Angelina Jolie Says She's a Nervous Mom but Daughter, Zahara, Calms Her in the Senate

Despite her status as a Hollywood superstar, Angelina Jolie said she's one nervous mom after witnessing the Senate introduce the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act, her advocacy on women.

The "Maleficent" star shared a photo on Instagram that her daughter, Zahara Jolie-Pitt, joined her at the Senate to calm nerves before she spoke in the press conference, alongside the legislators and advocates of the bill.

In her post, Jolie said it had been a defining moment to share this milestone with Zahara. The mom of six said that her teenage daughter also shares the same advocacy of supporting women faced with violence.

Most Important Vote in the Senate

On Wednesday, February 9, Jolie also spoke in front of the lawmakers on Capitol Hill to appeal to them to cast their crucial vote in favor of the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act. According to ABC News, the bill includes provisions covering women's education, rape prevention, access to housing for survivors of domestic violence, as well as legal services.

Jolie's speech was described as emotional as she decries how many women could have been saved if this bill had been renewed earlier. The House had a similar bill passed in 2021.

In 1994, then-President Bill Clinton signed the Violence Against Women Act into a law that provided federal funding for women victims of violence and sexual assault. In 2018, however, a review of the Act lapsed as members of the Republican Party said there were loopholes in some of the provisions.

Jolie said that many women have a more challenging time leaving abusive relationships because the lack of support from the government makes them feel worthless. She said that failure to renew the Act reinforced these feelings compounded by their abusers.

Before her speech on Capitol Hill, Jolie has made a series of visits to Washington, D.C., to lobby for the Act's renewal. She also met with White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki to discuss the law.

Zahara Follows Her Mother's Footsteps

According to Deadline, Jolie's Capitol and White House visits also included discussions with EPA Administrator Micheal Regan, who said that issues affecting children's health are interconnected with the environmental stressors all around.

Two months before the meeting with Regan, Jolie was also in the capital with Zahara. The 17-year-old is following in the footsteps of her mother as a humanitarian.

Jolie adopted Zahara from Ethiopia when she was just six months old. As with the rest of her siblings, Zahara grew up out of the spotlight as the child of Jolie and superstar dad, Brad Pitt. However, in recent months, she has been attending red carpet events and various charity events with her mother.

The actress has been embroiled in a custody battle with her ex-husband. She has asked the courts for full custody of her minor children, including Zahara. Sources close to the Hollywood star said that Jolie is always looking out for the interests of her children after Pitt was investigated and then cleared for child abuse. The ex-couple has reached a temporary custody agreement for their kids.