Angelina Jolie condemns 'prioritization of white skin' in health care, says it has 'endangered' her children
ROME, ITALY - OCTOBER 24: Actress Angelina Jolie attends the "Eternals" red carpet during the 16th Rome Film Fest 2021 on October 24, 2021 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Primo Barol/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Angelina Jolie condemned the "prioritization of white skin" in medicine in a new op-ed as she advocates for people of color, including three of her children.
In an article for the American Journal of Nursing published on July 5, Jolie wrote about a new technology that can help show bruising on people of color, which she argues could be beneficial for domestic violence victims.
While the article focuses on domestic abuse, Jolie also wrote about her adopted children and how the medical system has sometimes "endangered" their health.
Jolie shares three adopted children with her estranged husband Brad Pitt: Maddox, Zahara and Pax. The former couple, who were both declared legally single in 2019, also share three biological children: Shiloh, Knox and Vivienne.
"As the mother of children of multiple races, I have seen my children of color be misdiagnosed, at times in ways that endangered their health," she wrote in the op-ed.
The technology Jolie wrote about uses alternative light to detect bruising on darker skin tones and the technique is "up to five times more effective," according to the actress. Jolie claimed that bruise detection is typically done by sight and natural light, which leaves people of color at a "significant disadvantage" when trying to report domestic abuse.
The "Girl, Interrupted" star went on to give a personal anecdote about her daughter.
American actress Angelina Jolie and her children Shiloh, Nouvel Jolie-Pitt and Zahara Marley Jolie-Pitt pose at the European premiere of 'Maleficent : Mistress of Evil' on Oct. 7 2019 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Eric VANDEVILLE/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Im
"Reflecting personally, when my daughter Zahara, who is from Ethiopia, was hospitalized for a medical procedure, the nurse told me to call her ‘if she turns pink near her incisions,’" Jolie recalled. "I stood looking blankly at her, not sure she understood what was wrong with what she had said."
"When she left the room, I had a talk with my daughter, both of us knowing that we would have to look for signs of infection based on our own knowledge, not what the nurse had said, despite her undoubted good intentions."
"Even as my family has access to high-quality medical care, simple diagnoses are missed because of race and continued prioritization of white skin in medicine. At a societal level, racial disparities in health care affect outcomes for millions of people. From technology to improving diversity and representation in medical research and training, it is past time to embrace new solutions," Jolie wrote.
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Jolie has long been an advocate for domestic violence victims. She recently campaigned to renew the Violence Against Women Act. Jolie called the law, which took effect in March 2022, a "long time coming."
"It is personal to everyone," Jolie told NBC News. "Everyone who cares about family, everyone who cares about children, everyone who cares about their own safety and the health of their community."
"I [think] this country doesn’t recognize what a serious domestic violence and child abuse problem it really has," she said.
Jolie has also accused her ex Brad Pitt of domestic abuse as the former couple battles in court over their vineyard, Château Miraval. The allegations came out in a legal document, obtained by Fox News Digital.
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BERLIN, GERMANY - FEBRUARY 13: Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt attend the Cinema for Peace Gala ceremony at the Konzerthaus Am Gendarmenmarkt during day five of the 62nd Berlin International Film Festival on February 13, 2012 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo
According to the document filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, Pitt "choked one of the children and struck another in the face" and "grabbed Jolie by the head and shook her" while the family was on a plane in 2016. The "Bullet Train" actor then poured "beer and red wine" on Jolie and the children, according to the filing. "Some of the children pleaded with Pitt to stop. They were all frightened. Many were crying."
Jolie filed for divorce shortly after the alleged incident. A source familiar with the matter told Fox News Digital at the time that the claims made by Jolie were false.
"She continues to rehash, revise and re-imagine her description of an event that happened six years ago by adding completely untrue information each time she fails to get what she wants," the source said.
PARIS, FRANCE - FEBRUARY 24: Brad Pitt onstage while David Fincher receives the "Honorary César Award" during the 48th Cesar Film Awards at L'Olympia on February 24, 2023 in Paris, France. (Photo by Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images
A lawyer for the actor maintained that Pitt would respond to allegations in court.
"Brad has owned everything he’s responsible for from day one – unlike the other side – but he’s not going to own anything he didn’t do," Pitt's lawyer, Anne Kiley, told The Associated Press at the time. "He has been on the receiving end of every type of personal attack and misrepresentation."
"Thankfully, the various public authorities the other side has tried to use against him over the past six years have made their own independent decisions," Kiley’s statement said. "Brad will continue to respond in court as he has consistently done."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.