Angelina Jolie Is Saying a Bittersweet Goodbye to Los Angeles as She Looks to Start Afresh in a Quieter, More Private Life

3 January 2026

Angelina Jolie, the Academy Award-winning actress, director and humanitarian, has quietly embarked on one of the most significant personal transitions of her life, preparing to sell her historic Los Angeles estate and depart the city that has been both home and stage for some of her deepest joys and most painful struggles, as she sets her sights on a future defined by privacy, global travel and creative pursuits beyond the glare of Hollywood’s spotlight.

Sources close to the star say that Jolie, 50, is ready to bid farewell to the sprawling Cecil B. DeMille estate in Los Angeles where she has lived since 2016, a $25 million property she purchased at a time when her life was intertwined with that of her then-husband Brad Pitt. The decision to place the home on the market marks an emotional turning point for Jolie, who long expressed the desire to leave Los Angeles once her six children from her marriage to Pitt reached adulthood and she could finally shake the gravitational pull of the city’s drama.

People familiar with Jolie’s thinking say that after nearly eight years tethered to Los Angeles by custody arrangements and legal entanglements surrounding her divorce finalized at the end of 2024, the moment feels right for a change of scenery. In the past, Jolie openly acknowledged that she remained in the city more out of necessity than choice, saying in a 2024 interview that she only stayed because her children with Pitt had not all yet turned 18, and that as soon as they did she planned to leave. That moment arrives in 2026 with the birthdate of her twins Knox and Vivienne, and Jolie appears ready to embrace a more nomadic and less Hollywood-centric existence.

Her plans, while not tied to a single destination, suggest a life that reflects her global sensibilities and deep connections beyond the United States. Sources report that Jolie will divide her time between New York, where she runs her fashion collective Atelier Jolie and has strong creative ties; various European cities like London and Paris that offer a slower pace and rich cultural environments; and Cambodia, a place she considers a second home with personal and humanitarian resonance.

Cambodia has been central to her identity long before her Hollywood fame, as it is where she adopted her son Maddox in 2002 and later took Cambodian citizenship. Jolie’s philanthropic work, which has spanned continents and often taken her to conflict zones and refugee communities, suggests that her life beyond Hollywood will be as multifaceted as her career on screen.

The home she is selling is more than a piece of real estate; it carries the weight of family history and a chapter of life that was deeply entwined with Pitt’s. Purchased during their marriage, the estate became a refuge where the couple raised their children and supported creative projects, yet it also became a reminder of the years of legal battles, public scrutiny and unresolved tensions that emerged during their acrimonious split.

Jolie once said she remained in Los Angeles so her children could be near their father, and that choice shaped much of her life over the last decade. Now, with that chapter closing, she appears ready to forge a new kind of life away from the city’s relentless media spotlight.

Friends and associates describe Jolie’s desire to leave as rooted not in a rejection of Los Angeles itself, but in a longing for quieter spaces where she can work on passion projects that have long called to her, such as directing and writing films that demand focus and immersion far from Hollywood’s relentless pace.

One of those creative endeavors includes a potential directing project close to her heart, telling the story of acclaimed photojournalist Don McCullin, a project she has previously discussed as a dream assignment that would allow her to trace the steps of someone whose work chronicled some of the world’s most harrowing truths. Such projects are difficult to pursue in the frenetic environment of Los Angeles, and her move signals a desire to align her artistic life with her evolving priorities.

Angelina Jolie’s departure also reflects a broader pattern among celebrities with families who seek greater privacy and stability as their children grow older and public scrutiny becomes more intense. Celebrity event producer Jeff Krauss noted that many in Jolie’s position choose to relocate overseas for the quieter schooling and reduced paparazzi presence that European and global cities can offer. For Jolie, who has spent decades both in front of the camera and championing humanitarian causes worldwide, the chance to step back from the Hollywood stage may offer a long-sought opportunity to rebalance her life around her passions and those she holds most dear.

Even as Jolie looks toward this new chapter, certain ties to Los Angeles may remain complicated. Her ongoing legal dispute over Château Miraval, the French winery she co-owned with Pitt, and other lingering business matters suggest that some aspects of her Hollywood history are not easily left behind. Yet the overarching narrative of her transition is one of self-determination, a seasoned artist and global citizen intentionally choosing where and how she will focus her energy and attention.

For many fans, Jolie’s move is bittersweet, a reminder of her immense impact on film and philanthropy, and a signal that her next chapter could be as dynamic and meaningful as the one she has lived so publicly for years. Whether walking the streets of Paris, tending to creative work in New York or reconnecting with the soul of Cambodia, Angelina Jolie’s post-Hollywood life appears poised to reflect her lifelong commitment to art, family and global engagement.