As her daughter Shiloh Novel approaches her first birthday on May 27, Angelina Jolie has spoken out about her decision to have a biological child. The Tomb Raider actress, who is also mum to Cambodian son Maddox, five, Ethiopian daughter Zahara, two, and now Pax Thien from Vietnam, has said it was partner Brad Pitt who opened her up to the idea. "Before I met Brad, I always said I was happy never to have a child biologically," she tells Reader's Digest. "He told me he hadn't given up that thought. Then, a few months after Z came home, I saw Brad with her and Mad, and I realised how much he loved him, that a biological child would not in any way be a threat. So I said, 'I want to try'."
Despite becoming a mum of four in the space of just six years, the star says she wants more children to add to her "rainbow family". "More biological, more adopted," she confirms. Finding quality time with her Mr And Mrs Pitt co-star though is difficult, she admits, considering their increased parental responsibilities. "Right now, that's our problem! We hang out. We try to talk over the swing set. We'll have a date night once everybody is settled… Especially now with Pax, he still gets scared if I'm gone more than a few hours. But we'll get them occupied with a movie and popcorn and try to run off and lock the door for a bit."
The latest addition to their family, three-year-old Pax, will soon officially take the couple's names. US law requires notification of any name change to be published for four consecutive weeks before the change is made. Angelina chose the small legal journal The Daily Commerce, which has a circulation of just 800, but eagle-eyed readers have now spread the news. Pax is due to officially become a Jolie-Pitt on May 31.
Their decision to adopt a child from Vietnam came after Shiloh's birth last May. "Something changed for me with Shiloh," reveals Angelina. "We had Mad and Z, and neither looked like Mommy and Daddy. It became clear to us that it might be important to have somebody around who is similar to the other children so they have a connection. Mad's very excited that his brother is from Asia," she adds.
It's not only looking after their family that’s occupying Hollywood's most photogenic duo. Humanitarian causes are an ever-present concern for them. On Thursday the pair announced they have donated $1 million to help assist more than four million people affected by the crisis in Darfur. And a little closer to home, Babel star Brad has been playing a key role in regenerating the area devastated by Hurricane Katrina.
The architect enthusiast's green housing project has now got underway in New Orleans, in the wake of a competition to find an affordable, environment-friendly plan for replacing housing and community centres. "The greatest victory for me will be when the first people move into one of these green homes - when they can put their key into that lock, sit down at the table, have dinner with their families and live their lives," the Ocean's Thirteen star tells People magazine.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
