Angelina Jolie Opens Up About How Her Children ‘Saved’ Her: ‘I Would’ve Gone Under’

Angelina Jolie offered rare insight into her current state of mind. The actress and humanitarian sat down for an interview with Vogue published Wednesday and opened up about the impact that her six children have had on her life.

"I was 26 when I became a mother," Jolie said. "My entire life changed. Having children saved me — and taught me to be in this world differently. I think, recently, I would've gone under in a much darker way had I not wanted to live for them."

She added, "Of course I'm the mother, and hopefully that safe place for them and that stability. But I'm also the one that they laugh at — and I see them taking over so many different aspects of our family.”

Jolie, who has been going through a $350 million legal battle with her ex-husband Brad Pitt over their French winery Château Miraval, shared that she's been feeling "a bit down" these days.  

"I don’t feel like I've been myself for a decade, in a way, which I don't want to get into," she said.

The actress is turning her attention to Atelier Jolie, a socially conscious fashion store that will open its New York City doors in November. "I'm hoping to change many aspects of my life," she told Vogue. "And this is the forward-facing one."