Angelina Jolie, the Academy Award-winning actress and humanitarian, has ignited a nationwide conversation after voicing profound concerns about the state of freedom and personal expression in the United States. Speaking at a press conference on September 21, 2025, during the San Sebastián Film Festival in Spain, Jolie’s remarks were both heartfelt and pointed, reflecting a deep unease with her homeland’s political and social climate.
Jolie, 50, was in Spain to promote her latest film, Couture, which is competing for the festival’s prestigious Golden Shell award. Yet, it was her candid observations about America’s current trajectory that quickly became the focal point of international headlines. When asked about her fears as an artist and an American, she paused before delivering a stark assessment: “I love my country, but I don’t at this time recognise my country.” According to AFP and multiple outlets including NDTV and Hindustan Times, Jolie’s words resonated with many who share growing anxieties about the erosion of free speech and the increasing polarization in U.S. society.
Her comments come at a moment of heightened tension over freedom of expression in America. The recent suspension of late-night host Jimmy Kimmel’s show—following his controversial remarks about the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk—has intensified debate over the boundaries of acceptable discourse. According to People and Mirror, Kimmel’s indefinite removal from the airwaves, in the wake of public outcry and political backlash, has become a flashpoint for critics who argue that critical media voices are being silenced.
Jolie addressed these developments directly, warning of the dangers inherent in any force—be it governmental, social, or cultural—that seeks to divide or limit personal expression. “Anything, anywhere, that divides or, of course, limits personal expressions and freedoms and, from anyone, I think is very dangerous,” she stated during the press conference, as reported by NDTV. She went on to describe the current period as “very, very heavy times we’re all living in together,” urging both the media and the public to tread carefully and thoughtfully when discussing such critical issues.
Her perspective is shaped not only by her public persona but also by her deeply international background. “I’ve always lived internationally. My family’s international, my friends, my life, my world view is equal, united, international,” Jolie explained, according to Arab Times and Fox News Digital. This global outlook, she suggested, has made her particularly sensitive to anything that undermines unity or restricts freedom—values she believes are under threat in today’s America.
Jolie’s remarks were not made in a vacuum. They follow months of escalating rhetoric and policy moves in the U.S. that have put free speech under the microscope. The suspension of Jimmy Kimmel’s show, for instance, came after he criticized the so-called “MAGA gang” in connection with reactions to Charlie Kirk’s death, a move that drew both support and condemnation across the political spectrum. President Donald Trump’s administration has also faced accusations of cracking down on critical media, further fueling anxieties about the future of open discourse in the country.
In her personal life, Jolie has been contemplating a significant change of her own. As first reported by People, she has been preparing to sell her Los Angeles home and relocate abroad once her youngest children, Vivienne and Knox, turn 18 next year. The actress’s longstanding desire to live internationally has been constrained by a custody arrangement with her ex-husband, Brad Pitt, following their high-profile divorce. “She didn’t have a choice because of the custody arrangement with Brad,” a source told People, adding, “She plans to relocate as soon as they turn 18 and is eyeing several locations abroad.” Jolie has strong family ties to Cambodia and has often spoken about her wish to find greater privacy and peace outside the U.S.
Despite her global ambitions, Jolie’s ties to America remain complex and deeply felt. “I have a house now to raise my children, but sometimes this place can be… that humanity that I found across the world is not what I grew up with here,” she told The Hollywood Reporter last year. Her comments in Spain, then, reflect a sense of loss and dislocation—a feeling that the country she loves is moving in a direction she no longer recognizes.
Jolie’s new film, Couture, mirrors some of these personal and political struggles. In the movie, she plays Maxine, an American film director navigating the high-stakes world of Paris Fashion Week while grappling with divorce and a serious illness—breast cancer. The role resonated deeply with Jolie, who has herself faced significant health challenges, including a double mastectomy and the removal of her ovaries and fallopian tubes to reduce her genetic risk of cancer. “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,” Jolie said, referencing her late mother’s own battle with cancer. She added, “There’s something very particular to women’s cancers, because obviously it affects us, you know, how we feel as women.”
The intersection of Jolie’s art and activism was on full display at the San Sebastián Film Festival. Her willingness to use her platform to address urgent social and political issues has long set her apart in Hollywood. As AFP observed, Jolie’s stark admission about not recognizing her country underscores a tense national moment, one in which celebrities and citizens alike are grappling with questions about identity, freedom, and the future of American values.
Reactions to Jolie’s remarks have been predictably varied. Some see her as a courageous voice for unity and liberty, while others criticize her for speaking out on American politics from a foreign stage. Yet, whatever one’s political leanings, it’s hard to deny the weight of her words or the sincerity of her concerns. As the U.S. continues to debate the limits of free speech and the role of dissent in a democratic society, Jolie’s reflections serve as a potent reminder of the stakes involved—and of the very personal ways in which national issues can shape individual lives.
As the dust settles from her appearance in Spain, one thing is clear: Angelina Jolie’s voice—rooted in both personal experience and a global perspective—remains an influential force in the ongoing debate over freedom, identity, and the soul of America.
