Angelina Jolie says her marriage to Brad Pitt caused her ‘terrifying’ health issues

Jolie filed for divorce from Pitt in 2016

The Academy Award winner opened up about her health struggles in an interview with the Wall Street Journal revealing that she developed Bell’s palsy as a direct result of her impending divorce from the Hollywood star.

Bell's palsy is a neurological disorder that causes paralysis or weakness on one side of the face and occurs when one of the nerves that controls muscles in the face becomes injured or stops working properly.

"My body reacts very strongly to stress," she told the publication, adding that she felt "terrified" to portray opera singer Maria Callas in an upcoming film.

"My blood sugar goes up and down. I suddenly had Bell’s palsy six months before my divorce."

Angelina Jolie says Brad Pitt divorce caused her health issues

Jolie and Pitt have had a long a public relationship, with the couple parenting six children together. Jolie filed for divorce in 2016 and they have been embroiled in court negotiations over custody and matters relating to their residence since.

"We had to heal," she said of her past few years away from the spotlight. "There are things we needed to heal from."

Jolie has sole custody of her seven children, while Pitt retains visitation rights. "They are the closest people to me and my life, and they’re my close friends," she said of her kids. "We’re seven very different people, which is our strength."

According to legal documents obtained by media outlets in 2022, during an altercation in 2016 "Pitt choked one of the children and struck another in the face" and "grabbed Jolie by the head and shook her."

Representatives for Pitt called the claims "completely untrue".