Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt‘s daughter, Vivienne Jolie, has revealed that she was hospitalized for an eating disorder earlier this year, sharing details of her experience through a deeply personal art exhibition.
The 18-year-old said she felt “angry, sick, and very alone” during her treatment but credited the kindness of fellow patients and hospital staff with helping her through the difficult period.
Vivienne Jolie’s revelation was displayed alongside paintings inspired by her hospital experience, offering a rare glimpse into a private struggle she had not previously discussed publicly.
Vivienne Jolie Opens Up About Eating Disorder That Took ‘Courage’ To Share
Vivienne disclosed her experience in an artist statement titled “The Tulip Field,” which accompanied her paintings at an exhibition in Los Angeles.
“Like many, I have struggled with mental health. I have also struggled with an eating disorder,” she wrote.
The teenager revealed that she was hospitalized at the beginning of 2026, describing the experience as an emotionally difficult period in her life.
“At the beginning of this year, I was hospitalized for my ED. I was angry, sick, and very alone,” she continued.
Her statement offered an unusually personal account of her health struggles, particularly given how carefully she has maintained her privacy despite growing up in one of Hollywood’s most recognizable families.
A source close to the situation told Page Six that opening up about the experience required considerable courage.
“It took a lot of strength and courage for Vivienne to open up about something so personal, but she’s so glad she did,” the source said.
The insider added that Vivienne hoped her experience would encourage someone facing similar difficulties to seek support rather than feel isolated.
Although discussing such a personal subject was not easy, the source said she believed sharing her story could make a meaningful difference to others.
Fellow Patients And Hospital Staff Helped Her Through Difficult Period
Despite initially feeling isolated, Vivienne said her experience gradually changed because of the people she encountered during treatment.
According to reports by Page Six, she credited the kindness of the other young patients and hospital staff with helping her lower the emotional barriers she had built around herself.
“Eventually, however, the kindness and warmth of the kids and staff at the hospital broke down the walls I had built so high,” she wrote.
She also described the emotional connections she formed during her stay, explaining that the experience brought moments of intense laughter, tears, and honesty.
“I have never laughed or cried harder, never been more honest or more myself,” she added.
The teenager said the other patients taught her how to find strength during periods when she felt most vulnerable.
“The other kids there taught me how to be strong when you are at your weakest,” she wrote.
Looking back, Vivienne described the experience as both the worst and best period of her life, acknowledging how much it had changed her.
“It was the worst and best time of my life, and I am better for it,” she said.
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Vivienne Jolie’s Los Angeles Art Exhibition Preserves Memories From Treatment
Vivienne’s revelation was shared through her exhibition, titled “The Tulip Field: A Gallery on Patience of Patients,” which ran from November 2 through November 8 at Forager Crafts in Los Angeles.
She explained that she named the exhibition after the hospital where she received treatment, referring to the facility as “The Tulip Field.”
The paintings were inspired by memories from her stay, including moments of sadness, laughter, safety, and bravery.
Vivienne explained that photographs were not taken during the hospitalization, making the artwork a way to preserve experiences that might otherwise have remained undocumented.
“There are of course no photographs of our time at the Tulip Field, so these are our memories, our purest memories, preserved,” she wrote.
She also revealed that the titles of the paintings came from journal entries she had written while receiving treatment.
One painting, titled “Vitals,” included a handwritten note dated May 14, 2026. The message read, “I feel guilty for needing to be in the hospital this long.”
Another artwork, “Steph’s Star,” depicted two flowers beneath a star and included the words, “We all went to the deck last night.”
A third piece, titled “Room Check,” showed a flower behind a grid-like window and was accompanied by a journal entry describing feelings of bewilderment and sensitivity.
Together, the paintings documented different emotional moments from her hospitalization, turning private memories into an exhibition that allowed visitors to understand a little more about her experience.
Vivienne Jolie Previously Worked Alongside Angelina On A Broadway Musical
Although Vivienne has largely stayed away from the Hollywood spotlight, she has already developed an interest in the arts and previously worked alongside her mother on the Broadway musical “The Outsiders”.
In 2024, when she was 15, Vivienne served as a volunteer assistant on the production, which was led by Angelina as a producer.
Jolie spoke warmly about her daughter’s involvement during an interview with People Magazine, describing her as a dedicated member of the creative team who took the responsibility seriously.
“She’ll correct me,” the actress said at the time. “She’ll say, ‘Didn’t you read the memo? We have to do this. We have to go through this.’”
Jolie also described Vivienne as the biggest theatre enthusiast in their family, praising her attention to detail and commitment to the project.
The mother-daughter collaboration attracted attention when they attended the musical’s Broadway opening in April 2024. The production went on to win the Tony Award for Best Musical in June that year, with Jolie among its credited producers.
In a separate interview with Entertainment Tonight, Jolie explained that working on the musical had allowed her to understand her daughter and her passion for theatre on a deeper level.
Vivienne’s Name Change Adds To Developments In Angelina Jolie And Brad Pitt’s Family Rift
Vivienne’s revelation comes shortly after another significant development involving her relationship with her father’s side of the family.
Earlier in November, a court granted her request to legally remove Pitt from her surname. She is now legally known as Vivienne Jolie, per Page Six.
The decision followed her earlier choice to use Jolie professionally, including in the Playbill for “The Outsiders.”
Vivienne is one of six children shared by Jolie and Pitt, who separated in 2016 after two years of marriage. Their children also include Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, and Vivienne’s twin brother, Knox.
Other siblings have also publicly distanced themselves from the Pitt surname. Shiloh legally changed her name in 2024, while Zahara introduced herself as Zahara Marley Jolie when joining a sorority at Spelman College in 2023.
The latest name change has drawn renewed attention to the strained family relationships following the former couple’s separation.