Angelina Jolie’s Daughter Zahara Shouts Out “Selfless” Mom in Speech

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Angelina Jolie’s daughter Zahara is sharing insight into their magnificent relationship.

The 21-year-old spoke at an Alpha Kappa Alpha event at Spelman College, and was joined by the actress from Eternals. She discussed how important mother-daughter relationships are, sharing details about her bond with her own mother.

“It was hard to express how I felt,” Zahara explained in a clip from her speech posted on X on April 26. “It wasn’t because I don’t appreciate my mom, but because we have a very special connection that’s difficult to describe.”

The college student referenced her adoption in 2005 – when Angelina and Brad Pitt adopted her during a trip to Ethiopia – and described the love she shares with her mother as something they ‘found’ together.

Zahara shared that she was adopted as a baby and gained wonderful siblings. Her mother instilled in them the importance of kindness, helping others, and continuously working to become better people.

Zahara shared that she was thankful to have had someone she looked up to who demonstrated kindness and good character.

Zahara also spoke about the difficulties of growing up famous, acknowledging that it would be hard to create her own identity at Spelman College, separate from her siblings Maddox, 24, Pax, 22, Shiloh, 19, and Knox and Vivienne, 17.

It’s hard to have private moments when so much of our lives are public, with everyone watching. But my mom has always been interested in everything I’m learning, both at Spelman College and beyond.

Of course, Zahara also emphasized her mother’s impact on her values and sense of self. 

My mom is truly the most giving, loving, and understanding person I know. It really hit me recently how much she’s shaped who I am – I remembered seeing a quote years ago that said, ‘I am a strong woman because a strong woman raised me,’ and it just perfectly describes our relationship. So, thank you, Mom, for everything.

For a deeper look into Angelina’s bond with all of her kids, keep reading…

Angelina Jolie first fell in love with Cambodia while filming the movie Tomb Raider in 2001. Later, she traveled to the town of Battambang, hoping to adopt a child from a local orphanage.

She later told Vanity Fair that she didn’t feel a connection with any of her children until she saw Maddox, born on August 5, 2001. He was lying in a box hanging from the ceiling, and she instantly felt a bond with him, saying she ‘cried and cried’.

She adopted her oldest son as a single parent, but when she started dating Brad Pitt, he began the process of adopting him too.

Maddox Jolie-Pitt became an executive producer on his mother Angelina Jolie’s 2017 film, First They Killed My Father, because of his interest in her work. The film is based on a book by Loung Ung, Jolie’s friend, detailing the Cambodian genocide under the Khmer Rouge. Maddox explained to People that he wanted to contribute to the project in any way he could. He also described his mother as “fun, funny, and easy to work with,” adding, “She’s a wonder.”

After earning a biochemistry degree from Yonsei University in South Korea – a choice his mother strongly supported – Maddox was invited to a White House state dinner in April 2023. The event was hosted by President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden for South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and First Lady Kim Keon Hee.

As someone who’s always believed in creating nurturing environments, I was deeply moved hearing Angelina describe Pax’s early life. She shared that he spent the first three and a half years of his life in an orphanage near Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, where he lived with around twenty other children in a single room. It really struck me how she emphasized the lack of autonomy and freedom he experienced during those formative years – not having the ability to make his own choices or simply do things for himself. It’s a powerful reminder of how crucial it is for children to have space to grow and explore.

Maddox is adjusting well to life with his new siblings, Zahara and Shiloh, and his mom and dad, Angelina explained. He’s quickly learning English and is a very affectionate, energetic child. Having so much freedom after a different upbringing, he’s a little rambunctious, but Angelina describes him as a remarkably strong and resilient little boy.

Pax was involved in his family’s work, starting with voicing a character named Yoo in Angelina’s 2016 animated film, Kung Fu Panda 3. He also worked as a set photographer on First They Killed My Father, and in 2018, he accompanied his mother to the Golden Globes.

He assisted with the design of Atelier Jolie, a fashion and tailoring studio Angelina Jolie launched in New York City, and also worked as an assistant director on the set of her movie, Without Blood, which was filmed in Italy.

Angelina explained to People that working with her sons, Pax and Maddox, felt natural because a good film set often feels like a family.

When Angelina visited an orphanage in Hawassa, Ethiopia, she brought her then-3-year-old son, Maddox, and introduced him to her older daughter, Zahara, who was born on January 8, 2005. Angelina later told Anderson Cooper that Maddox adored Zahara. Because Zahara was already seven months old when she came home, Maddox saw her like a little ‘pet’ he could cuddle and observe.

Similar to her brothers and sisters, Zahara is fascinated by her mother’s work. She’s joined her at red carpet events, helped launch her own jewelry line, the Zahara Collection, with designer Robert Procop in 2019, and even traveled to refugee camps in Syria to support her mother’s work with the UNHCR.

In August 2022, Angelina Jolie became emotional as she dropped her daughter Zahara off at Spelman College in Atlanta, jokingly hoping to avoid tears in a video she posted on Instagram. She later returned to Spelman for the school’s homecoming celebration.

Zahara became a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority at her school in 2023. She’s also traveled with the actress to Washington, D.C. several times, including when the actress gave an emotional speech in February 2022 urging the renewal of the Violence Against Women Act, and again a year later when they spoke with legislators about passing the Justice for All Reauthorization Act of 2022.

Angelina and Brad welcomed their daughter, Shiloh, on May 27, 2006, at a hospital in Swakopmund, Namibia, several months after announcing they were expecting. In an interview with MSN, Angelina described Shiloh as a bright, loving, and funny baby, adding that she saw a bit of her own mischievous personality in her daughter.

Shiloh first stepped onto the red carpet at the premiere of Unbroken in 2014. Since then, she’s joined her family at events for films like Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, The Breadwinner, and Dumbo. She also attended the 2018 National Board of Review Awards Gala and the premiere of Eternals in 2021, where she famously wore a gown previously worn by her mother.

Angelina Jolie loves when her kids borrow clothes from her closet. She told TopMob’s Daily Pop that she encourages them to wear things, even better than she does, and to just take whatever they like. She says she’s the kind of mom who happily lets them have at it.

I’ve been noticing Shiloh really coming into her own lately! Beyond being inspired by her mom Angelina’s incredible work with charities, she’s also exploring a potential passion for performing. I hear she’s been spending time at the Millennium Dance Complex in L.A., which is a fantastic place for young talent to hone their skills.

In 2024, on her eighteenth birthday, the teenager filed a legal request at a Los Angeles court to drop the “Pitt” from her last name, and legally changed her name to Shiloh Nouvel Jolie. The change was finalized a few months later.

Angelina first showed off her baby bump at the 2008 Independent Spirit Awards. She then welcomed twins, Knox and Vivienne, in Nice, France, on July 12, 2008. After settling into their home, Château Miraval, she told People magazine that life was chaotic but wonderful. Shiloh and Zahara enjoyed helping with the twins, picking out their outfits and assisting with care.

Angelina pointed out that her son, Brad, shared many characteristics with his grandfather, Hal Knox Hillhouse, both in appearance and personality. This resemblance was noticeable when they both attended the 2015 British motorcycle Grand Prix.

Oh my gosh, even little Knox got to be in Kung Fu Panda 3! Like Pax, Zahara, and Shiloh, he voiced a character – Ku Ku, how adorable is that?! Apparently, they’re all a little shy about acting, which is totally understandable, but Angelina didn’t want them to miss out on the experience, and she said they actually had a blast! It just makes me love them all even more – they’re so talented and down-to-earth!

Angelina described her twin brother, Knox, as being similar to their late mother, Marcheline Bertrand, because he prefers to support others rather than seek the spotlight. She told TopMob News that he’s a considerate and dedicated person who takes theatre and his work very seriously, always striving to find the best way to contribute.

Despite a strong performance as a young Elle Fanning’s Aurora in the 2014 film Maleficent – Angelina Jolie was impressed with her precision on set – the actress has since focused on work that happens behind the camera.

Angelina shared that her daughter, Vivienne, inspired her to work on bringing the movie The Outsiders to Broadway. Vivienne then volunteered to help her mom, who was producing the Tony-winning show.

You know, my daughter Vivienne is incredibly dedicated! I was telling People magazine about how she’s been helping out with the play, and she’s actually listed in the program as Vivienne Jolie. It’s so funny because she’s a total taskmaster! She’ll gently correct me if I even think of skipping a step, reminding me, ‘Didn’t you read the memo? We have to do this, we have to go through this!’ She takes her assistant role very seriously, and honestly, I love it.

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2026-04-27 16:54