It’s all celebrations in the Jolie household! Angelina Jolie turned 50 on 4 June, her five children reportedly planning with a small gathering at their California home, with her one gift request to plan a family holiday to their 7.5hectare wildlife reserve in Cambodia – the place Jolie has considered home since filming Tomb Raider there in 2000.
 
A marked difference from the extravagant, A-list filled birthday parties hosted by her peers (Beckhams, we’re looking at you), Jolie’s attitude to milestone birthdays is seemingly as lowkey as her off-screen life. In fact, she’s having a problem most single mothers of young adults can relate to: tearaway teens and tiresome ex-husband antics.
 
Her second eldest with ex-husband Brad Pitt, Pax, recently turned 21 and was captured on camera stumbling out of Los Angeles celebrity hotspot Chateau Marmont before heading to a strip club. Much ado was made of his inability to stand, to which we say… huh? God forbid paparazzi were waiting outside Wetherspoons at closing time during our university days. 
 
Pitt is reportedly concerned about his sons behaviour, although his recent comment on the culmination of his eight-year-long divorce from Jolie suggests a laissez faire attitude. ‘I don’t think it was that major of a thing,’ he told GQ when asked if he was relieved the legal fight was over. Jolie on the other hand, was very happy. ‘Frankly, Angelina is exhausted, but she is relieved this one part is over,’ her lawyer said in a statement.

In other Brangelina brood news, Shiloh, 19, reportedly now goes by Shi Joli. The 19-year-old was featured on a press release for Net-A-Porter’s new collection with Isabel Marant, the launch for which Shi choreographed a performance by musician Luella. Jolie has been helping her children forge careers in production, Shi now focused on choreography while Pax is keen on photography and Maddox, 23, filmmaking. Zahara, 20, is heading into her final year of Spelman College while twins Knox and Vivienne, 16, are still in school.
 
Another milestone was reached for Brangelina on 10 June – 20 years since the release of Mr & Mrs Smith, the film where she infamously met and fell for Pitt. The resulting marriage and eight-year-long divorce is now firmly in her rear-view mirror. In fact, she is now rumoured to be back on the dating scene, with a source telling Grazia she’s enjoying private dates out of the spotlight. ‘The kids are all so grown up and doing their own thing, so her love life is something she can actually make time for now,’ the insider said. ‘She’s hyper aware that anyone she dates is going to be put under a microscope so she’s purposely kept things very, very private.’
 
While Pitt, 61, has been in a relationship with actor Ines de Ramon, 32, since 2022, Jolie has largely remained single for the last eight years, having been linked briefly to The Weeknd in 2021 and rapper-turned-activist Akala in 2024, although she has never publicly confirmed any relationships.

Career-wise, after a disappointing lack of awards recognition for her Maria Callas biopic, Jolie’s attention now turns to promoting her upcoming fashion drama film, <Couture> (formerly titled <Stitches>), which saw her filming scenes during Paris Fashion Week. Expected in cinemas this October, she stars an American film-maker who crosses paths with a South Sudanese model and French make-up artist, their stories intertwining to ‘examine the souls and wounds of women’s bodies’, according to the film’s director, Alice Winocour.
 
So what of her feelings heading into her sixth decade? ‘I feel that I’m gonna hit my stride in my 50s,’ Jolie said in an interview. ‘I like being older, I feel much more comfortable… maybe because my mom didn’t live very long, so there’s something about age that feels like a victory instead of a sadness for me.’
 
Jolie’s mother, Marcheline Bertrand, died in 2007 at age 56 from ovarian and breast cancer. It was a loss that sparked Jolie’s highly publicised campaigning efforts around cancer, after she found out she was genetically more at risk of the illness and underwent a preventative double mastectomy and hysterectomy.

Jolie’s philanthropy defines the legacy she’s created in her 50 years. Her dedication in fighting for the rights of women and children – particularly as an ambassador for the United Nations Refugee Agency – has left a mark that many would argue extends far beyond her Hollywood footprint. That said, her wardrobe in Mr & Mrs Smith – which turns 20 this month(!) – will go down in our aspirational fashion history books too. Here’s to the next 50, Ang! With a new film – and the possibility of new love – Jolie’s new decade is off to a good start.