Jolie: 'Weight loss is due to grief'

Angelina Jolie has revealed that her recent weight loss is a reaction to the death of her mother earlier this year.

Marcheline Bertrand passed away from ovarian cancer in January and the actress insisted that her slim figure is a result of grief rather than concern for her appearance.

She told Grazia magazine: "I have always been lean and this year I lost my mother and I've gone through a lot.

"The thing that's disturbing is that instead of people saying, 'This looks like a person that's actually dealing with something, probably from emotions', they say, 'Does she fit into skinny jeans and look thin?'

"I want people to understand who I am as a person is not somebody that's trying to look thin, but just trying to work through a very difficult year."

Jolie praised partner Brad Pitt for helping her cope with her loss, saying: "He is just a great friend and when my mother passed he was so great. He sat with me and held her hand. After she passed away he spent the night asking me and my brother about our mother and got us to tell funny stories about her.

"He focused on all the love and joy we were fortunate enough to have had. He was extraordinary."

Pitt reportedly claimed that he was worried about Jolie earlier this year, saying she had become too thin in recent months.