twins Vivienne and Knox, 16.
On Sept. 19, 2016, Jolie filed for divorce, a decision precipitated by a private plane flight on which Pitt allegedly became drunk and abusive with her and the children. He was not charged by authorities after investigations at the time and Jolie declined to press charges.
In 2017, both actors “signed agreements to preserve the privacy rights of their children and family by keeping all court documents confidential and engaging a private judge to make any necessary legal decisions,” according to a statement at the time.
Documents obtained by PEOPLE in 2018 showed Jolie could have risked losing primary custody if she didn’t take steps to improve their relationship with their father. Ultimately the custody trial “resulted in the judge granting 50-50 custody to Pitt,” according to a Pitt source, though the private judge overseeing their case was later disqualified by an appeals court and the ruling did not go into effect.
PEOPLE confirmed Monday, Dec. 30, that Jolie and Pitt reached an agreement in their divorce, signing papers to make it official.
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Jolie’s divorce attorney James Simon of Hersh Mannis said in a statement, in part, that since filing for divorce eight years ago Jolie has “focused on finding peace and healing for their family.” He added, “Frankly, Angelina is exhausted, but she is relieved this one part is over.”
A source close to Pitt tells PEOPLE Jolie’s “one-sided attacks” over the course of their divorce proceedings have included “a never-ending distortion of facts … causing tremendous collateral damage to those in and around the family.”
One source said in July 2024 that Pitt has “virtually no contact” with their adult children, however, per an agreement with Jolie, “he has visitation with the younger kids.” Several of the children have taken measures to remove “Pitt” from their last names.
The distance from his kids “pains him,” a source previously told PEOPLE. “He loves his children and misses them. It’s very sad.”
Of the years-long divorce battle, an insider said in July 2024, “It’s really sad for the children, but also the parents. Divorce, especially one so high-profile, can be challenging for the whole family. … They both care about the children.”
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During interviews in recent months, Jolie has described her kids as “especially shy, very private people,” and said, “They weren’t born with privacy, right? So I hope that they can have that as they grow old.”
Jolie and Pitt are still at odds in a lawsuit over the French winery they once owned together, which is not connected to their divorce proceedings. Her lawyer in that case previously said, in part, “She wants this to end, the children want this to end, and Mr. Pitt should focus on healing their family, not pursuing lawsuits.”
In November, a Pitt source said his recent victories in the case “demonstrates the legitimacy of his claims and demonstrates yet again the other side’s talk is not backed up with substance.”
