10 hot stories, including inside Angelina’s ‘cathartic’ trip to Paris, and meet the modest mini
IN A CITY THAT OOZES glamour daily, it takes a pretty major A-lister to stop traffic. Last week, that star was Angelina Jolie. In Paris working on a beauty campaign with luxury brand Guerlain, the actor was back to her Hollywood best: posing from a hotel balcony, hair wrapped in a towel, dripping in diamonds, before heading out for a night out with her godmother and confidante, Jacqueline Bisset – looking happy and more dressed up than she has been of late.
Appearances weren’t deceptive. According to Grazia’s sources, this trip sees Angelina trying to put the past behind her and embrace a new chapter of her life – with the help of an old family friend.
Angelina and Jacqueline, an English actor known for roles in Bullitt, Class and The Deep, have now been spotted together several times during the trip – indicative of the fact that the 74-year-old has been lending an invaluable hand, a source close to Angelina tells Grazia.
‘Even Angelina would admit that she doesn’t have many close friends,’ the source says. ‘She is fiercely independent and is, of course, completely dedicated to her children, but she’s not an island: everybody needs a support system.’
For her, this is Jacqueline. She appeared in Murder On The Bridge with Angelina’s father Jon Voight, and was made Angelina’s godmother after becoming friends with her mother Marcheline. When she died in 2007, Jacqueline paid a touching tribute. ‘Marcheline was the most lovely, lovely person,’ she said. ‘She worked incredibly hard to raise both Jamie and Angelina and dedicated herself to their happiness. She had a kind of enlightened spirit.’
Years later, she paid tribute to Angelina, too. ‘Six children, a husband, a career, and directing, I don’t know how she does it. I don’t know how any human being can do that,’ she said. ‘What I admire is that she carries a kind of quality of peace that just emanates from her.’
At the time, Jacqueline confessed that she and Angelina rarely spoke, but expressed her support and concern with her goddaughter’s widely reported health issues that led her to seek a double mastectomy.
But now it seems Jacqueline is firmly back in the fold. ‘They have just been catching up and enjoying each other’s company. Angelina has been venting and Jacqueline has been sharing her wisdom,’ the source says. ‘Marcheline was Angelina’s best friend, and her death left her devastated. She still misses her greatly, even now. Being close to someone who went so far back with her, and who thought so highly of her, is enriching. I would say that Angelina hasn’t been this happy, this secure in herself, in a long time.’ Even the collaboration with Guerlain is a source of comfort: she became involved with the brand in part to honour Marcheline, who had always been a fan.
For Angelina, returning to France is a big step and Jacqueline has made the process easier. It’s where Angelina married Brad Pitt in 2014, where she gave birth to their twins in 2008, and where the couple co-own their country wine estate, Château Miraval. ‘She tried to avoid France as much as she could after she split from Brad,’ another source tells Grazia. ‘It held way too many memories from when her relationship with him was strong and happy. But, ultimately, being in Paris was cathartic for Angelina and a nice change of pace from her recent film work.’
Crucially, it was also her first big trip without the children for some time, which enabled her to really relax for the first time in months. ‘It was nice to do some of the things she wanted to do for herself, and remind herself why Paris is so special to her,’ the source adds. ‘Word is she even made a visit to Château Miraval, which was something she hasn’t done for a while.’ The estate was at the centre of recent disputes between Angelina and Brad, who have been arguing about the division of assets. The discussions have, at times, reached toxic levels, but returning to France has given Angelina the chance to take stock.
‘For the first time in a while, she’s starting to believe everything’s going to work out,’ the source adds. ‘She feels like herself again.’