Angelina Jolie Once Thought Murder Would Be Easier on Her Family Than Suicide—and a Hitman’s Unexpected Response Changed Everything
There was a time in Angelina Jolie’s life when the pain she felt was so overwhelming that she took a decision most people can hardly fathom. In a candid IMDb interview back in 2001, a younger Jolie shared this: “This is going to sound insane, but there was a time I was going to hire somebody to kill me.” The weight of her words still astonishes me, not for their shock value, but because they came from a woman who has, over the years, given so much to the world—through her artistry, her activism, and her strength. What she revealed wasn’t a bold headline—it was a window into the darkest corners of her mind, and a gentle reminder that even the strongest among us are vulnerable.
Jolie explained the heartbreaking reasoning behind it. She didn’t want her family to carry the unbearable burden of feeling they had failed her if she took her own life. She believed that if it were made to look like a robbery, a murder, it might hurt them less. She thought they would grieve—but maybe not be consumed with guilt. That raw honesty—that even someone who seems untouchable can feel trapped by her own thoughts—hit me hard. Many people live their lives convinced that they’re the only ones dealing with destructive thoughts, but Jolie’s admission showed how universal and quietly devastating such pain can be.
As she continued, she added something that remains so human: she tried to pull through. According to multiple sources, including a report shared in 2024 by LADbible, she made a plan to withdraw money in small amounts over time, so she wouldn’t attract attention. But then came a lifeline from a most unexpected place. She had reached out to the person she thought would end her life, a hitman—only to have him ask her to wait two months and call him back. That request gave her space—a pause she hadn’t given herself in years. It was just enough time for something to shift inside her. Over those weeks, life didn’t suddenly get easier—pain doesn’t dissolve overnight—but she says something changed, and she chose to stick around.
Years later, Jolie reflected on surviving that time in an interview with 60 Minutes, grateful she endured. Soon after, she entered perhaps one of the most transformative phases of her life—motherhood. In her mid-20s, she adopted her first child, Maddox, from Cambodia. She said once she committed to raising him, her self-destructive tendencies faded. She no longer wanted to disappear—not because life was simple, but because she found a reason to fight for it.
Her candidness serves as a reminder: suicidal thoughts are not a sign of weakness—but often a symptom of deep emotional trauma. Jolie lived in those shadows before finding reasons to come back into the light. Over time, she channeled her experiences into empathy, becoming a powerful advocate for humanitarian causes, especially for refugees and children in conflict. Her humanitarian role felt all the more meaningful knowing it was shaped by survival.
What stands out to me is not just the darkness she described, but the humanity she showed in getting through it. Even when she thought death was the only way to spare her family pain, a small moment—a chance pause by someone she expected would end her life—helped her choose another path. That’s not a redemption story—it’s too complex for that. It’s just a truth about how fragile hope can be…and how small openings can save you.
Angelina Jolie went on to become an Oscar-winning artist, a mother to six incredible children, a filmmaker, a storyteller, and a global humanitarian. But if you look at that moment—raw, unfiltered, real—you see something even more important. You see someone who walked through the fire and stayed. Not because life solved itself, but because she got to a place where living was worth the effort. That’s something worth honoring—and reminds us all that if you’ve ever felt that desperation, you are not alone, and things can change.
