Angelina Jolie Reveals She was Diagnosed With Bell’s Palsy

Whether you love her or hate her, with six children it must have been a very hard year for actress Angelina Jolie since she filed for divorce from Brad Pitt.

The Girl Interrupted Oscar winner spoke out about her divorce from Pitt in the latest issue of Vanity Fair. The 42-year old actress had been with Pitt for 12 years.

“It’s just been the hardest time, and we’re just kind of coming up for air. We’re all trying to do our best to heal our family,” said Jolie.

“Things got bad,” says Jolie. “I didn’t want to use that word. . . . Things became ‘difficult.’ ”

In the interview, Jolie also shares that in the last year she not only developed hypertension but Bell’s Palsy. Bell’s palsy is characterized by muscle weakness that causes one half of the face to droop.

“Sometimes women in families put themselves last,” she says, “until it manifests itself in their own health.”

She also explained more about what didn’t cause her divorce. “[Our lifestyle] was not in any way a negative,” Jolie explained. “That was not the problem. That is and will remain one of the wonderful opportunities we are able to give our children . . . They’re six very strong-minded, thoughtful, worldly individuals. I’m very proud of them.”

“They’ve been very brave,” she said. “They were very brave.”

Jolie and Pitt have six kids together, Maddox, 15; Pax, 13; Zahara, 12; Shiloh, 10; and twins Vivienne and Knox, 8.