From an early age, Angie struggled with mental illness. She was from a broken home. Her parents’ marriage fell apart when she was an infant. When Angie was six years old, she, her brother, her mother, and her mother’s boyfriend moved from Los Angeles, California to Palisades, New York. A few years later, they moved back to Los Angeles where they enrolled Angie in the posh Beverly Hills High School. Angie was teased constantly by her wealthy classmates because she wore glasses and braces. By comparison, she was the poor, homely kid in a school full of rich, entitled students. When her mother transferred her to Moreno High School, Angie transformed her image. She dressed in all black to look “goth,” had a fascination for “knife play,” and took correspondence courses on human embalming with the intent to eventually become a funeral director. She developed eating and sleeping disorders. She began to practice self-harm and to self-medicate with alcohol and drugs, which only exacerbated her depression. Angie and her father’s relationship broke down because of her substance abuse. At the age of 19, her depression grew so powerful that she planned to take her own life. Unavailable at the time was the 988 Suicide and Crisis hotline, where a person in need can call or text 988 for immediate help. As dark thoughts filled her mind, she began to think of how it would devastate her loved ones. Angie knew that her mother would think she had not done enough as a parent to help. 19-year-old Angie ultimately changed her mind, but the thoughts of it remained. For three years, she worked on a plan.
By the time Angie was 22 years old, Angie had returned to New York where she worked sporadically. Her drug and alcohol use continued to fuel her depression. To lessen her guilt and to ease the burden on her family, Angie decided on a way to end her suffering. Angie decided to hire a hitman to murder her. “They’re not that hard to find in New York,” she said. Angie made small withdrawals over time to build up enough cash to pay the hitman. This way no one would become suspicious. No one would ever know.
Angie met up with the contract killer. She explained the whole plan in detail. Finally, after listening intently, the hitman asked Angie something that she had not anticipated. He asked if she “could think about it and call him again in two months.” Angie had thought long and hard on her plan, but she agreed to wait the two months. Within that short time frame, Angie recalled that “something changed in my life and I figured I’d stick it out.” She has never revealed what changed her mind.
Had that hitman, whom she referred to as a “decent enough person,” not persuaded her to take time to reconsider, Angie would no longer be walking among us. Had the contract killer taken her money and fulfilled her initial request, Angie’s family would have been devastated. Had the estranged daughter of famous movie star John Voight been murdered, Angie would not have lived long enough to become prominently involved in numerous international charity projects. Angie, the girl once teased as being poor and homely, has often appeared on “most beautiful women” lists. Angie lived to become an Academy Award-winning actress. Had Angie chosen suicide, the world would never have enjoyed the talent of Angelina Jolie.
Depression is a serious illness, but help is waiting. If you or someone you know needs help, call or text 988. All life is precious.
Sources:
1. Rhiannon Ingle, “Surprising question hitman asked Angelina Jolie that saved her life after she hired him to kill her,” Tyla.com, August 13, 2024, accessed November 17, 2024, https://www.tyla.com/
2. Eve Buckland, “Angelina Jolie once hired hitman to plan her own murder aged 22 – but assassin had surprising response to her grisly plan,” DailyMail.co.uk, July 28, 2024, accessed November 17, 2024, https://www.dailymail.co.uk/
4. “Angelina Jolie,” IMDb.com, accessed November 17, 2024, https://www.imdb.com/name/