Angelina: ‘The kids are happier with me’
Nothing says happy families like a red-carpet photo call
She’s been on a non-stop world tour over the past few weeks while promoting her new movie Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil. But Angelina Jolie’s been far from a lone traveller. Instead, she’s made it a serious family affair, wheeling out her kids in various assortments and posing up a storm with them for the paps. And last week was no exception, as Ange attended the London premiere with her photogenic brood. And we’re told the actress is just as keen to show off her parenting skills on the red carpet.
“Ange is using this movie tour as a way to show the world what a great mum she is, and how happy the kids are when they’re with her,” an insider close to the 44 year old tells heat. “They spent a lot of the summer with Brad [Pitt] while she was filming in London, so it was important for her to spend as much time with all of them.”
As heat has told you previously, Ange and Brad have been engaged in a vicious custody battle for their children – Maddox, 18, Pax, 15, Zahara, 14, Shiloh, 13, and 11-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne – ever since splitting in 2016. In fact, the former couple – who got together in 2004 and married in 2014 – still haven’t finalised their divorce, with Brad reportedly accusing Angelina of stalling and asking a judge to set a deadline of December for her to sign the papers. Ange has also been forced to drop her bid for sole custody, and has allowed Brad to spend more time with the kids while she’s been busy working on her upcoming thriller Those Who Wish Me Dead. But insiders say the atmosphere’s still frosty and, with their divorce impending, Ange is pulling out all the stops to keep her brood close.
The photo calls speak for themselves, and last week’s London premiere followed a whirlwind tour of publicity. Earlier this month, the actress rocked up to the world premiere of Maleficent in Hollywood with five of her six kids in tow (Maddox is at university in South Korea). She then reunited with her eldest son, as well as Zahara, at the Japanese premiere – followed by another appearance with two of her daughters at the European premiere in Rome.
“She does like to take the kids on the red carpet and they have a great time with her,” our source says. “But it’s as if she has a point to prove to Brad and get one over on him. She’s really gone overboard this time.” Thank God she gets more than one plus one, eh? n
‘It’s as if she’s trying to get one over on Brad’