
Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images for Warner Bros. Pictures
“She didn’t have a choice.”
Angelina Jolie is getting ready to sell her famous Los Angeles home as she makes plans to move to another country. The 50-year-old actress has been living in the historic property since 2017, but sources say she never wanted to stay in LA full time.
The Maria star has been stuck in Los Angeles because of her custody deal with ex-husband Brad Pitt. According to Page Six, the former couple went through an eight-year divorce battle filled with custody drama and legal disputes before reaching a settlement in December 2024. They share six children together: Maddox, 24, Pax, 21, Zahara, 20, Shiloh, 19, and twins Knox and Vivienne, 17.
A source close to the situation told PEOPLE that Jolie “never wanted to live in L.A. full time. She didn’t have a choice because of the custody arrangement with Brad.” This legal requirement has kept the Academy Award winner in California, despite her previously stating that “nothing else matters” except protecting her kids when she would rather be living somewhere else in the world.
Jolie’s escape plan involves waiting for the right time
The actress has a clear plan to leave Los Angeles once her youngest children reach adulthood. Sources say she plans to move abroad as soon as her twins Knox and Vivienne turn 18 next year. The source added that “She’s eyeing several locations abroad. She’ll be very happy when she’s able to leave Los Angeles.”
Jolie bought her current home in 2017 for $24.5 million. The property is a historic 1913 mansion that once belonged to famous director Cecil B. DeMille, who bought it in 1916 for under $28,000. The sprawling estate has six bedrooms and ten bathrooms across 11,000 square feet. Charlie Chaplin also lived in a house next door before DeMille bought that property too and combined both estates.
The actress is now preparing to put the house up for sale. Sources say she plans to make some small improvements to the historic property before listing it. One insider described it as “a historic masterpiece and truly such a beautiful estate.” The sale will mark the end of Jolie’s time as a full-time Los Angeles resident.
In a 2024 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Jolie explained why she has stayed in the city despite wanting to leave. She said she is currently in Los Angeles “because I have to be here for a divorce.” The actress made it clear that her living situation was not by choice but due to legal requirements from her custody arrangement.
Looking ahead, Jolie has specific plans for where she wants to spend her time after leaving California. She said she will “spend a lot of time in Cambodia,” which is where she adopted her oldest son, Maddox, in 2002. She also plans to “spend time visiting my family members wherever they may be in the world.” Jolie has described Cambodia as the one place “in my heart” that she considers her true home.
Published: Aug 12, 2025 08:04 am