Angelina Jolie Reveals She Had Bell’s Palsy Leading Up to Brad Pitt Divorce: ‘We Had to Heal’

In a new cover story with the Wall Street Journal, Angelina Jolie opened up about her divorce from Brad Pitt, living in Los Angeles, and her health.

After starring in 2018's Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, Jolie noticed that her voice had changed register. "My body reacts very strongly to stress," she explained. "My blood sugar goes up and down. I suddenly had Bell’s palsy six months before my divorce."

Bell's palsy is the sudden weakness in the muscles on one half of the face that appears as partial paralysis. It usually resolves on its own within six months.

Jolie filed for divorce in Sept. 2016 and proceedings are still ongoing. The two specifically fought over their once jointly owned vineyard in the south of France, Chateau Miraval. Jolie also accused Pitt of physical and verbal abuse during a heated argument onboard a private jet in 2016.

In the midst of all that, Jolie has been keeping to herself at home and avoiding work that pulls her away from her family.

"We had to heal," said Jolie. "There are things we needed to heal from."

The Salt star went on to say that she "wouldn’t be an actress today" because "When I was starting out, it wasn’t as much of an expectation to be as public, to share so much."

As the daughter of Jon Voight and Marcheline Bertrand, Jolie grew up around Hollywood and said she's never been impressed with the industry. "I never bought into it as significant or important."

She eventually plans on leaving Los Angeles and has been spending more time at her home in Cambodia. "I grew up in quite a shallow place,” she reflected. "Of all the places in the world, Hollywood is not a healthy place. So you seek authenticity."

Staying still is "part of what happened after my divorce," said Jolie. "I lost the ability to live and travel as freely. I will move when I can."