Angelina Jolie Chokes Up While Advocating for Domestic Violence Victims Alongside Daughter Zahara
10.02.2022 - 23:27
/ usmagazine.com
Being an advocate. Angelina Jolie gave a poignant speech while discussing domestic violence, urging the U.S. Senate to vote in favor of renewing the Violence Against Women Act.
“The reason that many people struggle to leave abusive situations is that they’ve been made to feel worthless,” the 46-year-old actress began her speech on Wednesday, February 9, while in Washington, D.C. “When there is silence from a Congress too busy to renew the Violence Against Women Act for a decade, it reinforces that sense of worthlessness. You think, ‘I guess my abuser is right. I guess I’m not worth very much.’”
The Maleficent star — who was joined by her and Brad Pitt’s 17-year-old daughter, Zahara, at the press conference — explained that women feeling “worthless” is one of the main reasons why “passing this law is one of the most important votes U.S. senators will cast this year.”
Jolie pointed out that the “ugly truth is violence in homes is normalized in our country,” which is why many victims have allegedly not gotten the help and support they need after dealing with an assault. The Violence Against Women Act has not been amended since 2013.
“As survivors of abuse know all too well, victims of our vailed systems are not allowed to be angry. They’re supposed to be calm and patient and ask nicely,” she continued. “But you try staying calm when it’s as if someone is holding your head under water and you’re drowning. Try to stay calm when you’re witnessing someone you love being harmed.”
The Girl, Interrupted actress — who also shares Maddox, 20, Pax, 18, Shiloh, 15, and twins Vivienne and Knox, 13, with the 58-year-old Fight Club actor — held back tears as she spoke about the children who are affected by domestic violence and the women who