Angelina Jolie’s daughter shares emotional tribute to mom after distancing from Brad Pitt

Angelina Jolie received a heartfelt public tribute from daughter Zahara Jolie this week, as the college student praised her mother’s parenting and reflected on the values she was raised with amid the family’s ongoing distance from Brad Pitt.

Speaking during a mother-daughter luncheon at Spelman College on April 26, Zahara described Jolie as the most “selfless, loving and understanding woman” she knows, offering a rare glimpse into their close bond. 

According to attendees, Zahara said she struggled to fully express the depth of their relationship because it felt “unique” and “almost kindred.”

The 21-year-old also reflected on being raised with a strong emphasis on kindness, compassion and helping others, values she credited to the Oscar-winning actress.

Zahara, who was adopted from Ethiopia by Jolie in 2005, said those lessons continue to shape her identity as she navigates adulthood and college life in the public spotlight.

“I’m a strong woman because a strong woman raised me,” Zahara said in closing, directly thanking her mother for her continued support and involvement.

The emotional moment comes as Jolie’s children remain largely estranged from their father, Brad Pitt, following the former couple’s bitter split in 2016 and divorce finalisation in 2024. 

Several of the six children have since publicly distanced themselves from Pitt, including Zahara, who now uses the name Zahara Marley Jolie, and Shiloh, who legally removed Pitt from her surname last year.

Jolie and Pitt also continue to face a prolonged legal dispute tied to their former shared French winery, keeping tensions between the exes firmly in the spotlight.