Unless it’s a physical, mental and emotional safety issue, It’s the lowest of the low in parenting when one parent manipulates vulnerable children, who don’t have the maturity to understand adult matters, against the other parent.
I don’t know what happened. I don’t know what behavior Jolie and Pitt engaged in with each other and with these children.
Jolie is bitter.
I don’t confuse agreeing with her in that with understanding her in that.
Part of her bitterness I understand from applying a sexism and aging lens, those two undefeated foes of most Hollywood women.
Here’s Jolie, who grew-up in southern Cal, within “the industry” and the doors that were open to her. Academy Award, solid career, beauty, wild reputation that in her day was seen as interesting, to say the least.
Then along comes Pitt this beautiful, ambitious man, a hay shaker from Missouri. He drops his middle of the road, frau-favorite wife for the exotic beauty that is Jolie.
And, now, even though he’s aging too, he’s a male and will more than get by in Hollywood and she’s got a brood of kids ( her fault) , is aging, and her only time now is observing the A List scripts bypass her where, at one time she could pick and from them.
Yeah, I get it, but at some point, you’ve got to know that silent dignity and telling your children to be silent about Putt is the best route.