Angelina Jolie revealed many things in her WSJ. Magazine December/January 2024 cover interview. As well as confessing that she wouldn’t choose a career as an actress if she was starting out today due to the invasion of privacy that wasn’t as prominent when she first burst onto the scene, she also told the mag that she had Bell’s palsy just six months before filing for divorce from Brad Pitt. And as stress can be a contributing factor of the condition, she has blamed the divorce for causing it!
What Is Bell's Palsy?
According to the Mayo Clinic, Bell's palsy, also known as acute peripheral facial palsy of unknown cause, "causes sudden weakness in the muscles on one side of the face," although this is usually only temporary. In most cases, it resolves completely within six months, although some people may continue to have some Bell's palsy symptoms for life. Some of the symptoms caused by the weakness of the muscles include making part of the face droop, one-sided smiles, "and the eye on the affected side resists closing."
Although the exact cause of Bell's palsy is unknown, it's thought that it could be caused by a reaction that occurs after a viral infection. It's believed that stress could also be a contributing factor, which the 48-year-old Oscar-winner touched on in her candid WSJ. Magazine interview.
Angelina Jolie Opens Up About Her Health And Career In 'WSJ. Magazine' Interview
The Eternals actress spoke openly about the invasion of privacy that she has had to deal with throughout her career, telling the magazine that it was worse than ever when she and Pitt, 59, announced their split in 2016. She said that she noticed a difference when shooting Maleficent sequel Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, as the stress from the divorce had even caused her voice to change registers from the first time she played the character.
"My body reacts very strongly to stress," Jolie explained. "My blood sugar goes up and down. I suddenly had Bell's palsy six months before my divorce."
Jolie's health confession comes after her ex-husband revealed that he also suffers with a neurological disorder. In 2022, Pitt revealed that he has been a long time sufferer of prosopagnosia, otherwise known as face blindness. The condition means not being able to recognize someone after already meeting them, with the Bullet Train actor previously telling Esquire: "It's a mystery to me, man. I can't grasp a face and yet I come from such a design/aesthetic point of view."
Speaking more about the invasion of privacy, and the "expectation" Hollywood stars have to share so much of their life with the public, the Maria actress said she wouldn't choose a career in Hollywood again. "I never bought into it as significant or important," the Lara Croft: Tomb Raider star confessed. "I wouldn't be an actress today. When I was starting out, it wasn't as much of an expectation to be as public, to share so much."
The humanitarian then spoke about how some of her "closest friends" are "from war and conflict," and not Hollywood (unless you count Salma Hayek, who the Girl, Interrupted star has formed a really close bond with – and we love to see it!) and confessed that she doesn't "really have a social life" in Hollywood.
"Of all the places in the world, Hollywood is not a healthy place," she revealed, before saying that she would rather live in Cambodia, the place where she adopted her first child, Maddox, as opposed to Los Angeles. "It's part of what happened after my divorce. I lost the ability to live and travel as freely. I will move when I can," she said.
This article is featured in WSJ. Magazine's December/January 2024 Issue available Saturday, December 9th. There are many more candid confessions in Jolie's interview – as well as more breathtaking pictures – so make sure you head to the website or grab a copy.
