Angelina Jolie reveals reason for her divorce from Brad Pitt

Angelina Jolie has opened up about her and Brad Pitt's high-profile divorce in 2016. The 45-year-old actress spoke on the eve of World Refugee Day by the United Nations to honour refugees around the globe on June 20. She has been working with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) since 2000, first as an ambassador and then as a special envoy.

After nearly four years since the announcement of divorce from Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie revealed the reason behind her decision to leave the actor. The former couple share six children together -- Maddox, 18, Pax, 16, Zahara, 15, Shiloh, 12, and 11-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne.

"I separated for the well-being of my family. It was the right decision. I continue to focus on their healing," said Angelina Jolie, in an interview with Vogue. "Some have taken advantage of my silence, and the children see lies about themselves in the media, but I remind them that they know their own truth and their own minds. In fact, they are six very brave, very strong young people," she added.

"I found myself a student at their feet. I have learned more from [refugees] about family, resilience, dignity and survival than I can express," Jolie said about working with UNHCR, adding how it has transformed her perception of motherhood.

Last year in an interview with Harper's Bazaar, Jolie took a jibe at Pitt. "I would love to live abroad and will do so as soon as my children are 18. Right now I'm having to base where their father chooses to live," said the actress when she was asked about plans to leave the US.

She added how the last few years were physically, emotionally and mentally turbulent for her. "My body has been through a lot over the past decade, particularly the past four years, and I have both the visible and invisible scars to show for it," Jolie said.

The Oscar-award winner underwent a preventative double mastectomy in 2013. This was followed by breast reconstruction after testing positive for the BRCA gene. Jolie had her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed in 2015, after her split from Pitt. She admitted how it took her some time to feel like her old self.