Hollywood star Angelina Jolie has voiced deep concern about the state of free expression in the United States, admitting she no longer recognises her country.
The Oscar-winning actress made the remarks on Sunday while presenting her latest film, Couture, at the prestigious San Sebastián International Film Festival in Spain.
“I love my country, but I don’t at this time recognise my country,” Jolie told reporters when asked about her fears for freedom of speech in the U.S.
Her comments come amid growing anxiety about censorship and media freedom, following President Donald Trump’s clampdown on critical outlets and the recent suspension of late-night host Jimmy Kimmel’s show after controversial remarks about conservative influencer Charlie Kirk’s death.
“Anything, anywhere, that divides or, of course, limits personal expressions and freedoms and, from anyone, I think is very dangerous,” she said. “These are very, very heavy times we’re all living in together.”
Jolie, 50, was in Spain to promote Couture, directed by French filmmaker Alice Winocour. The film, which is in competition for the festival’s top prize, the Golden Shell, sees Jolie play Maxine Walker, an American director confronting divorce and illness while navigating Paris Fashion Week — and falling in love with a colleague played by French star Louis Garrel.
The role resonated personally with Jolie, who has been candid about her own health struggles. In 2013, she underwent a double mastectomy, later followed by the removal of her ovaries and fallopian tubes due to a high genetic cancer risk — the same illness that claimed the lives of her mother and grandmother.
Fighting back emotion, Jolie reflected on her late mother:
“I wish she was able to speak more as openly as I have been, and have people respond as graciously as you have, and not feel as alone.”
The actress added that women’s cancers carry a unique emotional weight: “It affects us, you know, how we feel as women.”
With Couture, Jolie returns not just as an actress but as a voice engaging with some of today’s most urgent cultural and political debates — from women’s health to freedom of expression.
